Digital Government

Hundreds of vets participate in test of sharing electronic health records

The Veterans Affairs Department and Kaiser Permanente will exchange electronic patient files to test if they can improve care and lower costs by reducing redundant lab procedures.

Cybersecurity

For Tom Talleur, cybersecurity is a bad situation about to get worse

Former NASA and Defense forensic technologist says agencies are wide open to cyberattack, and it will only get worse as other advanced technologies begin to become more ubiquitous.

Digital Government

Congress directs Defense and VA to consider common health IT systems

Departments are to give lawmakers a report in early January, listing the systems that could be combined and outlining a plan for joining forces.

Cybersecurity

Managing Technology: Phantom Post

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Cybersecurity

Technology a winner in conferees' consolidated spending bill

Committee gives millions of dollars more to IT programs, including cybersecurity, for fiscal 2010.

Cybersecurity

Former officials: White House cyber coordinator should have budget authority

The current decentralized budget process hinders the administration's ability to develop and implement a governmentwide cyber strategy.

Cybersecurity

DHS completes draft of plan on how to respond to a national cyberattack

The final strategy outlining public and private roles and responsibilities will be completed after public comment and then will be put to the test in September 2010.

Cybersecurity

Conflicting information security standards slow acquisitions

Agencies have similar baseline requirements but add custom specifications, making it difficult for vendors to build widely accepted products.

Digital Government

HHS to award $220M in grants to support national health IT network

Communities that receive funds should leverage existing federal electronic programs such as the Defense and Veterans Affairs virtual lifetime health record.

Digital Government

VA, Kaiser testing the exchange of electronic health records

Veterans in the San Diego area who receive medical care will be invited to participate in pilot to test the fledging Nationwide Health Information Network.

Modernization

Could mobile technology have stopped state dinner security breach?

Some IT specialists say better communications among security forces could foil attempts to sneak into White House events, but others say nothing will fix human error.

Digital Government

Military Health to evaluate two electronic dental records systems

Agency will spend six months reviewing applications developed by a Northrop Grumman-SAIC team and Harris.

Digital Government

Joint Telemedicine Network eyed for mental health services

Expanding the network would allow Army behavioral health specialists working at large hospitals in Iraq to provide counseling to patients at smaller field hospitals.

Cybersecurity

University unites industry, gov to tighten energy sector cybersecurity

Professors hope program overcomes what they see as a lack of cooperation among government and businesses to develop policies to protect and respond to a cyberattack on power companies.

Digital Government

New military satellite system expedites X-rays arrival at hospitals

Army overcame small budget, failing satellite to develop a system that speeds medical images to hospitals to treat wounded soldiers and save lives.

Modernization

Top tech trends pose the biggest security risks, say federal IT leaders

Seventy-nine percent of senior IT executives believe growth in collaboration software applications has increased the likelihood of data breaches.

Modernization

Electronic health records could be a deadly target during a cyberwar

Adversaries could hack into systems to change patient data as a way to create fear in the U.S. population during wartime, a technology manager tells an Health and Human Services panel.

Cybersecurity

Senators stress cybersecurity as a top priority for OSTP nominee

Philip E. Coyle III, White House choice to be associate director for national security and international affairs, says he will focus on cyberdefense if confirmed.