Digital Government

Recovery board to provide public with original stimulus data

The board,responsible for overseeing stimulus spending, said the public would have access to the same machine-readable data that updates Recovery.gov, a functionality that open government activists have been seeking. But public watchdogs and federal auditors raised concerns that the data might be flawed.

Digital Government

Cyberattacks on federal Web sites may be smokescreen

Denial-of-service attacks against can create noise that distracts network administrators so hackers can successfully infiltrate more sensitive computer systems and applications.

Cybersecurity

Senate bill would give DHS $97M above request

The Senate is considering a spending bill for DHS that would phase out Loran in 2010 and spend $97 million more than the White House requested.

Ideas

Where's the (Infected) Beef?

The administration on Tuesday announced long-desired steps that agencies will take to help repair the <a href="http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20080611_3153.php?oref=search">beleaguered food safety system</a>, including the creation of a nationwide trace-back system to more quickly identify the food-source of an outbreak.

Digital Government

JCS Chair on Facebook, With Fans

Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, launched his <a href=http://www.facebook.com/admiralmikemullen?ref=ts>Facebook page</a> on July 2 and has already managed to attract 309 fans.

Ideas

GAO Tweets and Tubes

There are few agencies that we reporters pay closer attention to than the Government Accountability Office. As the investigative arm of the legislative branch, GAO auditors are responsible for uncovering many of the largest cases of fraud or waste in the federal government. Almost everything they publish is of interest to someone out there, which is why we are thrilled to see they are making efforts to expand their audience by joining the Government 2.0 movement.

Digital Government

Facebook Boom In Users Age 55+

EWeek.com <a href="http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Search-Engines/Facebook-Sees-500-Boost-in-Users-Aged-55-and-Older-538731/?kc=rss">reports</a> that social networking Web site Facebook has seen a 500 percent boost in users aged 55 and above during the past six months. This adds to the great amount of <a href="http://wiredworkplace.nextgov.com/2009/06/social_media_use_explodes.php">new evidence</a> that points to a blurring of the generational lines when it comes to Web 2.0 use.

People

What happens when feds, the media and advertisers have dinner?

A recent misstep by the Washington Post could lead to tighter rules for feds attending events with corporate sponsorship.

Modernization

FEMA plans consolidation of IT support contracts

The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it will consolidate the ways it contracts for systems engineering support and technical assistance.

Digital Government

Hiring Through Social Media

Examiner.com <a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-3566-Oklahoma-City-Job-Search-Examiner~y2009m7d4-Build-a-Social-Media-Hiring-Strategy">reports</a> on how hiring managers at small, mid-size and large companies are increasingly using social networking Web sites to research job candidates before making a job offer. But while social media has become a major part of the hiring process, it takes time and effort to make such Web sites truly useful.

Modernization

Military seeks to marry communications, collaboration networks

The lessons of VOIP are helping expand and combine rich communications and collaboration on military networks.

People

Army IT exec weighs in on the service's technology programs, challenges

Gary Winkler, Army program executive officer for enterprise information systems at Fort Belvoir, Va., discussed a number of current initiatives, including the Logistics Modernization Program, in a recent interview.

Cybersecurity

Coast Guard unit to outsource metrics management

The Coast Guard Aviation Logistics Center will hire a contractor to implement its Earned Value Management program.

Cybersecurity

Registered Traveler customers file class-action lawsuit

Two law firms have filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of customers of a private operator of Registered Traveler services that shut down abruptly in late June.

People

Op-ed: Dispelling the myth of GSA schedule lag times

Vivek Kundra was off the mark when he described long lead times for buying technology through the GSA schedule, writes Larry Allen, president of the Coalition for Government Procurement.

Modernization

Virtualization: Organizations getting better at disaster recovery

A Symantec survey reveals the "rising [disaster recovery] pressures on organizations caused by soaring downtime costs and more stringent IT service-level requirements to mitigate risk to the business."