Digital Government
NSA Critic Named No. 2 White House Tech Official
After ribbing on NSA and the White House cyber czar, Princeton researcher Ed Felten was appointed U.S. deputy chief technology officer.
Digital Government
Rand Paul Threatens Filibuster Over NSA Spying
The GOP presidential hopeful joins Democrat Ron Wyden in threatening to block a bill reauthorizing the Patriot Act without NSA reforms.
Modernization
Amazon Drone Delivery Will Track Customers Down No Matter Where They Are
The retail giant has outlined a plan for its proposed delivery drones to get packages to you in half an hour, regardless of location.
Cybersecurity
Geodata brokers, spear-phishing feds, a Data Act playbook and more
News and notes from around the federal IT community.
Modernization
Video: All The Times Microsoft Was Actually Ahead of the Curve
Microsoft has been innovating for a long time.
Emerging Tech
15 Technologies NASA Is Funding to Make Science Fiction a Reality
Each year, the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts program awards funding to a set of research projects on the bleeding edge of technology.
Digital Government
Does the Patriot Act Justify NSA Surveillance? Law in Uncharted Territory as Deadlines Approaches
Will the Patriot Act mean something different if lawmakers renew it now that they know the full extent of NSA's spying?
Digital Government
The disappearance of TaxmanKeith
Reddit's favorite 'IRS Employee' has deleted his account. His case demonstrates a demand for social media engagement that IRS policy isn't prepared to meet.
Ideas
4 Things to Consider when Revamping Agency Processes
As agencies continue to balance budget constraints with increasing mission scope, continued optimization of business processes may prove a fruitful path.
Cybersecurity
Crooks Sold ‘Photof*ckit’ Tool that Hacked Photobucket Users
Web Services // United States
Cybersecurity
Spy gadgets, transparency and 800 monkeys
Robert Litt, general counsel for the ODNI, argues that Congress and the courts have a say on intelligence policy, but not on the tech used to implement it.
Cybersecurity
NSA chief wary of proxies
Adm. Michael Rogers says nation-states might increasingly turn to surrogates to conduct cyberattacks.
Digital Government
Space agency seeks assistance on tech roadmap
The NASA Headquarters Office of Chief Technologist is asking for input from the private sector.
Cybersecurity
Federal Employee Retirement Plan Struggles with Cyber Conflict of Interest
The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board refuses to let auditors probe until satisfied that FISMA directives will not fracture the Chinese wall between OMB and the board.
Cybersecurity
Four reasons to start with system-wide visibility
As agencies consolidate their IT infrastructures and move to the cloud, infrastructure performance management becomes critical.
Modernization
Cloud brokers, the sequel
The broker definition continues to evolve as new roles emerge and cloud deployments become more complex.
Cybersecurity
Third-Party Software Was Entry Point for Background-Check System Hack
Intruders piggybacked on a vulnerability in an enterprise resource planning application.
Digital Government
Here’s What the New Tesla Battery Means for the Military
Elon Musk’s big announcement could revolutionize energy use for U.S. consumers—and that could be its biggest effect on national security.
Digital Government
The Air Force Wants You To Build Its Next Drone Engine
The Pentagon hopes the next Predator is in someone's garage.
Emerging Tech