CDC gets fresh leadership change
The Senate has confirmed Susan Monarez as the new Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), marking a significant change in leadership for the health agency. Monarez, who does not hold a medical degree, becomes the first CDC director in over 70 years without a medical background [1].
Meanwhile, the government is actively focusing on enhancing digital identity security as a crucial element of its cybersecurity strategy. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released Revision 4 of their Digital Identity Guidelines (SP 800-63), outlining comprehensive technical requirements for digital identity assurance. These guidelines position identity management as a cross-disciplinary, organizational process critical to cybersecurity strategy [2].
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the White House are also advancing modern identity solutions within healthcare, starting with Medicare.gov. This move aims to enhance security while facilitating interoperability and personalised patient data access, aligning with broader federal initiatives to secure digital identities in sensitive domains [5].
The Trump Administration's recent AI and cybersecurity executive orders and AI Action Plan focus on technological leadership and setting strict standards for federal technology procurement and operations. These initiatives emphasize transparency, trustworthiness, and security across federal IT systems, which implicitly rely on robust identity verification within the zero trust framework to maintain the integrity and neutrality of federal networks [2][3].
Industry thought leaders stress that zero trust architecture centers on positioning identity security as fundamental to tightening data access controls across the ecosystem. This reflects an ongoing trend in government and industry cybersecurity where verifying identity is viewed as the front line of defense against cyber threats [4].
In other news, the CDC has reinstated about a third of the employees it laid off in April. However, nearly 600 CDC employees have chosen to leave the agency voluntarily and will be off its rolls by the end of the year [6].
Elsewhere, a bipartisan group of congressional lawmakers are advocating for eliminating TRICARE premiums for dependents under age 26 [7]. Additionally, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has issued new guidance for zero trust security implementation [8].
The Small Business Administration (SBA) head, Kelly Loeffler, is warning federal contracting officers about fraud and waste in the 8(a) small business contracting program. Loeffler is putting contracting officers on notice about the issue [9].
Lastly, Michael Peters, commissioner of the Public Buildings Service at the General Services Administration, is stepping down from his position [10]. The Trump administration is reminding agencies of its authority over Schedule G hires [11].
Sources:
- CDC Director Susan Monarez is first without medical degree in 70 years
- NIST releases updated digital identity guidelines for zero trust architectures
- Trump administration's AI executive orders and action plan focus on security and transparency
- Zero trust architecture: Identity security as the front line of defense
- CMS and White House advance modern identity solutions in healthcare
- CDC reinstates about a third of employees it laid off in April
- Bipartisan group of congressional lawmakers push to eliminate TRICARE premiums for dependents under age 26
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issues new guidance for zero trust security implementation
- SBA head warns federal contracting officers about fraud and waste in the 8(a) small business contracting program
- Michael Peters steps down as commissioner of the Public Buildings Service at the General Services Administration
- Trump administration reminds agencies of its authority over Schedule G hires
The government's focus on digital identity security in its cybersecurity strategy extends to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which is advancing modern identity solutions within healthcare. This is part of a broader federal initiative to secure digital identities in sensitive domains [5].
In the realm of policy-and-legislation, a bipartisan group of congressional lawmakers are advocating for the elimination of TRICARE premiums for dependents under age 26 [7]. This proposed change falls under the general-news category and shows a shift in the politics surrounding healthcare for military families.
