The Cyberspace Solarium Commission (CSC) recently published a white paper that addresses the need for growing a strong federal cyber workforce by presenting a strategy to invest in that development.

In a recently released study entitled What It Looks Like vs. What It Is: Building Competent Diversity in National Security, Guidehouse and #NatSecGirlSquad describe the potential for diversity in national security and delve into why women are often underrepresented in national security roles.

A Department of Justice press release on September 17, 2020 announced an indictment alleging that three hackers from Iran engaged in a coordinated campaign of identity theft and hacking on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated foreign terrorist organization, to steal information related to U.S. aerospace and satellite technology and resources.

Learn how to defend yourself when attacked with this easy to follow video that gives you the survival skills you need!

Recently, the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit declined to extend Bivens to violations of the Fourth Amendment for excessive force and unreasonable seizure brought against Department of Veterans Affairs police officers.

Last week’s FEDtalk podcast brought together Sanjay Koyani, Executive Director for Innovation at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Shane Canfield, CEO of Worldwide Assurance for Employees of Public Agencies (WAEPA), to discuss evolving trends in customer experience within the healthcare and insurance industries with FEDtalk hosts Jason Briefel and James Heelan of Shaw Bransford & Roth.

Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf gave the annual 2020 State of the Homeland address this week. Wolf covered issues including COVID-19, law enforcement, immigration, terrorism, and the upcoming election.

Senior U.S. District Judge Richard Leon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia recently granted an injunction preventing U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers from making asylum determinations based on “credible fear interviews.”

According to a DOJ press release from September 3, 2020, an international conspiracy profiting from the illegal trade of drugs and wildlife has been shut down in a multi-agency law enforcement operation.

The White House recently announced an executive order that authorizes employers to defer the Social Security payroll tax from September 1, 2020 through the end of the year for employees who make less than $3,999 per biweekly pay period, known as a payroll tax deferral. This new order has left many agencies and employees with various questions like whether employees can opt-in or out of the program and what happens to federal employees who leave their agencies before or during the window of repayment.

Joining the Coast Guard is no simple feat. Learn what recruits endure during their training at U.S. Coast Guard Academy in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On August 31, 2020, in a 2-1 decision after a remand from the en banc court, a panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit held that the Committee on the Judiciary of the United States House of Representatives (“Judiciary Committee”) had no valid cause of action to enforce its subpoena for executive branch records related to former White House Counsel Donald F. McGahn, II, where the Executive Branch blocked McGahn’s testimony and asserted “absolute testimonial immunity.”

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, federal law enforcement officers have been faithfully serving the public throughout. As FEDS Protection has detailed previously, COVID-19 has increased pressures and expanded the already long list of challenges that federal law enforcement officers face on a daily basis.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a proposed rule detailing their intention to modernize biometrics collection and authorize expanded use of biometrics beyond background checks to include identity verification, secure document production, and records management in a press release dated September 1, 2020.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report last month in which they investigated the prevalence of time and attendance misconduct and fraud within federal agencies. The report describes what is known about the extent of time and attendance misconduct and potential fraud across the 24 agencies using reporting controls and technologies under the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 (CFO Act) to monitor employee time and attendance.

A joint advisory released by the Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency (CISA) as a result of a collaborative research effort by CISA’s international cybersecurity counterparts in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom announced tips for recognizing malicious online activity. The advisory provides advice on how to best handle breaches in cybersecurity.

Two defendants who previously pled guilty to the misrepresentation of Native American-style goods and services in an amount greater than $1,000 were sentenced in federal court, according to a Department of Justice press release dated August 27, 2020.

A dual-status military technician, whose position was partially civilian and partially military, appealed his termination for failing to maintain membership in the National Guard, a prerequisite to his dual-status appointment under 32 U.S.C. § 709(b), to the Merit Systems Protection Board. The MSPB took jurisdiction and heard the case on the merits, ultimately affirming the termination. The employee petitioned the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit for review. On August 21, 2020, the appeals court vacated the MSPB decision, finding that the Board did not have jurisdiction to hear the appeal in the first place.

As part of our commitment to providing civilian federal employees and their families with access to products and services that promote their health, welfare, and financial well-being, WAEPA has compiled some of the top federal resources you need to be “in the know” for Open Season.

Like scores of organizations across the country, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum to change the way it engages with visitors. Despite the current global health pandemic, the organization remains committed to its mission of honoring the fallen, making it safer for those who serve and educating the public about the history of American law enforcement.