Cybersecurity

New OPM Cyber Czar Worried About an ISIS Hack

Clifton Triplett -- named OPM's first-ever senior cyber and IT adviser last month – says forthcoming access controls will blunt the severity of any future hack.

Emerging Tech

DHS Wants to Offer Alternative Contracts to Silicon Valley Startups

Traditional procurement takes too long for the new Silicon Valley office, a new DHS notice says.

Emerging Tech

Amid Concern Over Nation’s Weather-Forecasting System, Congress Eyes Commercial Solutions

A legislator linked the rise of commercial vendors to the hurdles faced by NOAA as it operates two massive weather satellite operations.

Digital Government

MEGABYTE Act Seeks to Slash Software Waste

Short for “Making Electronic Government Accountable By Yielding Tangible Efficiencies," the bill requires agencies to assemble comprehensive inventories of software licenses.

Cybersecurity

Joint Chiefs hack illustrates insufficient cyber defense

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford said the hack "clearly highlighted for me...that whatever investments we've made in cyber defense to date have not gotten us to where we need to be."

Cybersecurity

Privacy groups discuss encryption with White House

Obama administration officials met with multiple civil liberties groups about a petition urging the president to support strong encryption.

Modernization

Star Wars’ R2-D2: The Original Mobile Device

The bleep-blooping droid from "Star Wars" helped shape people's perceptions of how machines can be helpers.

Cybersecurity

Twitter Notifies Users of ‘State-Sponsored’ Hacks

Hackers may have been attempting to get personal information, like email addresses or phone numbers.

Digital Government

Why the Federal Government Tracks Visitors to Dot-Govs

Analytics.usa.gov keeps tabs on traffic to more than 4,000 government websites.

Digital Government

Feds Will Require $5 Registration Fee for Drones

Drone companies are expecting big sales for the holidays, but the government just gave them a lump of coal.

Digital Government

FAA releases drone registration rules

Private owners of small unmanned aircraft must register their names, physical and email addresses via an online database under new rules issued by the FAA.

Cybersecurity

Hurd urges changes to Visa Waiver Program

Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas), one of leading tech experts on Capitol Hill, is looking to pressure European allies to disclose more data to the Visa Waiver Program.

Digital Government

Pentagon wants to go all-in on automation

Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work foresees a near future in which men and women in combat will have wearable electronics equipped with software applications.

Digital Government

Can ISPs help power the 2020 census?

The fast-approaching 2020 count requires more investment in R&D, full use of Internet opportunities and possible partnerships with companies -- but not necessarily the obvious choices.

Cybersecurity

Indie Music Distributor TuneCore Gets Popped

Entertainment // Web Services

Emerging Tech

Algorithms Will Manage Trillions of Dollars in a Few Years—Thanks to Millennials

Robo-advising—which relies on complex algorithms to manage wealth—is an up-and-coming area of financial technology.

Emerging Tech

Robots Are Now Fighting Fires in Australia

These fire-fighters can shoot out mists of water or foam from 60 meters away.