Digital Government
Interesting Gizmos, Great Soldiers
I spent a couple of days last week at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico metaphorically kicking the tires on the new high-tech gadgets and gizmos the Army plans to <a href=http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090721_4346.php>field to seven infantry brigades</a> starting in 2011. I came away from the trip -- as I always do when I'm out in the field -- more impressed by the soldiers I met than the gear.
Cybersecurity
Official: Panel wants privacy protection for electronic medical records
A federal advisory panel wants encryption and access controls to protect patients' medical records. official says.
People
Open Government conference roundup
The Open Government and Innovations conference, held in Washington, D.C., last week, featured lively dialogue and debate on a variety of topics, including social media, acquisition reform and health care information technology.
Modernization
Attention shoppers, federal virtual storefront is coming
Federal CIO Vivek Kundra wants to set up a virtual storefront where agencies can quickly purchase cloud-computing services.
Digital Government
Health record haste sparks privacy fears
A privacy advocate warns that proposals for EHRs postpone several major privacy protections.
People
Transparency meets skepticism
Government and industry tout the benefits of being transparent and collaborative, but neither wants to bear the attendant criticism and concerns.
Modernization
Altman named to lead IBM Global Public Sector
Anne Altman has been named general manager of IBM Corp.’s Global Public Sector, effective August 1.
Cybersecurity
Independent commission plans second report on cybersecurity requirements
Recommendations will address privacy, civil liberties and engagement of international allies in implementing policy.
Modernization
White House mulls making NASA a center for federal cloud computing
A network that shares images and statistics with international partners and academics also could provide IT services to agencies as part of Obama's push to consolidate the government's tech infrastructure.
Digital Government
Defense Comms: The House Giveth
The House Appropriations Committee approved a budget for the high-powered <a href=http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090220_1669.php>Wideband Global Satcom System</a> in fiscal 2010 of $626.7 million in its version of next year's <a href=http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/DoD_FY10_FC_Summary_07.22.09.pdf>appropriations bill</a>, an increase of $425 million from the president's requested budget.
Digital Government
Social Media Survey
The Call To Serve initiative -- a joint effort by the Partnership for Public Service and the Office of Personnel Management -- is planning a workshop for September that will focus on federal agencies' use of social media for recruiting. The workshop is part of an annual Effective Hiring Workshop Series for federal agency representatives. In the meantime, the Partnership and OPM are asking federal employees to fill out a survey on what areas should be covered in the workshop.
Ideas
Howell Addresses Interior Lawsuit
Today at <a href="http://www.affirm.org/">AFFIRM's</a> annual leadership awards luncheon, OMB deputy administrator for E-Government and information technology Mike Howell, formerly CIO at the Interior Department, was awarded with organization's top prize for executive leadership in federal information resources management. Following the award Howell made some brief remarks about leadership and then addressed a controversial topic.
Digital Government
Outsourcing Cyber Efforts
A <a href="http://ourpublicservice.org/OPS/publications/viewcontentdetails.php?id=135">report</a> on the state of the <a href="http://wiredworkplace.nextgov.com/2009/07/cyber_insecurity.php">federal cybersecurity workforce</a> released on Wednesday by the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service highlights that there are often good reasons for hiring contractors to fill immediate or short-term hiring needs in the federal government, or when budgetary constraints limit the number of full-time employees an agency can hire. Without an adequate pipeline of talent coming in to fill federal cybersecurity positions, the report states, the response at many agencies has been to turn to contractors to perform sensitive government information technology work, vulnerability analysis, intrusion detection, digital forensics and protocol analysis.
Digital Government