Digital Government
GSA: Protect Web users' privacy
The General Services Administration last week signed off on a governmentwide memo urging agencies to place a high priority on protecting the public's privacy on federal World Wide Web sites. The July 9 memo from Joan Steyaert, GSA's deputy associate administrator for information technology, outline
Digital Government
Force XXI oversight revisited
The Defense Department is considering whether to upgrade the level of oversight of one its key programs the Army needs to field the first 'digitized' division by the end of fiscal 2000. The program, called the Force XXI Battle Command, Brigade and Below (FBCB2), will constitute the primary command
Digital Government
Treasury tests smart cards
The Treasury Department and eight vendors last week launched a pilot to test the use of a smart card security application for World Wide Webbased financial transactions. The new pilot, announced last week at the EGov 98 conference in Washington, D.C., is the first joint Secure Electronic Transact
Digital Government
National Finance Center closes gap on Y2K compliance
The Agriculture Department's National Finance Center, which processes payrolls for numerous agencies and manages the government's multibilliondollar Thrift Savings Plan, is one step closer to making its computer systems Year 2000compliant. On June 30, the NFC finished renovating more than 23 mill
Digital Government
Intercepts
The Interceptor has folded his antennas for the month to take some muchneeded R&R overseas. In the interim, the FCW staff has erected new dishes to intercept the latest talk on the street at the Defense Department and civilian agencies. VICE GRIP. It wasn't many months ago that retired Adm. Willia
Digital Government
Charges sustained, but fees can be recouped
Federal employees who believe they have been treated unfairly by their agencies can under some circumstances recoup their attorney's fees and expenses even when the agency's charges against the employee have been sustained. A recent case (Michael B. Matthews v. U.S. Postal Service; May 22, 1998; Do
Digital Government
Federal Bytes
FOIA FOULUP. There are hazards to responding to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act, as the Peace Corps found out last month. Seems the agency mistakenly released presolicitation information on its upcoming procurement for financial management software in its response to a FOIA req
Digital Government
GAO: DOD work force cuts saving little
The Defense Department is well on its way to accomplishing a 25 percent reduction in its acquisition work force by fiscal 2000, but expected savings from the cuts may prove to be elusive, according to a recent report from the General Accounting Office. DOD slashed almost 60,000 acquisition jobs fro
Digital Government
HHS mulls health care ID system
The Department of Health and Human Services last week issued a white paper on a plan to create a standard identification code for health care patients so that patient records could be stored in a central database, a project that critics fear could result in a new nationwide ID card that could compr
People
SEC: Municipalities Should Disclose Y2K Info in Bond Issues
SEC: Municipalities Should Disclose Y2K Info in Bond Issues
Digital Government
GSA to test commercial/federal smart-card apps
The General Services Administration this fall will begin a pilot program to put government applications on the same smart cards that are used for commercial applications. Marty Wagner, associate administrator for GSA's Office of Governmentwide Policy, said the pilot represents one way that credit c
Digital Government
GSA constructs site for vendor guide; Treasury page offers wealth of data
The General Services Administration has launched a new electronic version of its Federal Supply Service vendor guide that is designed to give commercial companies an easy way to access tips and other information about the service. The guide, previously available only in paper format, can now be fou
Digital Government
StorageTek debuts tape WORM
Storage Technology Corp. last week introduced the industry's first nonrewritable tape product, called VolSafe, which is designed for federal agencies and other customers that need to ensure the preservation of data or electronic documents. Agencies that need the ability to protect documents from b
Digital Government
Deputy CIO works for seamless FWS
In 1977, when the first barrel of crude oil oozed its way through the TransAlaska Pipeline System from Circle, Alaska, to Valdez, Alaska, Bill Brooks and his wife were there to follow its every slosh and gurgle. The couple, who were working for the Interior Department in Anchorage, had driven up t
Digital Government
Navy spends billions on mine-detection IT
The Navy is undertaking a billiondollar research effort to apply cuttingedge information technologies to detect mines placed in the coastal waters of the world's oceans and seas, a move that some experts believe is critical to the success of future Navy and Marine Corps warfighting strategies. Si
Digital Government
Life after buyouts
If you are looking for Patricia Phillips these days, you are likely to find her scouring church rummage sales for great deals on antique radios, toys and pottery, which she then takes home, cleans up and resells at auction on the World Wide Web. The dirty work often pays off: A customer recently pa
Digital Government
IRMCO issues annual call for nominations
The General Services Administration is soliciting nominations for its annual Information Resources Management Conference (IRMCO) award, which is presented each year to an individual or a team of federal information technology professionals who has improved service to the public. Joan Steyaert, depu
Digital Government
Roster
The Federal Aviation Administration has named Herman A. Rediess director of the agency's Office of Aviation Research. Rediess served for the past year and a half as the chief scientist for test and evaluation at the FAA's William J. Hughes Technical Center. In his new post, Rediess will spearhead t
Digital Government
NASA, NIMA unveil 3-D mapping
NASA and the National Imagery and Mapping Agency last week unveiled a device the agencies will use during a space shuttle mission next year to gather highresolution digital images that can support environmental research and improve battlefield accuracy. The device consists of a 60meter mast and t
Digital Government