The Fed Mission Success Round Up: Regulating Digital Currency, Unemployment Aid and Technology, Fiscal Year 2022 Budget, Data Optimization, and Innovation in Health IT and Cybersecurity

June 7, 2021

Welcome to the Fed Mission Success News Round Up brought to you by Makpar. Each week, we will provide a summary of actionable news and insights to help aid in overall mission success for Federal agency IT decision-makers and influencers.

SEC Seeks to Regulate Decentralized Finance

Activities related to decentralized finance (DeFi) projects which involve digital coin issuance may require a license from the regulator in the near future, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced.

Pilot Initiative Will Test Federal Tech Upgrade for Jobless Aid

The Department of Labor is developing a pilot initiative with states to modernize the information technology system for unemployment insurance.

Old Tech, Staffing Shortages Led to Unemployed Workers Waiting Weeks for Jobless Aid

Even after Congress expanded federal safety-net programs with the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act last spring, states dragged their feet in getting those programs up and running. Outdated technology and understaffing in the nation's unemployment offices meant many jobless workers waited weeks to get federal benefits, according to the Labor Department's Office of the Inspector General.

White House’s FY22 Budget Request Reveals Details for Federal Contractors

The White House hasn’t released all of the details on its 2022 budget request, but enough is out so that Federal contractors are getting the picture.

Optimizing Data Centers Can Save Agencies Money, Prepare for the Future

After ten years, the goal around government data centers has shifted from closing them to optimizing them. Federal agencies seem to understand that they will never fully get to the cloud, and that data centers will always be necessary for certain purposes.  But even with fewer than half the data centers it once owned, the Federal government is still the largest data center owner in the world. That means there’s still a lot of optimizing left to do.

HHS to Create New Tech Fund Through First VC Partnership

The Department of Health and Human Services has entered into a venture capital partnership to create a fund for technologies that can aid in the response to future public health emergencies.

NIST Will Build on Existing Software Development Framework to Meet Executive Order

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is planning to take advantage of a year-long head start it’s had toward fulfilling obligations outlined in a recent executive order to improve the government’s cybersecurity.

Why Government Needs More than Money to Fix Cybersecurity Issues

The recent influxes of funds and requests to boost the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency budget to better address the constant wave of cybersecurity issues may serve as a beacon of hope for some. However, Federal spending increases don’t always equate to better solutions.

From the Makpar Blog …

In case you missed it, here are our latest blog posts:

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• How Agencies Can Score Quick Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) Victories

• PODCAST: How the Federal Government can Overcome Barriers to Agile Transformation

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• PODCAST: The SolarWinds Breach Points to Need for Cyber Fundamentals

• In Response to The SolarWinds Breach: The Need to Return to Cybersecurity Fundamentals.

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• Cybersecurity Best Practices for Federal Agencies, Small/Medium Businesses, and Individuals

Makpar has over a decade of experience providing high-level strategic and project management services, focused on cybersecurity and cutting-edge technologies. Please contact us here for more information about how we can enhance mission success for your agency.