Digital Government
Future warfare gets funding nod, but little prioritization
The Quadrennial Defense Review and the fiscal 2011 defense budget are in sync on the need for new strategies for programs such as unmanned aerial vehicles. But critics say they still focus too much on current conflicts and not enough on the future.
Digital Government
Tear down self-imposed, bureaucratic hurdles to trust
If the Justice Department's new information-sharing tool works, law enforcement agencies will be able to solve cases ranging from electronic fraud to terrorism, writes Chris Bronk.
People
Why technology is not enough
A recent study found that organizations get the most out of technology when they also adopt new management practices, Steve Kelman writes.
People
Tackle problems, not mandates, with collaboration
Agencies succeed not when they comply with directives but when they solve problems, writes NAPA's Lena Trudeau.
Modernization
The new age of satellite
Satellites' famous resiliency is being joined by a steadily brightening price and performance story that might surprise those who haven’t been following the industry lately.
Cybersecurity
With cyber czar in place, lawmakers continue legislative push
Congress could tackle key computer security questions in 2010, despite persistent disagreement over the extent that cybersecurity should be regulated.
Cybersecurity
Data mining
Physician offices have increased their use of electronic health records by 9.7 percent in the past year, according to a survey by research firm SK&A.
Acquisition
GSA's Drabkin heads to Northrop Grumman
David Drabkin will be Northrop Grumman's director for acquisition policy.
Digital Government
Certification for iPhone and Android?
Apple's iPhone and smart phones built around Google's Android operating system make for yummy application development platforms, but their use in the federal government -- especially the Defense Department -- has been restricted because neither the iPhone nor Android phones have received security accreditation from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. But Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Sorenson, the Army chief information officer, indicated at a press briefing on Wednesday that that situation may soon change. He said Apple and Google are making progress in getting their gizmos certified to the Federal Information Processing (FIPS) 140-2 cryptology standard needed for use on federal networks.
Ideas
Facebook and the Hatch Act
Marc Ambinder, who blogs for Nextgov sister site Atlantic.com, <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/03/state-department-removes-political-fan-pages-from-facebook-site/36984/">raises an issue</a> for agencies that have created a Facebook page -- which seems like just about every agency.
Ideas
GSA Signs Up For OpenID
The General Services Administration has approved universal sign-in applications for use on government Web sites, provided by Equifax, Google and Paypal, that will allow citizens who are securely logged in to one site to instantly and safely switch to another agency site without having to login again.
Digital Government
Getting out in front of the burgeoning data deluge
We are now well into the exabyte-per-year era of data (1 billion gigabytes), with predictions that the size of the digital universe will double every 18 months. How do you store all of that data, let alone find ways to manage it so you can retrieve it and make use of it?
Ideas
Distraction.gov -- Not
Yes, <a href=http://distraction.gov/>Distraction.gov</a> is a real Web site. No, it isn't a compilation of crossword puzzles, <a href=http://www.sporcle.com/>Sporcle</a> quizzes and Gawker-worthy gossip. In fact, it has nothing to do with giving feds a little diversion at work.
Digital Government
Cyber Plan Invests in Workforce
The White House on Tuesday unveiled the unclassified version of its <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/cybersecurity/comprehensive-national-cybersecurity-initiative">Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative</a>, the government's plan to secure public and private sector computer networks. Availability of the plan, which was announced by White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Howard Schmidt at the RSA Conference in San Francisco, consists of 12 major priorities, including building a top-notch cybersecurity workforce.
People
Agency mission, not technology, should be guide for open government efforts
The top goals and priorities of federal agencies should direct how their open government plans are written, not popular technologies such as Twitter and Facebook, according to two experts helping agencies draft the plans.
Digital Government
What HHS' entry into e-health record certification means
It remains to be seen whether HHS'Notice of Proposed Rulemaking released yesterday is a game changer for certification of electronic health records.
Acquisition
SBA proposed rule directs set-aside contracts to women-owned firms
A proposed rule is designed to help agencies award 5 percent of federal contracting dollars to women-owned small businesses.
Digital Government
HHS issues proposed rule for certification of electronic health records
The Health and Human Services Department is rushing a temporary certification program into place for EHR systems so that providers can quality for stimulus payments that start Oct. 1.
Cybersecurity
Critics not satisfied with partial revelation of secret cybersecurity plan
Observers welcomed the release of summary of the government's classified cybersecurity initiative, but some want the Obama administration to give more details.
Cybersecurity