Digital Government
Feds ready to lead green IT movement, but outreach needed
At event on energy-efficient technology, officials discuss access to information and the need for high-speed Internet to support the smart grid.
Digital Government
GSA's new satellite contract a one-stop shop for government
Defense and civilian agencies benefit from flexible procurement, officials say.
Digital Government
Agencies' open government plans receive mostly positive reviews
Those posted by Health and Human Services, Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency are praised for specificity, while critics say others are too vague.
Digital Government
Big Payback For VA Health IT
The Veterans Affairs Department has invested more than $4 billion on its Veterans Health Information System and Technology Architecture (VistA) during the last two decades. But the payback the department has received has pretty much exceeded those costs, <em>Health Affairs Journal</em> <a href=http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/29/4/629>reported</a> in its April issue.
Digital Government
Doctors Want EHR 2.0
An long-running complaint about software development is it is rarely done for consumers -- the users of a program. Software is typically written for some other agenda or use. That's when you hear the complaint that a program isn't intuitive and is hard to navigate. (Although an exception is Apple's iPad, which has routinely received <a href=http://ptech.allthingsd.com/20100331/apple-ipad-review/>positive reviews</a> about its ease of use.)
Digital Government
Cultural changes at DOD a major factor in defense acquisition reform
Industry officials see the need for change in DOD ideas of weapons systems, contracting practices.
Ideas
Cyberattack Concerns High
A survey of federal IT officials published on Tuesday by a computer security firm reports that a third of respondents in agencies tied to national security experienced a cyberattack by a foreign nation or terrorist organization over the last year.
Cybersecurity
Intell chief wants more information sharing
More integration between collection and analysis capabilities can be achieved by intelligence agencies during the next five years, the country's top intelligence officer said today.
Digital Government
Fatter Paychecks for Fed IT Workers?
There have been a lot of news headlines recently that claim that federal pay is significantly higher than private sector pay. A new <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2010/04/federal_it_pros.html">survey</a> by InformationWeek adds fuel to this claim, at least when comparing federal IT workers to their private sector counterparts. In fact, findings show that federal IT workers earn approximately 10 percent more than private sector IT employees.
People
Telework unlocks workplace flexibility, union leader says
An expanded telework program is one of the best ways to bring real flexibility to the federal workplace, Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, said at a White House forum to examine the state of flexible work arrangements.
Digital Government
How the VA VistA system is like a fighter jet
Dr. Steve Ondra's metaphor comparing the VA's electronic health record systems to fighter jets took wing at the AFCEA Health IT Day today.
Digital Government
Wired to Hoard or Share?
Andrew Krzmarzick asks an interesting question on his <a href="http://genshift.com/government-20/are-civil-servants-too-old-and-selfish-for-gov-2-0/">Generation Shift blog</a>: are civil servants too old and selfish to give in to social media platforms? Recent <a href="http://stephendale.posterous.com/are-civil-servants-made-for-social-media">comments</a> by blogger Stephen Dale note that more public sector decision makers fall into the Baby Boomer category than Generation X, and it's these older decision makers who are primarily responsible for blocking social media access at their agencies.
Acquisition
Obama warns contractors: Report ARRA money or else
The president says contractors failing to report information must be held accountable by all agencies to the fullest extent of the law.
People
VA, DOD to expand virtual EHR program
The Veterans Affairs and Defense departments are expanding demonstration projects of VLER electronic records program, officials said today.
Cybersecurity
'Most Dangerous' -- Spear Phishing
<a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4892992_recognize-spear-phishing-scams.html"></a>Ed Skoudis calls <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing">spear phishing</a> "an oldie-but-goodie attack," but I can't figure out what's good about it. Spear phishing is a highly targeted e-mail with either an appended malicious attachment or a dangerous Web site link to client-side exploits. Strangely, the attack was birthed in the most inauspicious of ways; clumsy grammar and preposterous scenarios. How's that for irony? Imagine some e-mail, laden with broken English, lands in your inbox from halfway across the world detailing a half-baked scenario. And, what do we do? We click. I've done it. You've probably done it. <a href="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/06/spear-phishing_gang_resurfaces.html">We all regret it</a> (you won't regret the link).
People