Modernization
State Department Looks to Outfit Workers with 'the Most Contemporary' Mobile Devices
This is no small task considering the agency currently provides 36,000 mobile devices to its employees stationed in almost every country in the world.
Cybersecurity
Bigger IRS breach, institutionalizing PIF, and FAA drones and glitches
News and notes from around the federal IT community.
Cybersecurity
IRS Data Breach Nearly Three Times Bigger than Previously Reported
An internal investigation revealed the cyberattack affected 220,000 more taxpayer accounts than was originally estimated.
Digital Government
Video: The Inconvenient Truth About Wearing Earbuds
Ditch the earbuds and save your hearing.
Digital Government
How Phone Companies Used 'Supercookies' to Track Customers' Web Browsing
AT&T and Verizon continued tracking users' unencrypted traffic for months after backlash over the practice erupted in November 2014, researchers found.
Emerging Tech
This 2,000 Trillion Watt Laser Could Re-Create the Big Bang–and Make Clean Energy
This laser beam, the most powerful laser ever created, has been recently fired at Osaka University in Japan.
Digital Government
Amazon's Despised Management Tool Could Be Coming to Your Office
Who doesn’t enjoy a good round of brutal criticism?
Digital Government
White House Makes Presidential Innovation Fellows Program Permanent
The president signed an executive order ensuring the PIF program outlasts an administration change.
Cybersecurity
NGA opens its doors to industry
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency hopes an upcoming industry day provides ideas about speeding up its acquisition cycle.
People
6 hidden hotspots in federal IT
The budget meetings might happen in Washington, but agency IT has some surprising centers of gravity.
Digital Government
Leaky data integration costs billions
A new study says bad data integration results in $342 billion in lost health care benefits every year.
People
Out-of-sight CIO resigns over the weekend, posts new job to LinkedIn
Barry West is out as CIO at the FDIC, and is now president of the Mason Harriman Group.
Cybersecurity
The root causes of government IT insecurity
In the first of three columns, a former government executive discusses what's really needed to prevent another massive data breach.
Digital Government
US Intelligence Community Keys in on the Russian ‘Troll Army’ Manipulating Social Media
Algorithms might be able to discern Facebook and Twitter trolls.
Cybersecurity
Hackers Get Wall Street Tipoffs, Spy on UVA Employees and Harass Librarians
Just another week in ThreatWatch, our regularly updated index of noteworthy data breaches.
Cybersecurity
FOIA Goof Exposes Illinois Prison Personnel Records
Government (U.S.) // Illinois, United States
Cybersecurity
University of Virginia Hacked in Suspected Chinese Espionage Case
Education // Virginia, United States
Emerging Tech
Apple Reportedly Scouting Secure Location to Test Driverless Car
The long-rumored Apple Car might be hitting the road soon—just don’t expect to see it cruising around your neighborhood.
Digital Government