Ideas
Privacy Advocate Schwartz Joins NIST
Ari Schwartz, a longtime advocate for protecting privacy in the age of Web-based government, is leaving his post at the Center for Democracy and Technology to press for change from within the administration at the National Institute for Standards and Technology.
Digital Government
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency gets first female director
Letitia Long becomes the first woman to lead a major U.S. intelligence agency.
Digital Government
Gates details plans to slash DOD budget
In his aggressive efforts to save money, Defense Secretary Gates is targeting a number of DOD offices and organizations, including one major command, IT infrastructure and several senior positions.
Digital Government
Bill Seeks to Downsize Government
A Republic senator late last week introduced a bill that would reduce and limit the number of civilian federal workers to February 2009 levels.
Digital Government
Gen Y Shakes Up Government
<em>The Washington Post</em> on Saturday had a great <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/06/AR2010080606461_3.html?hpid=artslot&sid=ST2010080700240">article</a> about how the younger generation is shaking up the federal workplace with their tendencies to take risks, connect socially online and share information across boundaries. The Obama administration is hoping to fill up to 60,000 entry-level federal jobs within the next year, and government personnel experts believe that in 10 years, 400,000 of the 2 million federal workers will be younger than 35.
Digital Government
FBI's Mueller urges companies to share info on cyber crime
FBI Director Robert Mueller wants companies to share data on network security breaches with his bureau.
Digital Government
White House uses LinkedIn for policy discussion
The White House claims success in using its LinkedIn group to hold a members-only discussion on Wall Street reforms.
Modernization
The rush is on to approve applications for broadband funds
The Agriculture and Commerce departments are rushing to review and approve $4.2 billion in stimulus law funding for broadband by Sept. 30, a report says.
People
Senators concerned about counterfeit parts
Recent reports on counterfeit electronics and IT products show increases in the number of incidents and inadequate policies to deal with the problem.
Digital Government
Funding cuts could signal concerns for cloud computing
The Senate Appropriations Committee recently voted to reduce fiscal 2011 spending on key Obama administration information technology initiatives, including e-government and cloud computing.
Digital Government
FDA tightens reign on social media practices
Novartis cited for misuse of 'Facebook Share' widget.
Digital Government
Travelers fee will help support electronic screening program
Part of the sum that Homeland Security collects from Visa Waiver Program will go toward an IT system for assessing security risks.
Digital Government
Agencies rush to replace aging satellite to predict damaging solar storms
The sun's activity, forecasted to peak in 2013, could knock out the backbone operating power lines, GPS and financial transactions.
Digital Government
Campbell out as MHS CIO, Gates to close Defense CIO's office
Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., also puts a hold on the nomination of Dr. Jonathan Woodson to be assistant secretary of Defense for health affairs.
Digital Government
What About Countering Insider Threats?
It's a rule of thumb that insiders pose the greatest threat to classified information systems -- a rule sadly reinforced by the public release of 91,000 classified, purloined Defense Department documents by Wikileaks.
Ideas
USPS' eIDEAS Gets Poor Score
The U.S. Postal Service's web-based program to collect employee ideas on customer service, productivity and revenue generation lacks transparency, leaving submissions in limbo, according to the USPS inspector general.
Digital Government
DOT Appeals to Gen Y Online
The Transportation Department is using a variety of technology tools to attract and retain the younger generation of workers, and the <a href="http://wiredworkplace.nextgov.com/2010/08/dot_launches_online_ideahub.php">launch of its new online social network</a> is just the latest example of that, agency officials told Wired Workplace on Wednesday.
Digital Government