Digital Government
VA plans to build an Agent Orange disability claims system
The system will automate the processing of applications from an estimated 200,000 veterans a year and heralds a new way of doing business at the department using the latest technology, secretary says.
Digital Government
FHA looks for IT help to fight fraud in mortgage business
An increase in applications and claims has put pressure on the agency to streamline databases to better detect fraud.
Ideas
Banning Sex Offender E-mail Addresses
The Justice Department on Friday allowed states to exclude certain personal information about sex offenders from public notification websites in a move to increase compliance with the law.
Digital Government
Bye-Bye to Army Minirobot?
I've met the Army's battlefield minirobot -- which goes by the official moniker of Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle -- twice over the past year on trips to White Sands Missile Range in south central New Mexico. I have to say it's one mighty impressive and cute little critter.
Ideas
Another IRS E-mail Scam
This time of year brings out <a href="http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20080325_3349.php?oref=search">scams aimed at tricking taxpayers</a> to give up personal information through e-mails. The latest landed in my inbox on Friday. The e-mail had the subject "Internal Revenue Service - Tax refund (28831290) $620.50," and it said it came from "Irs.Gov." It's message:
Cybersecurity
Coose Up To Bat for FISMA
Two weeks ago, <a href="http://www.cio.com/podcasts/awards/coose_dhs_otw.mp3">Matt Coose</a>, director of federal network security at the Homeland Security Department, was charged with enabling 110 federal agencies to do <a href="http://cybersecurityreport.nextgov.com/2010/04/white_house_heroes.php">continuous monitoring</a> based on the new Federal Information Security Management Act requirements.
Digital Government
Health IT Cuts Heart Attack Risk
Electronic medical records played a key role in lowering cholesterol in people at very high risk for heart disease to levels considered by many health experts to be unattainable, reports Kaiser Permanente.
People
Beyond telework: How the federal workplace ought to work
Federal managers need to stop worrying about where their employees are working and start focusing on what work is getting done, according to Deloitte's Anne Weisberg and William D. Eggers.
Digital Government
HR Tech Goes Cloudy
New research suggests that more human resources professionals are turning to cloud-based solutions to meet key business challenges and close effectiveness gaps that currently exist between HR priorities and HR systems.
People
Workplace flexibility as the new normal
Federal managers need to stop worrying about where their employees are and more about the work that gets done, write Deloitte's Anne Weisberg and William D. Eggers.
Digital Government
Treasury plans auctions for $2B services contract
Treasury Department officials are proposing that reverse auctions be used in awarding task orders under its $2 billion Total Information Processing Support Services contract.
Digital Government
Vets poorly served by VA call centers, audit finds
Callers to the Veterans Benefits Administration reach an agent and obtain accurate information only 49 percent of the time, an audit says.
People
Porn provision stalls House IT bill
Reauthorization of the America Competes law to boost technology and innovation got stalled by a GOP motion that would punish federal employees caught watching pornography at work.
People
Porn provision stalls House IT bill
Reauthorization of the America Competes law to boost technology and innovation got stalled by a GOP motion that would punish federal employees caught watching pornography at work.
Ideas
Outsourcing to the Insourced
An Australian data management company has hired 200 inmates in a jail there to process data. iTNews <a href=http://www.itnews.com.au/News/174631,indian-outsourcing-firm-looks-to-prison-for-data-entry-work.aspx>reported</a> that the prisoners "will handle banking information 24 hours a day using a shift system." They'll be paid (U.S.) $2.20 a day.
Digital Government
The top 10 awfully bad passwords people use
Many end users don't understand the need for good passwords, report shows.
Digital Government