Federal cybersecurity officials called on U.S. allies to check the security risks of commercial products and services to support the implementation of 5G across their countries, Federal News Network reported Tuesday. The growing presence of Chinese equipment, such as Huawei, across the world could put government networks at risk of interference in the future, according to Christopher Krebs, director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and a 2019 Wash100 Award recipient. 
 
To address 5G concerns, he said during a recent meeting with the Senate Judiciary Committee that CISA established a working group that coordinates efforts with industry, the Intelligence Community, the departments of Justice, State and Defense and other agency components. The group shares expertise in emergency preparedness communications, cybersecurity, supply chain risk management and infrastructure security. 

Robert Strayer, deputy assistant secretary for cyber and international communications policy at the State Department, said the federal government is also encouraging cooperation overseas for countries to adopt risk-based security frameworks for their future 5G communication systems.

“An important element of this risk-based security approach is a careful evaluation of hardware and software equipment vendors and their supply chains,” he said at the Senate meeting. 

Capt. Michael Dickey, the U.S. Coast Guard’s C4IT Service Center commander, said the service branch is working with the Department of Defense’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center on capabilities like predictive maintenance, FCW reported Tuesday. 

Dickey told attendees at an AFCEA event that the Coast Guard has deployed one of its personnel to JAIC and is seeking to implement AI for aircraft maintenance and data analysis. The DoD is working on data collection efforts as it seeks to develop systems that can process large amounts of data, he noted. 

The USCG official added that there is “some potential for humanitarian applications” such as search ans rescue for the collated mission data. 

Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., introduced a new bill to strategize on the development of artificial intelligence technologies. The Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act will support the development of a national AI strategy and allot $2.2 million of funds to grow an AI workforce across government, industry and academia, Portman’s office said Tuesday. The bill would distribute the funds over five years for an effort intended to last for 10 years. 

“By coordinating and synchronizing our country’s research and development efforts, this bill ensures not just that the United States remains an AI leader, but that it does so by developing AI technology that prioritizes American values,” Portman said. 

Portman and Heinrich serve as co-founders of the newly established Senate AI Caucus.

Almost a year after the Office of Personnel Management started reorganization, the reform remains as a challenge for the agency and its partner organizations. A new report issued Tuesday by the Government Accountability Office highlights that OPM, the Office of Management and Budget and the General Services Administration failed to implement proper reform efforts, including an implementation plan. 

The Trump administration proposed moving responsibilities of OPM to other agencies in June 2018. The agencies working on the program did not establish outcome-oriented goals, a cost-benefit analysis and coordination with Congress, employees and other key stakeholders. GAO also found OPM and GSA did not develop plans to address management challenges that may affect the reorganization.

“As the Congress and administration consider whether or how to restructure OPM, it will be important to retain the capacity to execute certain government-wide, strategic human capital functions, regardless of the decision made about the organizational arrangement,” GAO said.