Acquisition

From ELC: Legislation updates FAR's ethics rules

Contractors must report ethics violations, but to whom remains unclear.

People

DOD jumps on wiki bandwagon

Officials hope DOD's Techipedia will help with collaboration and coordination.

People

From ELC: Congress access to MySpace could advance Web 2.0

A recent rule change allowing lawmakers to have MySpace pages could ease the path for executive agencies.

People

From ELC: Risk management takes center-stage

Agencies seeking to secure federal information systems need to focus on attack-based metrics to reduce vulnerabilities and manage risk, according to government and industry officials.

People

DOD grant explores mining health records data

Grant to fund research into how electronic health records could be used to help track diseases and health trends in the military.

People

SBA, IG clash over regulatory details

Officials and auditors have differing views about HSPD-12's application to pilot programs.

People

DOD: Controlled but unclassified data is leaking

The information is leaking to the public from thousands of Web sites sponsored by DOD, according to a recent memo.

Digital Government

Letter: Agencies pay price for outsourcing IT support

Contract staff, unlike federal employees, have no incentive to improve their skill levels, a reader writes.

People

Letter: EMP threat scarier than "Saw V"

A reader writes that the potential damage from an electromagnetic pulse attack is particularly alarming because EMP attacks appear to be easy to stage.

People

From ELC: Federal workforce could change with new administration

The evolving federal workforce could be due for significant changes after the new president takes office.

Digital Government

Klossner on cost-plus contracting: No surprises

None

People

FCW Insider: Web filter stalls Web 2.0 (at FCW anyway)

None

People

From ELC: Panel identifies top federal IT priorities

Federal and industry executives previewed technology-related recommendations for the next administration.

Digital Government

DHS launches effort to find illegal immigrants in jails

Program will allow local law enforcement agencies to automatically compare fingerprints of their prisoners against FBI criminal databases and DHS immigration databases.

Digital Government

Next special counsel faces an uphill battle

Successor to Scott Bloch will need to restore trust, both within OSC and across the federal workforce.

People

Buzz of the Week: A lively social networking circuit

Slowly but surely Web 2.0 is moving from fun and games to serious business in the federal government.

People

TSA tests PDA, cell-based electronic boarding passes

Domestic airline travelers will soon be able to flash electronic boarding passes from their cell phones, BlackBerries and other handheld devices.

People

TSA passenger screening plan needs new IT

The Transportation Security Administration’s program to screen air travelers requires a transformation of the systems the government and airlines use to share passenger data.

People

GAO urges standardization of biometric data

The Government Accountability Office says the lack of standards and the use of proprietary formats has inhibited information sharing.

People

OMB increases transparency of agency IT management data

The Office of Management and Budget hopes to see greater savings from the improvements agencies have demonstrated in the management of their IT projects.