Kim Rice, portfolio manager for the Defense Department mobility program office in the Defense Information Systems Agency, has said DISA should consider interoperability when it comes to the deployment of mobile devices that use the DOD Mobile Classified Capability-Secret service.

Rice made the remarks at the Advanced Technology Academic Research Center Federal Mobile Computing Summit held April 6 in Washington D.C., DISA said Thursday.

DMCC-S is a mobile enterprise service designed to provide users classified access to the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network.

“Making sure products and devices are interoperable is critical in today’s world of global engagement, and having that capability already built in is key,” she said.

Rice also noted that in consideration of interoperability requirements, DISA needs to identify management systems and business models when seeking support from coalition partners.

A SecurityScorecard report indicates that the U.S. government lags behind 17 private industries such as the healthcare, transportation and retail sectors when it comes to cyber hygiene and reaction time to data breaches.

The company said Thursday it analyzed 35 breach incidents that occurred across 600 federal, state and local agencies from April 2015 to April 2016 as part of its security risk benchmarking study.

Agencies that received low security scores in the study have faced challenges related to network security, malware infections and software patching cadence, the report states.

“The data we uncovered clearly indicates that while some are improving their security postures, too many are leaving themselves dangerously exposed to risks and vulnerabilities, especially at the larger federal level,” noted Luis Vargas, data scientist at SecurityScorecard.

According to the company, NASA performed the worst among all agencies examined during the study.

Other low-performing organizations mentioned in the report include the State Department as well as the information technology departments of the states of Connecticut, Washington and Pennsylvania also 

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the committee’s vice chairman, have unveiled the draft of a bill that would require technology companies to help law enforcement agencies decipher encrypted data in compliance with court orders.

Burr’s office said in a release posted Wednesday the Compliance with Court Orders Act of 2016 would compensate firms for costs incurred for offering technical assistance in data decryption efforts.

The proposed bill would cover software manufacturers, electronic and remote communication service providers, data storage and processing firms and device makers.

“I have long believed that data is too insecure, and feel strongly that consumers have a right to seek solutions that protect their information – which involves strong encryption,” Burr said.

“I do not believe, however, that those solutions should be above the law,” he added.

“We need strong encryption to protect personal data, but we also need to know when terrorists are plotting to kill Americans,” Feinstein said.

The draft legislation comes after the litigation between the FBI and Apple over the decryption of an iPhone used by a gunman in the December terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California.

U.S. Chief Information Officer Tony Scott said at a Passcode-hosted event Tuesday the White House could appoint a federal chief information officer within the next 30 days, The Christian Science Monitor reported Wednesday.

Jack Detsch writes Scott added the White House has identified potential candidates for the CISO position that will involve responsibility for overseeing and managing cybersecurity of federal networks.

During the Passcode forum, he also noted the government needs cybersecurity professionals who know foreign  languages and with background in the cultural anthropology and biology areas, the report said.

His remarks come five months after the Office of Personnel Management posted an opening on USAJobs for a new agency CISO to help develop and implement information technology risk reduction policies for the government’s cybersecurity programs.

The OPM CISO will also oversee data privacy initiatives as well as access and identity management activities at the agency.

Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) has said the Department of Homeland Security can serve as a resource for state and local government agencies to determine strategies against sophisticated cyber threats, GCN reported Wednesday.

Hurd told the publication he believes conversations between leaders at all levels of government are necessary to secure U.S. critical infrastructure.

He proposed a bill that calls for the DHS’ National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center to work with state and local agencies to help them address system vulnerabilities, adopt continuous diagnostic and mitigation initiatives and facilitate security training exercises.

“We can protect our civil liberties while protecting our digital infrastructure and chasing bad guys,” Hurd said in a speech to a FireEye-sponsored government forum Tuesday.

Troy Schneider reported the House passed the State and Local Cyber Protection Act in December.