Digital Government

HHS to Start Testing Your Poop for COVID-19

Testing will cover approximately 10% of Americans within the next eight weeks, with an option to expand that to 30% within another nine weeks.

Ideas

Addressing Insider Threats with Event Triggers 

An insider threat program that incorporates financial triggers can help identify at-risk individuals.

Cybersecurity

IG: CBP Responsible for 2019 Biometrics Breach, Though No Federal Networks Were Compromised

A ransomware attack on a Customs and Border Protection vendor leaked facial images on more than 184,000 travelers—something agency security and policy should have prevented.

Emerging Tech

Treasury to Experiment with Blockchain for Grants Management 

After learning from other blockchain proof of concepts, officials will see if the technology can increase transparency into payment tracking. 

Ideas

Google Shows Huge Panic Attack Rise During COVID

Researchers found a major jump in searches related to anxiety, panic attacks, and treatments for panic attacks, especially remote and self-care techniques.

Emerging Tech

The Military’s Latest Wearables Can Detect Illness Two Days Before You Get Sick

Some 400 troops are testing the devices, trained on nearly a quarter million cases to detect COVID and a whole lot more.

Ideas

On TikTok, the Trump Administration Is Adopting China’s Own Vision for the Internet

Until recently, the United States has been a staunch opponent of data localization laws.

Artificial Intelligence

Hurd, Kelly Introduce Resolution to Encourage Governmentwide Vision of Artificial Intelligence

The resolution urges lawmakers to pass legislation to encourage federal agencies to develop innovative artificial intelligence tools.

Emerging Tech

Program Under Defense Innovation Unit Is Launching a New Consortium

The Institute for Nascent Innovations will look to identify and solve unseen issues in emerging crises.

Ideas

The Need for Unified Data Protection in the U.S.

Innovative businesses should be fighting to get federal privacy legislation to get the most out of data while simultaneously protecting customer information.

Cybersecurity

Commerce Department to Bar TikTok, WeChat from U.S. App Stores

The Commerce Department announced a list of prohibitions meant to protect U.S. national security against the two Chinese-owned apps.

Ideas

Why Data Lakes Are More Powerful for the DOD than Commercial Industry

The ability to share information about fleets, weapons systems, supply chain and adversarial intelligence is too much of a draw to ignore the power of a data lake.

Emerging Tech

Justice Wants to Add Facial Recognition to Marshals’ Smartphones

The service is looking for a software development kit to help it integrate biometrics tools with an app used to facilitate prisoner transfers.

Artificial Intelligence

Defense Innovation Board Adopts AI Testing, Digital Workforce Recruitment Resolutions

The board pushed the department to embrace remote work beyond the pandemic as a tool to attract more civilian talent. 

Cybersecurity

Justice Department Charges 5 Chinese Nationals with Hacking More than 100 Companies

Two Malaysian businessmen also were arrested in Malaysia and face extradition in related charges.

Modernization

Why the Pentagon’s JEDI Saga Is Far From Over

The Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure procurement may be grounded until at least February, according to a new timeline agreed to by the government and Amazon Web Services. 

Ideas

The Path Toward a Holistic Zero Trust Architecture

The Defense Department's anticipated guidelines should inspire more organizations to follow such a model, moving zero trust from a buzzword to reality. 

Modernization

18F Says 6 Core Concepts Can Reduce Risk in Federal Tech Projects

The new De-risking Government Technology Field Guide looks to educate officials on how to merge modern software design with traditional government bureaucracy.

Ideas

DeVos Vows to Require Standardized Tests Again: 4 Questions Answered

States may face a financial hit if they do not heed DeVos’ warning about testing.