The Wrap: Talk to the Public; DoJ’s Revamped Cybercrime Division; Unreliable COVID-19 Data

Welcome to The Wrap for Thursday, July 20!

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From the newsroom at MeriTalk, it’s the quickest read in Federal tech news. Here’s what you need to know today:

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White House to Agencies: Talk to the Public

The White House issued a memo this week laying out key steps Federal agencies can take to deepen and expand their interactions with the public during the regulatory process. The July 19 document – issued by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) – details new and specific actions agencies should take to improve public participation and community engagement when developing regulations. Sam Berger, the associate administrator of OIRA, said the actions laid out in the memo are intended to “make it easier for interested members of the public to voice their views in the regulatory process.”

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DoJ’s Cybercrime Division Levels Up

The Department of Justice (DoJ) announced today that it is “supercharging” its cybercrime division by merging it with the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET). The DoJ’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) will work closely with the NCET to fight ransomware – a strategic objective of the White House’s new National Cybersecurity Strategy Implementation Plan (NCSIP). “It’s now time to bring NCET to the next level. NCET, to date, has been an enormously successful startup. Merging it into CCIPS will give it the resources and runway to accomplish even more,” Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, Nicole Argentieri, said.

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Unreliable COVID-19 Data

The Department of Defense (DoD) cannot rely on the data in the COVID-19 Registry to make public health and clinical care decisions concerning the pandemic because it’s incomplete, inaccurate, or unrepresentative of the DoD workforce. That’s according to a recent report from the DoD Office of Inspector General (OIG). The background: the COVID-19 Registry was established in July 2020 by the Defense Health Agency to collect data on all COVID-19 events within the Military Health System after the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs) (ASD[HA]) issued a memorandum. The Joint Trauma System (JTS) – a subordinate organization of the Defense Health Agency – was responsible for maintaining the COVID-19 Registry. The bottom line: because the ASD(HA) lacked a process for developing and populating patient registries, the OIG said any data from the COVID-19 Registry that JTS officials provided to the DoD during the pandemic was inaccurate and potentially misleading.

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VA Nominee Hits a Roadblock

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has placed a hold on President Biden’s nomination of Tanya Bradsher to serve as the deputy secretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), urging his colleagues to also oppose the nomination. During a floor speech announcing his hold, the senator claimed Bradsher – who currently serves as the chief of staff for the VA – mishandled veterans’ private information. The senator’s main concerns have to do with Bradsher’s oversight of the VA’s Integrated Enterprise Workflow Solution (VIEWS) system. Sen. Grassley explained that through the system, at least 1,900 VA employees can access personal information, “but without the need to view this sensitive information.” The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs advanced the nomination of Bradsher last week, and a full Senate vote was expected in the coming days.

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ODNI Awards Leidos a $375M Contract

Congrats to Leidos! The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) awarded a $375 million contract to the company to help the agency with intelligence, technical, financial, and management services. The cost-plus-award-fee contract has a one-year base period with six one-year options to provide the agency with cybersecurity and IT management capabilities. “We are pleased to continue our seventeen-year legacy supporting ODNI,” said Roy Stevens, Leidos Intelligence Group president. “We look forward to continuing this work and ensuring ODNI receives the best support to carry out its mission.”

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Once again, let’s “call IT a day,” but we'll bring you more tomorrow. Until then, please check the MeriTalk breaking news website throughout the day for the latest on government IT people, process, and policy.

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