Digital Government

GAO: Agencies Need to Plan Better, Pay More and Deal with Harassment and Diversity Issues Among Tech Workforce

A new report and testimony from the Government Accountability Office re-ups past work to identify problems hiring and retaining a skilled federal science and technology workforce.

Digital Government

Pentagon Wants a Commercial Electronic Health Record System for Animal Servicemembers

The Defense Health Agency is looking for a cloud-based veterinary EHR to replace its government-built system.

Emerging Tech

Lawmakers Call for Agency-Led Working Group for Digital Assets

They want the U.S. government to gain a better grasp of the rapidly emerging landscape of virtual currencies, smart contracts and other commodities.

Emerging Tech

Advocacy Groups Again Ask CBP to Withdraw Biometrics Expansion Proposal

Customs and Border Protection accepted a second round of comments after the change in administrations. 

Emerging Tech

IBM Announces Cloud Marketplace For Secure Chip Design

The marketplace was built as part of a recent Defense Department initiative aimed at advancing microelectronics technologies. 

Modernization

DOD Tracking COVID Vaccinations with New Electronic Health Record System

The military was already developing a digital vaccination tracking system before the COVID-19 outbreak.

Emerging Tech

FAA, Choctaw Nation to Conduct Drone Studies

The partnership will investigate moving goods at low altitudes and traits of human operators.

Cybersecurity

DARPA Building Special Chips for Data Privacy Protection

Fully Homomorphic Encryption is considered the “holy grail” of encryption. But right now it takes too much compute power to be used widely.

Digital Government

Central IT Modernization Fund Gets $1B in COVID Stimulus

The major infusion of cash will mean more modernization projects, which might require a new funding model.

Cybersecurity

Defense Task Force Will Focus on Legislative Solutions for Supply Chain Chokepoints

Reps. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and Mike Gallagher, R-Wisc., are leading the three-month task force.

Podcasts

Critical Update: Let’s Talk About UFOs

What’s behind unidentified aerial phenomena observed by military officials? Are we alone in the universe? Nextgov asks some experts.

Emerging Tech

VA Launches New Platform to Send Veterans Personalized Notifications

Open-source software—developed abroad—supports a new tool that allows the agency to send confirmations and other details through email or text.

Cybersecurity

House Armed Services Chair Calls for Focus on Information Systems Over Arbitrary Metrics

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., suggested a 500-ship Navy is inadequate if adversaries are able to disrupt command and control systems.

Emerging Tech

GSA Joins Cryptocurrency Craze With First-Ever Bitcoin Auction

The General Services Administration got its hands on a share of Bitcoin and is putting it to auction later this month.

Cybersecurity

DHS Wants Help Restructuring Pay and Bonuses for Cybersecurity Pros

The agency is looking for a vendor to help lay out a plan to recruit and retain top talent needed to meet its cybersecurity missions.