GovConJudicata Weekly Debrief (5/10–14)

This week's Weekly Debrief covers Biden's cyber EO, vulnerabilities in the nation's energy infrastructure, cyber response bill, DEPSECDEF's "DoD Data Decrees," the first CMMC assessor cleared by DoD, and thoughts on Biden's discretionary budget request.

Cyber

FCW – Biden signs much-anticipated cybersecurity executive order

• "President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed his long-awaited executive order designed to confront the myriad of cybersecurity challenges facing the country -- ranging from the supply chain attack that compromised nine federal agencies to ransomware that ultimately shut down a natural gas pipeline last week."

The Verge – The cybersecurity ‘pandemic’ that led to the Colonial Pipeline disaster

• "The cyberattack that forced the Colonial Pipeline offline is just one failure to address existing weaknesses and an escalating “ransomware pandemic,” experts tell The Verge. That leaves the nation’s energy infrastructure especially vulnerable, even though there are basic steps that could have been taken to prevent the crisis that’s unfolding now."

NextGov – Cyber Response Bill Advances in Senate

• "Bipartisan legislation that would provide additional resources for responding to cyberattacks that put Americans’ safety at risk advanced unanimously out of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and now awaits a full Senate vote."

Defense

FedScoop – DOD No. 2 issues new ‘Data Decrees’ for military, pushing for better data management

• "Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks issued a new memo introducing “Data Decrees” that give instructions to the Department of Defense on how to better use the military’s data for everything from back-office operations to battlefield decision-making."

FedScoop – DOD clears path for first assessor to enter CMMC market

• "The Department of Defense‘s cyber inspectors approved the first company to become a certified assessor for the department’s new contractor cybersecurity standards, clearing a critical hurdle in the process."

Thought Leadership

FedTimes – Four recommendations for contractors in response to the president’s FY 2022 discretionary budget request

• "On Friday, April 9, the Office of Management and Budget released the Biden administration’s initial fiscal year (FY) 2022 Discretionary Budget Request. The new administration’s initial budget proposal includes a total of $1.5 trillion in top-line discretionary budget requests for federal departments and agencies, plus the administration’s policy and budget priorities in broad strokes. Some of those key priority areas include climate change, healthcare, equity in business, R&D and IT."

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