Cybersecurity

NIST awards $8.5 million contract to develop standards for smart grid

EnerNex will establish panel that includes utilities, IT companies, and state and federal agencies.

Cybersecurity

DHS official: Agencies must make high-risk cyber threats top priority

Departments should focus their limited resources on the most dangerous network attacks, says Homeland Security cyber chief.

People

Intell agency eyes geospatial data upgrade

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency wants information on geospatial data that it can use to upgrade its holdings.

Digital Government

The Three Star Navy Cyber Command

I hear that the Chief of Naval Operations will sign off on creation of a new Fleet Cyber Command by the end of this month, and it will have a three star boss. The Air Force and Army cyberwar outfits only have two star commanders.

Ideas

Hand-Cleaning CDC Social Media

The administration quickly should spread hand-cleaning and other public health messages through social media to prepare young people for the expected 2009-H1N1 epidemic, a presidential advisory group reported on Monday.

People

VA scandal brings out the critics and cynics

Numerous readers have written to say that they are not surprised about recent allegations of misconduct at the Veterans Affairs Department.

Digital Government

The Value of Twitter

Pear Analytics, a San Antonio-based research firm, recently released a <a href="http://www.pearanalytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Twitter-Study-August-2009.pdf">study examining what people are using Twitter for</a>. Their initial hypothesis was intended to prove that Twitter was being used largely for senseless babble or self-promotion, and while babble made up more than 40 percent of tweets, the researchers found that more than 37 percent of tweets were conversational and almost 9 percent had pass-along value. Only 5.85 percent of tweets were for self-promotion, the study found. As Twitter continues to evolve, not only as a brand but from a user's perspective, it is likely that usage patterns will change, the study concluded.

Modernization

IRS launches YouTube, iTunes sites

The IRS launched a YouTube video site and an iTunes podcast site filled with content that provides taxpayers with information about tax provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Modernization

DOD updates IPv6 Standard Profile

The updated IPv6 Standard Profile provides a technical and standards based definition of interoperability requirements for IPv6-capable products to be used in DOD networks.

People

DOE to invest $37 million for R&D into clean energy

The Energy Department plans to release $37 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to small businesses to stimulate research and development into clean energy technologies.