Digital Government

NIST updates information security guidelines

Revisions emphasize need to continuously watch for threats and to build in protections while developing computer systems.

Digital Government

Defense asks industry for help to cut its communications cord

The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command has asked communications companies to submit ideas for a wireless headset that has a range of up to 550 yards for the four-member crew in armored vehicles.

Digital Government

GAO: Security agency is making progress, but still falling short

Report says Federal Protective Service needs to pay more attention to resource allocation, technology and information management.

Digital Government

Senate passes VA bill with $3.3 billion in IT funding

Appropriations include development of a common VA-Defense health and benefits record.

Digital Government

Medical mapping tool ready for test drive

The National Library of Medicine has released a draft mapping tool to link a standardized medical vocabulary of clinical terms to applications for billing and claims.

Digital Government

Work stops again on TSA infrastructure contract

Barely a week after restarting work on its $500 million infrastructure contract, TSA issues a stop-work order to CSC.

Digital Government

GPS-Equipped Critters Map Sea

I consider GPS, along with the Internet, the Defense Department's two greatest gifts to the planet, and I continue to be amazed at the uses folks way outside Defense find for it. That includes a <a href=http://www.wcs.org/new-and-noteworthy/new-atlas-of-the-patagonian-sea.aspx>project</a> by the Wildlife Conservation Society to map South America's Patagonian Sea.

Ideas

Recovery.gov Won't Warn Users

The independent board overseeing Recovery.gov is rejecting calls for a disclaimer on the stimulus-tracking Web site to indicate that some job creation figures are inaccurate.

Cybersecurity

3 basic steps to thwart most cyberattacks, courtesy of NSA

Three key practices can help systems withstand about 80 percent of commonly-known attack mechanisms, according to an estimate from the National Security Agency.

Digital Government

Twittervention

The majority of Fortune 100 companies are not using Twitter effectively, according to a new <a href="http://www.webershandwick.com/resources/ws/flash/Twittervention_Study.pdf">study</a> released on Tuesday by public relations firm Weber Shandwick.

Modernization

Another day, another cybersecurity breach at federal agencies

Federal IT security pros say external sources are the biggest threat to their agency or network, while defense agencies indicate state-sponsored cybersecurity attacks are their most significant external cybersecurity issue.

People

Performance metrics useless without good management, OMB's Zients told

The government should not get lost in devising management reporting systems and forget that getting good managers is most important, a House committee chairman says.

Digital Government

Security lacking for Los Alamos classified network, GAO says

The national laboratory overseeing the nation’s nuclear stockpile has some serious security shortfalls, according to auditors.

Digital Government

What Keeps You Up At Night?

Jonathan Breul and John Kamensky of the IBM Center for Business of Government tackle the top 10 challenges that keep public managers up at night. Among the issues is a divide in the way different generations in the federal workforce view work, information overload brought on by new technologies like instant messaging and Twitter, and a move towards less bureaucracy and more collaborative networking.

Digital Government

State pilot shows a way to improve security while cutting costs

Agency has reduced its serious vulnerabilities while cutting the cost of its security program, said Chief Information Security Officer John Streufert.

Digital Government

Which browser is the riskiest? The answer may surprise you.

Survey assesses browser vulnerabilities, Web servers and other risk factors.

Digital Government

Open-source tools could make it easier to build a hybrid cloud

Government agencies interested in building out privately-run internal clouds have a growing number of open-source tools to work with.

People

Justice needs better IT approach to gang intell, IG says

Two Justice Department centers for coordinating gang-related information haven't made much difference in crime-fighting.

Digital Government

House looks to create database for Treasury to track bailout spending

The House as early as Tuesday afternoon will try to speed passage of a bill that would create a database for the Treasury Department to provide live updates on the distribution of bailout funds, according to aides to the Democratic leadership.

Digital Government

The virtual doctor visit

The Washington Post