Ideas
Iran, State, an App and Fingerpointing
Technology designed to circumvent Internet censorship by Iranian officials has been found to be riddled with security loopholes, raising questions on how the State Department could have approved it for distribution in Iran.
Digital Government
Can technology erode a mountain of classified documents?
DARPA solicits bids for new technologies to help declassify the mountains of U.S. government classified data.
Digital Government
Progress is slow on harmonizing government cybersecurity policies
A task force created to bring security policies and practices for national security and non-national security systems into line with each other as produced an initial set of common standards, but much work remains before the full benefit of the process is realized, according to the GAO.
Acquisition
House passes bill to keep GSA skeds open to state, local agencies
The House backs programs that open schedules contracts to state and local governments in case of emergencies.
Digital Government
CBP wants system to detect ultralights smuggling drugs
Officials report an increase in the number of attempts to move narcotics into the United States using the small aircraft, which avoid radar detection by flying low.
Digital Government
European Union project to boost computing power
The European Union announced on Tuesday a new project this week aimed at giving European researchers more computing power to help tackle a broad range of complex issues from the environment to energy to health.
Digital Government
House passes bill to keep GSA skeds open to state, local agencies
Federal Computer Week
Digital Government
Data centers installed in U.S. are deemed to be of 'U.S. origin'
Government Security News
Digital Government
How a lawn mowing contract is changing Defense acquisition
One way the Pentagon will meet Secretary Gate's goal to cut $100 billion in spending will be to replicate the Naval Sea Systems Command's standard solicitations for services, which increase competition and save money.
Digital Government
Turning to Interns
<em>Government Executive</em> <a href=http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=46112&dcn=todaysnews>reports</a> the Army is looking to hire hundreds of entry-level and midcareer contracting specialists and insource more than 4,000 acquisition-related jobs during the next five years.
Digital Government
Health IT Group Urges Restraint
As the government considers which "quality measures" to include in the second round of meaningful use requirements for electronic health records, members of a federal health IT policy committee are urging restraint.
Cybersecurity
Nigerian Hackers Sell Man's House
News of a scam in Australia hit the Web on Wednesday, and I have to say it's a doozy. A man allegedly had his home sold by Nigerian-based scammers, and he had no idea what was going on.
Digital Government
First Define the Terms
The Defense Department forks over about half its annual budget -- about $200 billion -- on acquisition of services such as information technology, transportation and upkeep of bases. It's track record of managing these buys is even worse than its record on the procurement of weapons systems, Ashton Carter, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, told a Pentagon press briefing on Tuesday.
Digital Government
New DOD acquisition strategy sparks debate
DOD's leaders want to revamp the Pentagon's acquisition processes, but analyst say much of the guidance isn't new but actually familiar regulations that have failed to be properly implemented in the past.
Acquisition