Modernization

Watchdog: IT glitch at NASA led to fire

NASA, like many other large federal and commercial organizations, is still sorting out how to handle interconnected automatic industrial control devices and systems within its larger IT environment, according to a watchdog report.

Cybersecurity

Contractor indicted for stealing spy secrets

Harold Martin, until recently a Booz Allen contractor, was indicted by a federal grand jury for stealing secrets from spy agencies, including NSA and CIA.

Artificial Intelligence

Why Experts Worry Algorithms Can Do More Harm Than Good

A Pew report suggests corporations and governments could misuse algorithms.

Digital Government

The uncomfortable truth about tech in China

The lack of political and civic freedom is not preventing Chinese firms from producing game-changing IT, Steve Kelman writes. Is it time to rethink our assumptions about innovation?

Digital Government

Mapping Countries That Censor the Internet

A new app can test networks around the world for government interference.

Cybersecurity

Government Contractor Accused of Stealing NSA Cyber Secrets

Harold Thomas Martin III worked for at least seven private contractors since 1993, placing him in several defense and intelligence agencies that require security clearances.

Modernization

Connolly Pledges to Reintroduce Modernizing Government Technology Act

The Virginia Democrat said he'll be "boringly disciplined" in pursuing the bill's passage.

Digital Government

Cellphone Spy Tools Have Flooded Local Police Departments

Major cities throughout the U.S. have spent millions on mobile surveillance tools—but there are still few rules about what happens to the information they capture.

Modernization

Senators quiz IGs on NextGen, FirstNet

Senators on the Commerce Committee are looking to agency watchdogs for news and oversight of large IT infrastructure projects like FAA's NextGen and the Commerce Department's FirstNet.

Digital Government

Facebook Poised to Become Major Player in Disaster Response

It’s been more than two years since Facebook introduced “safety check,” a tool that lets users mark themselves as “safe” after a natural disaster or other crisis.

Cybersecurity

Government Must Pick Between Bad Options in Encryption Debate

The government faces numerous bad choices in the encryption debate, but the worst is doing nothing at all, a think tank report concludes.

Cybersecurity

Army Cyber is targeting civilians (for jobs)

The U.S. Army has launched two new initiatives to bring civilian cyber experts into the workforce, one of which is a pilot program to examine the interest in direct commissions for cyber positions.

Modernization

Airspace integration takes more than tech

Integrating commercial space vehicles into the National Air Space is an organizational challenge as well as a technical one, experts say.

Modernization

NASA's shadow IT problem

In a follow-up review of the space agency's cloud IT, NASA's IG said there are still problems with FedRAMP authorizations.

Digital Government

NASA Research Has Uncovered Pockets of Airborn Radiation That Could Be Dangerous to Flyers

The concept of low-level cosmic radiation in our atmosphere is nothing new, but this is something different.

Acquisition

Oversight Dems renew bid for Trump lease info

The ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has tapped colleagues to assist his efforts to obtain unredacted info on the Trump Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Ideas

Why Don’t We See More Automation in Federal Networks?

Automation would cut the time from detection of cyberattacks to remediation from months to seconds.