Ideas
A Retreat (Sorta) on Blocking Social Media
Wired's Danger Room blog has <a href="http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/06/army-orders-bases-stop-blocking-twitter-facebook-flickr/">obtained a copy</a> of a May 18 operations order from the Army's 93rd Signal Brigade directing information managers on domestic military bases to allow personnel to access Facebook, Vimeo, Delicious, Flickr and Twitter. From the order:
Ideas
Committee Approves Johnson to GSA
On Monday, the Senate Committee for Homeland Security and Government Affairs approved by unanimous voice vote the nomination of Martha Johnson to be GSA administrator. Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., praised Johnson for her experience and firsthand knowledge of GSA:
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Looking for Leap-Ahead Tech
The Homeland Security Department's Directorate for Science & Technology, which is the primary research and development arm of the Homeland Security Department, requested an increase of $5.4 million for cybersecurity in President Obama's fiscal 2010 budget.
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Still Learning Online Politics
Have politicians learned from President Obama about the value of the Internet for campaigning? Larry Sabato argued that they haven't learned enough during a speech he gave at the University of Virginia on Sunday.
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CDC Shows Off Its Stats
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has become the star of the Government 2.0 movement recently, as the agency has been wildly successful in deploying social media to raise awareness of recent public health crises, including the <a href="http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090209_7840.php">peanut butter/salmonella outbreak</a> and the recent <a href="http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090427_5864.php">swine flu scare</a>.
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Task Force: Good or Bad News for SBINet?
Since her days as Arizona governor, Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has not been the biggest advocate of the Secure Border Initiative -- a multi-year plan for reducing illegal immigration and protecting U.S. borders through a combination of physical fencing and monitoring technology.
Ideas
OGov on Track, But to Where?
President Obama's open government initiative is on track with part two of a process intended to involve the public in policymaking. Late Tuesday night, White House officials released a <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Wrap-Up-of-the-Open-Government-Brainstorming-Transparency/">summary</a> of part one -- a week-long brainstorming session -- and a bit more information on round two.
Ideas
Twitter Attack
One of the social media applications widely used by citizens and federal employees alike -- Twitter -- is the latest to be infected by a virus, which raises the question: How is the Obama administration going to leverage Web 2.0 technologies, as promised, while locking down sensitive and private information?
Ideas
Opposing Obama's Deputy CTO Pick
Two consumer groups have lined up to oppose President Obama's pending <a href="http://techinsider.nextgov.com/2009/06/google_government.php">appointment</a> of Google's Andrew McLaughlin as deputy chief technology officer in the White House.
Ideas
The End of Twitter?
The problem with technology is that once something has been deemed "hot," it's most likely not (anymore). Could that be happening to Twitter?
Ideas
DHS Names More Cyber Players
Homeland Security Department Secretary Janet Napolitano rounded out her cybersecurity team today, announcing the appointment of two key posts that will report to Phillip Reitinger, the cyber chief at the department.
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Google Government
The blogosphere is buzzing over last week's <a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/29/googles-top-policy-exec-to-join-obama-administration/?hp">report</a> that Google head of global public policy Andrew McLaughlin will join the Obama administration as deputy chief technology officer under Aneesh Chopra.
Ideas
The Cybersecurity Barn Door
President Obama's <a href="http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090529_1893.php">speech today</a> and the release of Melissa Hathaway's <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/Cyberspace_Policy_Review_final.pdf">60-day cybersecurity review</a> are clear signals that cybersecurity is finally getting the attention it deserves, especially given its strategic importance to national security.
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White House Cyber Review
The White House has posted its <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/Cyberspace_Policy_Review_final.pdf">60-day cybersecurity review</a>.
Ideas
No Smiles at Virginia DMV
<em>The Washington Post</em> has an interesting <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/27/AR2009052703627.html?nav=hcmodule">story</a> up today regarding the implementation of facial recognition software by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. For the system to work, the DMV has banned people from smiling in their driver's license photos:
Ideas
Sotomayor Restricted FBI Gag on ISPs
Just this winter, Supreme Court pick Sonia Sotomayor was part of a unanimous court <a href="http://www.aclu.org/pdfs/safefree/doevmukasey_decision.pdf">decision</a> that limited the use of the 2001 Patriot Act to silence Internet service providers who are contacted by federal authorities for customer phone and Internet records.
Ideas
Not Quite Social Networking
The Social Security Administration, for the most part, has been on the cutting edge of government's online technology. It was one of the first federal agencies to launch a Web site (in 1994). And SSA.gov routinely places at the top of the <a href=http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/bestpractices.php>most popular government Web sites</a> as measured by the American Customer Satisfaction Index compiled by the University of Michigan.
Ideas
Cybersecurity Review Due Friday
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters today the results of the Obama administration's 60-day review of the federal government's cybersecurity posture will be released Friday.
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What Keeps Obama Up At Night
It's a bit of a hackneyed question that reporters ask a top executive every now and then: "What keeps you up at night?" It's been asked of federal information technology managers, too, and the answer typically has been the lack of cybersecurity. Information security seems to be the cause of a lack of sleep for President Obama, too.
Ideas