At a special hearing called by Rep. Steve Buyer, chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, information security experts from industry told lawmakers that it is not too late to fix the problems at Veterans Affairs that led to a May 3 data theft. They agreed that the VA’s federated approach is wrong. VA chief James Nicholson testified on Capitol Hill June 8 that the VA had launched—he emphasized “launched”—a shift toward centralized control of information security. Buyer (R-Ind.) plans to hold additional hearings this month.
The Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness revised the Defense Department’s COVID-19 guidelines. The new rules clarify what’s meant by being “up to date” on vaccinations and when personnel must wear masks in vehicles, among other changes.