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

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.

Emerging Tech

Scientists Measure Nepal Earthquake by Bouncing Radar Beams off Kathmandu From Space

The ground has shifted beneath Nepal’s feet, and space agencies around the globe are rushing to measure it.

Digital Government

Lawmakers Prod Agencies to Retool Energy-Guzzling Data Centers

The Energy Efficiency Government Technology Act would require federal data centers to run on more energy-efficient technologies.

Cybersecurity

Hackers Rig Ratings of Pro-Putin Videos and Spy on Iranian Expat Living in the US

Just another week in ThreatWatch, our regularly updated index of noteworthy data breaches.

Digital Government

OMB Releases Guidelines for Government Spending Data

The DATA Act requires federal agencies to report how much congressional funding they receive, or how much money they're spending on specific projects, and post it to USAspending.gov.

Digital Government

Republicans Make Dubious Claims in Defense of NSA Surveillance

Mitch McConnell and his cohort of security hawks are stopping at nothing to renew the spy agency’s phone dragnet. But how fair is their defense?

Digital Government

This Startup Wants Mothers and Daughters to Hack Together

General Assembly, which offers coding classes to entrepreneurs, is hosting a Mother-Daughter Hack day at its office in Washington on Saturday.