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.
Cybersecurity
FBI Director: Feeding DOD’s Cyber Offense Operations Is Crucial to New Strategy
Senator says legislation is moving forward to thwart intellectual property theft from China and defend federal networks from cyberattacks.
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.
Digital Government
Senate Still Divided on Comprehensive Data Privacy Legislation
Though recent bills are similar, lawmakers have yet to resolve two polarizing issues: preemption and private right to action.
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
The First True Smart City Blossoms in Georgia’s Peachtree Corners
The city founded the Curiosity Lab, a huge facility designed to help industry test new technology.
Cybersecurity
Audit: HUD Doesn’t Ensure Sensitive Data It Shares Is Secure
A Government Accountability Office pointed to high turnover rates for top privacy and IT security officials as a reason for the agency's poor performance.
Emerging Tech
After Decision Upholding FCC’s 5G Rules, Cities Now Weighing Appeal
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals largely upheld FCC rules limiting local government’s ability to regulate 5G infrastructure and cap fees. Cities involved in the case have until Sept. 28 to file an appeal, but some experts say the ruling wasn’t all bad.
Emerging Tech
House Bill Proposes Millions to Build U.S. Quantum Network Infrastructure
The legislation would establish an Energy Department-led “research, development and demonstration program.”
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.
Cybersecurity
How Good Is Your Phishing Training? NIST Launched a Tool to Figure That Out.
Researchers are looking to pool more data from outside organizations to further refine it.
Emerging Tech
VA-Made ‘Smart Bandage’ Can Track Chronic Wounds—and Treat Them
The innovation also sparked a new startup to bring the technology to market.
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.
Ideas
Faked Videos Shore Up False Beliefs about Biden's Mental Health
These deceptively altered videos have become a major element of disinformation campaigns that wield falsehoods in an effort to sway voters.
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.
Emerging Tech
Steering Committee Named for NIST’s Quantum-Focused, Public-Private Consortium
The announcement also follows the group’s establishment of a new, more formal membership structure.
Emerging Tech
GAO: Majority of Agencies Use Connected Devices But Hurdles Remain
Agencies frequently run into cybersecurity questions and interoperability issues when implementing the internet of things.
Emerging Tech
Modern Space Missions Lead to Standing Joint NASA, DOE Coordinating Group
Senior Energy officials briefed Nextgov on a range of areas that present potential opportunities for the agencies to advance each other’s missions.
Modernization