Cybersecurity

Despite U.S.-China Agreement, Corporate Hacking Attempts Persist

Just one day after that deal was made public, entities affiliated with the Chinese government attempted to hack into a US tech company.

Cybersecurity

How to Create a Supersecure Password You’ll Never Forget: Use Poetry

Most people's passwords are terrible and insecure. Here's how to change that.

Cybersecurity

Better Census testing, CDM training and car-data privacy concerns

News and notes from around the federal IT community.

Emerging Tech

Tech Jobs are Tops for Work-Life Balance

Data scientists reported the best work-life balance scores in a new analysis.

Digital Government

Sorry, DOD. Silicon Valley's just not that into you

The Pentagon is increasingly courting start-up firms in Silicon Valley, but Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain is not seeing much enthusiasm in return.

Digital Government

How the Data Act reveals what agencies don't know

Can centralized, standardized looks at agencywide data uncover challenges and opportunities that have always been lurking?

Acquisition

GSA's fast lane is open for business

GSA Advantage Select, a quick way for agencies to order commodity hardware, is up and running, officials say.

People

Why FITARA is more about management than IT

As agencies work to comply with new IT acquisition law, federal CIO Tony Scott says the big question marks are about management, not technical IT issues.

Cybersecurity

Professionalizing cyber means new workforce standards

The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education wants to get everyone speaking the same language on cybersecurity education and jobs.

Ideas

The Evolving Role of the Chief Customer Officer in Government

At least four federal agencies now have chief customer officers.

Cybersecurity

Exclusive: Official documents, interviews reveal scope of OPM’s financial woes

The Office of Personnel Management, an agency beleaguered by cyber intrusions and challenged by legacy IT systems, is struggling to come up with the money it needs for crucial IT modernization projects worth at least $117 million, according to agency documents obtained by FCW.

Cybersecurity

Here’s How OPM Is Telling Hacked Feds Their Data Was Stolen

There are two types of notices: one for the roughly 16 million employees and family members whose Social Security numbers are known to have been compromised and another for the roughly 6 million people whose fingerprints were also copied.

Digital Government

GSA: Hackathons Save Federal Dollars, Help Find Tech Talent

The second GSA hackathon drew twice as many attendees as the previous event in May.

Emerging Tech

FAA to Require Recreational Drones to be Registered with the Goverment

Getting a drone for Christmas? Better register it before you wrap it.

Emerging Tech

Americans Love the Latest Gadgets But Still Give Driverless Cars a Thumbs Down

While GPS is universally loved, the next step in car technology seems too advanced for many.

Emerging Tech

The Tech Start-Up Running Hillary Clinton’s Campaign

The Groundwork, started by Alphabet executive chairman Eric Schmidt, plays a major role in Clinton’s digital efforts.

Ideas

The ‘Culture of No’ and 3 Other Government IT Challenges

Among the factors keeping government behind the tech curve are an aversion to change and the lack of technocratic leadership.

Cybersecurity

Former House Intel chair: Info sharing could start in 30 days

The former Michigan representative lamented the lack of cybersecurity information sharing, and said if we could put politics aside, the nation would be safer in very short order.

Digital Government

FAA aims to have drone registration in place by Christmas

The government is getting serious about violations of protected airspace by privately owned drones, and is planning new rules to back the effort.