Digital Government

Panel: Open Networx to states and localities to expand broadband use

The contract's lower prices for telecommunications could make it easier to expand high-speed Internet to underserved areas.

Digital Government

Security must be a consideration as acquisition databases are combined

GSA and IBM, which just won a $74.4 million contract to consolidate nine systems, still need to come up with a plan to protect proprietary information.

Digital Government

EPA Web site paving the way to transparency

Dashboard opens environmental rulemaking to public earlier, provides model for other agencies.

Digital Government

VA to Tweet

The Veterans Affairs Department plans to push the use of Twitter and Facebook to all of its 148 medical centers, according to an insightful <a href=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-allen-smith/vet-bloggers-storm-americ_b_467186.html>account</a> on the department's use of social media on The Huffington Post by Richard Allen Smith, who writes the <a href=http://www.vetvoice.com/>VetVoice blog</a>.

Ideas

IBM to Merge Contracting Systems

The government announced on Thursday that IBM U.S. Federal has won a $74.4 million dollar contract to consolidate disparate systems that track contractor performance. The reconfiguration is intended to make it easier for federal acquisition workers to monitor the purchase of equipment, supplies, information technology and telecommunications services governmentwide, according to the General Services Administration, the agency that awarded the contract.

Digital Government

IT Lessons from Snowmageddon

A new report by CDW-G suggests that there may be some valuable lessons for federal IT leaders in the aftermath of last week's snowstorms that shut down federal agencies in the Washington, D.C., area for more than four days. The report, "Seven Habits of Highly Resilient Organizations," provides activities that federal IT executives should undertake to ensure that interruption to agency operations during weather disruptions or other emergencies is minimal.

Cybersecurity

Users weigh online security vs. convenience

Respondents to a recent survey share their attitudes about online security risks and what service providers should do to protect users.

People

Recommended Reading

The military is factoring global climate change into its activities; agencies exploit free data; a new report takes a close look at advanced persistent threat attacks.

Digital Government

The Buzz Factor

These were the most-read stories on FCW.com in the past two weeks.

Digital Government

Hospitals face compliance problems with HITECH Act

Hospitals are coping with new privacy and security regulations for health information technology that went into effect Feb. 17.

People

Political hailstorm follows Climate Service announcement

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announcement during the recent snowstorms that it was launching a new Climate Service got global warming skeptics going.

Digital Government

Former L.A. police chief tapped to kick off GovSec conference

Bill Bratton built the Los Angeles Police Department's state-of-the-art counter-terrorism capabilities in the wake of the terrorist attacks in 2001.

Cybersecurity

Massive botnet may have snared some agency systems

Computer security firm NetWitness discovered a botnet that, according to the firm, has compromised 75,000 systems at 2,500 organizations, including 10 federal agencies.

Digital Government

Doctors frustrated by Medicare quality reporting data program

Some doctors' practices were dissatisfied with the reports they got for participating in a Medicare quality reporting program, according to a new survey.

Acquisition

IBM to integrate federal acquisition databases

The contract is for merging nine databases to streamline the federal procurement process.

Ideas

Swab for Security

The latest screening technology to hit airports nationwide is perhaps less controversial than full-body scanners but less familiar to travelers: Explosive Trace Detection units that test swabs of luggage and passengers' hands for explosives.

People

White House official advises on open-government plans

Agencies' open-government plans should not specify programs but instead outline the goals for transparency, a White House official said today.

Digital Government

Luring Young IT Workers

The Defense Department is creating a new manual to help federal agencies attract the next generation of technology workers, FederalNewsRadio.com <a href="http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?nid=35&sid=1890425">reports</a>.

Modernization

Extreme makeover: Cutting data centers down to size

Under new pressure to curb data center spending, agencies must decide whether it's better to remodel old or build new data centers to keep up with growing IT demands.

Modernization

How to decide whether to retrofit or replace your data center

Answering these questions can help you decide if it's better to remodel your old data center or build a new one.