Digital Government

Pentagon extends tanker competition deadline

Move gives European consortium EADS time to put together a bid for the lucrative contract.

Digital Government

Takai: Let's All Work Together

Teresa "Teri" Takai, who President Obama <a href= http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100329_8439.php>nominated</a> as the Defense Department's chief information officer on Monday, taped a video message for her workers in February that could easily be applied to Defense: work together more effectively.

Digital Government

Madison Ave. to Gild Health IT

The Health & Human Services Department has enlisted a private public relations firm to persuade Americans that health information technology systems will protect their personal health information. The contract will pay Ketchum $26 million to devise the public education campaign, <a href="http://www.govhealthit.com/newsitem.aspx?nid=73411">reports Government Health IT</a>.

Cybersecurity

Software Exploits Running Wild

Moving assuredly, if not swiftly, through <a href="http://www.counterhack.net/who_am_i_.html">Ed Skoudis's</a> "Most Dangerous Attack Vectors" list brings us to third-party client-side software exploits. Translated to English, attackers exploit all those programs that make your life easier (Word, Excel, Powerpoint) or make your computing experience more fun (iTunes, Real Player, QuickTime). Any third-party software running on top of Windows or Mac operating systems, especially document viewing tools like Adobe Reader, is vulnerable to this kind of attack. Additionally, attackers often launch these exploits on the same day the vulnerability becomes generally known--before a vendor has released a patch.

People

Is the acquisition workforce too small -- or too big?

In response to a recent article, a reader suggested that the Obama administration is trying to solve the wrong problem in government acquisition.

Digital Government

VA/DOD center might offer lessons for health IT

A first-of-its-kind health facility in Chicago could serve as a case study in how DOD and the VA can integrate electronic health record systems.

People

About Face(book): Marines lift ban on social networking

Marine Corps officials lifted a ban for marines on using social networking Web sites on the service’s non-secret network, according to a memo.

Digital Government

Feds prepare RAMP for cloud

A new program could make it easier for agencies to get authorization to move to their IT operations to the cloud.

Digital Government

Tapping Tech for Disabled Workers

Federal agencies should beef up training and technical support to better equip their managers with the tools needed to effectively hire, retain and manage employees with disabilities, according to a new <a href="http://www.teleworkexchange.com/unnecessarybarriers/">survey</a> by the Federal Managers Association and Telework Exchange, an organization founded and operated by the public relations firm O'Keeffe & Company in Alexandria, Va., which has clients who sell telework equipment and services to government.

Cybersecurity

DHS to hire 170 IT employees during next 18 months

Richard Spires, the CIO of the Homeland Security Department, said today his IT workforce will almost double by October 2011.

Ideas

GSA Continues Acquisitions Shakeup

The General Services Administration on Tuesday announced another leadership change in its Federal Acquisition Service, the office responsible for coordinating goods and services for government agencies. Jon Jordon, controller for FAS, will serve as acting deputy commissioner starting April 3.

Digital Government

Upcoming FCW Feature

Update on topic and writer for upcoming FCW feature.

People

DFAS employees can be suspended, fired over credit scores

Rep. Dennis Kucinich and three other members of the Ohio congressional delegation asked the Defense Finance and Accounting Service to temporarily shelve a policy which suspends or terminates employees who post low credit scores.

Digital Government

Defense CIO nominee will face tough challenges

Takai will rely on her experience in network compatibility and information sharing, but she faces a steep learning curve on tactical networks and the command-and-control systems the department relies on to conduct operations worldwide.