Cybersecurity
Hackers Rig Election, Steal Nintendo Games from FHWA, and Force College Printers to Print Hate Speech
Just another week in ThreatWatch, our regularly updated index of noteworthy data breaches.
Modernization
Apple Turns 40
Forty years ago today, two college dropouts decided to start selling cobbled-together computers out of a garage in California because they couldn’t afford the ones on the market.
Cybersecurity
Jailed Political Strategist Describes How He Rigged Mexico's 2012 Election
Government (Foreign) // Mexico
Digital Government
Most Americans Spend Two Full Workdays a Month on Facebook
Procrastinating on Facebook appeals equally to the young and old
Cybersecurity
Man Accused of Taking Hard Drives From Federal Offices
Government (U.S.) // Washington, United States
Emerging Tech
Next-Generation Weather Satellites Going Up in October. But What’s Coming Down?
The GOES-R constellation will replace the existing GOES fleet, which consists of a backup satellite and two active satellites that monitor the U.S. 24/7.
Digital Government
Are CIOs to Blame for the Legacy IT Crisis?
GAO research shows the average tenure for an agency CIO barely tops two years.
Emerging Tech
Scientists Figured Out How to Steal Any 3-D-Printed Product Just From the Sounds the Printer Makes
If your company uses 3-D printing for anything confidential or sensitive, it might be time to invest in some soundproofing.
Digital Government
Federal Community Mourns Bob Welch (1942-2016)
Co-workers say, above all else, their friendship with the mentor and visionary will be missed.
Digital Government
What the Pentagon’s Bug Bounty Program Won’t Fix
The defense secretary reveals a prize pool of $150,000, but will the program reveal the limits of Silicon Valley solutions to DOD problems?
Ideas
Turning Damage Control into Digital Modernization
Legacy IT modernization seems to be the right medicine, but one big question looms over the idea: Will that $3.1 billion be well spent?
Modernization
How Powerful Is the FBI’s Tool for Unlocking iPhones?
How the FBI proceeds in two other court cases, one in Arkansas and the other in Brooklyn, might lead to some answers.
Digital Government
State Department's database vulnerabilities are nothing new
The Consular Consolidated Database has endured IT glitches in the past, and a former U.S. official tells FCW that the system's architecture remains vulnerable to hacking.
People
Millennium Challenge Corporation lands new CIO
Vince Groh, deputy CIO with the Peace Corps, will take the IT reins at MCC.
Digital Government
Soldiers to Help Crowdsource Spy Maps
Because satellite connectivity can be too spotty to obtain high-fidelity images for spies in remote locations, some intelligence officials say they welcome the expansion of social mapping.
Digital Government
Survey: People Will Share their Data with Companies for Cash
Getting cash or discounts for your personal data could give you more control over it—but may help turn privacy into a premium feature.
Modernization