Dive Brief:

• Massive hacks at the Office of Personnel Management have left Americans questioning the security of government data.

• In response, federal CIO Tony Scott ordered agencies to take a series of steps in a 30-day "cyber sprint" on critical security measures.

• Scott has asked federal agencies to introduce measures to cut the number of users who have extra administrative access to systems, require an extra layer of security for passwords, and patch critical vulnerabilities in network operating systems. 

Dive Insight:

Scott has been reviewing current cyber security measures in place at federal government agencies since he was appointed, but in the wake of the Office of Personnel Management hack, he is urging agencies to pick up the pace. 

On July 20, Scott plans to publicly share the results of the push and announce which agencies achieved the goal. In September, Scott’s office will deliver broader recommendations for ways that government agencies can improve their ability to more quickly detect and contain threats.