Federal Drive with Tom Temin

The Defense Department's so-called bug bounty program uncovered 500 cybersecurity holes, all of which have been plugged. Now a separate program DoDs vulnerability disclosure policy may be an even bigger success. It lets anyone in the world report security holes they find in the DoD system without fear of prosecution. So far, digital good Samaritans have reported almost 3,000 bugs. Alex Rice is chief technology officer of HackerOne, the company that runs the disclosure portal for DoD, and Reina Staley is co-founder of the Defense Digital Service. They talked with Federal News Radios Jared Serbu about whats next with DoDs partnerships with white hat hackers on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

Desalination of water to make it fresh isn't new. But the Energy Department is seeking low cost, low-energy ways of doing it. It's launched a small grant program to tie desalination with solar energy. Dr. Avi Shultz, acting concentrating solar power program manager in DoE's Solar Energies Technology Office, shares the details on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

It's been a year since the Office of Federal Procurement Policy released and accepted comments on its draft circular concerning category management. With almost no activity on that circular over the past year, could OFPP be taking a less permanent way to further this approach to buying. In his weekly feature, the Reporter's Notebook, Executive Editor Jason Miller's got an exclusive look at a new draft memo focused on demand management and best-in-class contracts. He shares the details on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

Congress has its rhythms, rather syncopated at the moment. But the federal bureaucracy sometimes marches to its own beat. In spite of doubts about how and if the continuing resolution will end, the General Services Administration has been busy awarding contracts and laying the groundwork for some major contracting policy changes. Federal News Radio Executive Editor Jason Miller shares the details on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

Dr. Paul Vixie helped design the domain name system, is a member of the Internet Hall of Fame, and founded Farsight Security, where he's chairman and CEO. He tells Federal Drive with Tom Temin what it's like to be a pioneer in internet technology who has spent at least the past 20 years thinking about cybersecurity.

One thing about U.S. efforts in Afghanistan, they don't lack oversight. In fact, no less than four inspectors general operations are on the Afghanistan beat. Yet they manage to keep overlapping and redundant work to a minimum, a lesson for many federal efforts. Beryl Davis, director of financial management and assurance issues at the Government Accountability Office, shares the details on Federal Drive with Tom Temin

Growing up in a family of pharmacists there was no question Frances Regan would end up working in healthcare. But as fate would have it law school was the right prescription for Regan. Today she works with the IRS in its Small Business Self Employee Division and she was recently honored with the Roger W. Jones Award from American University for achievements in leadership. Federal News Radio's Meredith Somers talked with Regan about her award on Federal Drive with Tom Temin and how she found her way into law.

The Army wants to cuts back the time it takes to award IT contracts as it continues to reorganize its acquisition office. Meanwhile, the Air Force has grave concerns about the possibility of sequestration. Federal News Radio's Scott Maucione joins Federal Drive with Tom Temin with the latest.

In the Virginia foothills of the Blue Ridge, there's a place veterans can go to recover from the extreme stress of combat and help them realize their potential as regular citizens. Federal contractor Accenture is among the supporters of the non-profit Boulder Crest's efforts. Matt Tait, Accenture's Defense and National Security lead, joins Federal Drive with Tom Temin with more on the Warrior Pathh program.

Three years after the Veterans Affairs Department became embroiled in faulty services and wait lists at some of its big hospitals, VA is still trying to rebuild its reputation. It's got several big projects going on at once. The latest is a focus VA Secretary David Shulkin is putting now on veterans benefits. He's calling for the veterans community to begin thinking about VA benefits programs in new ways. Federal News Radio's Nicole Ogrysko shares more on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

The National Park Service has an important mission when it comes to veterans. It's the steward of hundreds of sites across the country that commemorate them, in the form of parks, battlefields and 14 national cemeteries. Pam Bowman, director of public lands policy at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, tells Federal Drive with Tom Temin they're all threatened by a growing maintenance backlog.

It didn't take long for that picture of a bicyclist giving a finger to the presidential motorcade to reach social media. Then her employer, a federal contractor, found out, she was fired. What exactly are employees' legal rights in such situations? For some answers we turn to Declan Leonard, managing partner of the law firm Berenzweig Leonard, offers some answers on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

This year's Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey results included some positive signs: governmentwide, job satisfaction is up, employee engagement is up, and so is participation in the survey itself. Even agencies like the Homeland Security Department that have struggled with low scores in years past are beginning to show improvement. Jeff Neal is a former DHS chief human capital officer, now senior vice president at ICF. He talked about whats behind this year's numbers with Federal News Radios Jared Serbu on Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

Open season is right around the corner. It starts next Monday. It's the only time of year participants in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program can change their plan. Yet only about 5 to 7 percent of participants change their insurance plans during any given year. And the Government Accountability Office says participants aren't likely to change if they have too many options. Federal News Radio's Nicole Ogrysko Federal Drive with Tom Temin with the details.

The House and Senate Armed Services Committees finished conferring over the 2018 Defense Authorization bill. It authorizes nearly $700 billion for defense next year. Federal News Radio's Scott Maucione joins Federal Drive with Tom Temin with the details.