People

Letter: Smart card advice for a smooth transition

It is actually much easier to prepare the network to accept smart cards for log on while accepting both a user name and password or PIV card/PIN for log on.

Ideas

Baldridge Award Curse Strikes Again

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People

Managers advised to plan for transition

Agency leaders who want to be ready for the next inauguration should be working toward that goal.

People

Report: IGs recovered billions for feds in 2007

Auditors collaborate to make government work better and more openly, organizations say.

People

Federal information managers must see future

One difficult part of making long-term IT plans is not knowing what the future will bring, says IRMCO speaker.

Digital Government

House panel to take up bill requiring electronic e-mail storage

The measure, which would apply to all federal agencies, responds to loss of hundreds of days worth of White House e-mails.

Cybersecurity

VA issues final rule on handling lost personal data

Prompt notification of security breach and free credit monitoring are part of rule.

Digital Government

Benchmarks needed for green IT

Promoting energy-efficient hardware is a start, but strategies to direct system and software development are called for, industry official says.

Digital Government

NRC to expand radioactive materials tracking system

Proposed rule would make it harder to amass materials for building a dirty bomb.

Digital Government

OMB to issue guidance on purchase cards

Memo follows report exposing widespread abuse across agencies.

Ideas

IRS to Army Employees: Pay Up (Please)

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Ideas

Credit Card Abuse: Talk it Over

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People

GAO: HSPD-12 program needs clear goals

OMB and auditors differ on priorities for achieving identity verification goals.

People

NIH to crack down on encryption

Further investigation reveals stolen laptop contained SSNs of 1,200 research participants

People

IBM case: A question of due process

Agencies were unaware of the suspension while investigators followed procedures.

Acquisition

Buzz of the Week: GWACs on the downswing

Governmentwide acquisition contracts slow

People

Letter: Taxpayers lose under many agency-oriented contracts

The fed should be unifying, consolidating, and integrating its sprawling acquisition enterprise to save resources.

Acquisition

Letter: Vets GWAC could be used more

With well-qualified teams of companies bound together to meet IT mission requirements, one may have to look beyond his or her agency's specific mission needs to meet socioeconomic mandates.

People

Letter: Set a DOD PowerPoint standard

One reader, who is not fond of PowerPoint's bullets, writes: "The use of bullets within the Department of Defense should be limited to weapons."

People

Get a Life!: Airline misery

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