People

Dangerous liaisons: When agencies and contractors get too close

Are ethical breaches a common occurrence in government-industry partnerships? Some readers say that is definitely the case.

Digital Government

Can Technology Fill Staffing Gap?

I <a href="http://wiredworkplace.nextgov.com/2009/08/craig_newmark_on_gov_20_federal_it_workers.php">spoke</a> with Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist.org, a bit last week about innovative Web 2.0 projects in the federal government and what projects have potential to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the workforce.

People

Doctors need reasons to join health exchanges: HHS official

A senior HHS official says doctors need to get a positive return on investment from health data exchange.

Cybersecurity

IG: Energy needs more protection for some data

The Energy Department's inspector general says more action is needed to protect the department's electronic information that is unclassified, but sensitive.

Modernization

Microsoft ordered to stop selling Word

Court rules that Microsoft stop selling flagship Word as a result of a patent dispute with Canadian company i4i.

Cybersecurity

Agencies struggling over control of cybersecurity overblown, says DHS

Executives contend the much more pressing issue is the difficulty in attracting cyber workers, characterizing the effort as "a beast of a problem."

Digital Government

Social Security e-health records requirements draw fire

Critics say Recovery Act contracts to automate the agency's medical disability program and cut wait times for medical records to determine disability claims could slow innovation.

Cybersecurity

Who wants to be the poster child for the next cyber disaster?

I had this whole blog post about cyber security ready and then everyone quit. I kept asking why no one wanted this job and the answer I kept hearing is this is the job with a target on one’s back. No matter how good one is or what one does, someone one, somewhere, will hack into a network. The cyber czar will be the poster child for the latest cyber disaster.

Cybersecurity

Virtual FOSE: Metrics, comparisons recommended for winning IT security support

Alan Paller, the director of research at the SANS Institute, recommends that IT security professionals without budget authority use reliable metrics, numbers and comparisons to win support from executives.

Digital Government

Butler Tapped for Cyber/Space Policy Slot

The Defense Department appointed Robert Butler, who previously ran Computer Science Corp's military intelligence biz in San Antonio, Texas, as the new deputy assistant secretary of defense for cyber and space policy.

Ideas

Take Responsibility for Your Cookies

The Cato Institute's Jim Harper on Tuesday <a href="http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2009/08/11/all-hail-the-demise-of-a-bad-policy/" target="_blank">blogged</a> that a recent White House proposal to reverse a long-standing ban on cookies is an acknowledgment that Americans can control their own cookie intake. No, this was not a commentary on the administration's healthcare overhaul plan.