People

Agencies still lag in empowering their CIOs. What gives?

Despite legislation, other congressional pressures and a presidential executive order aimed at expanding the authorities of CIOs, most agencies still lack policies to make those requirements a reality.

Artificial Intelligence

What Your Boss Could Learn by Reading the Whole Company’s Emails

Employee emails contain valuable insights into company morale—and might even serve as an early-warning system for uncovering malfeasance.

Cybersecurity

FCC IG Says the Alleged Net Neutrality DDoS Attack Never Happened

An internal investigation found the agency’s commenting system was knocked offline by “system design issues” and “‘flash crowd’ activity,” not hackers.

Digital Government

Pending Executive Order to Move Entire Background Investigation Bureau to Pentagon

The president is preparing to sign an order to move the entire National Background Investigations Bureau—workload, people and all—under the Defense Department.

Cybersecurity

As the IoT grows, so do the risks

Agencies must rethink their security as both the logical and physical attack surfaces expand.

People

NBIB move to DOD looks increasingly likely

National Background Investigations Bureau Director Charles Phalen discusses the Trump administration's plan to move the organization under the Defense Department.

Digital Government

Wikipedia, the Last Bastion of Shared Reality

The culture wars are coming for the best utopian project of the early internet. Can it survive the informational anarchy that’s disrupted the rest of media?

Emerging Tech

America Is Not Ready for Exploding Drones

An apparent assassination attempt in Venezuela shows how technology is moving faster than governments can counter it.

Ideas

What Government Could Learn from Payment Companies About Identity Management

If someone finds or steals a government Personal Identity Verification card, it’s possible that they could access sensitive or secret information during a very limited window before its loss was reported or discovered.

People

Dave Powner audits the state of federal IT

The GAO director of information technology issues is leaving government after 16 years. On his way out the door, Dave Powner details how far govtech has come in the past two decades and flags the most critical issues he sees facing federal IT leaders.

People

GSA gets new head of services office

A former OPM executive will lead GSA’s planned Service Management Office as the agencies merge operations.

Digital Government

Census Awards Last Major IT Contract Ahead of 2020 Count

The award comes as officials work to get preparations for the 2020 count back on track.

Digital Government

Watchdog: Agency CIOs Still Don’t Have Mandated Authorities

A Government Accountability Office report shows few agencies have policies giving chief information officers the authorities they need to be successful.

Digital Government

Cloud-Based Mapping Could Play a Bigger Role in Disaster Response This Hurricane Season

Localities are using maps to visualize hazards, process damage imagery and crowdsource flood information.

Cybersecurity

DHS' Mosley headed to FDIC

Sara Mosley, the chief enterprise architect for the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, will be leaving her post in mid-August.

Ideas

Identifying the Cyberattack Patterns and Doing the Easy Stuff

The math favors the attackers. There is little you can do about the attacker, but there is a lot you can do about you.

Cybersecurity

DOD cracks down on geolocation devices and services

The Defense Department now prohibits personnel from using geolocation devices, applications or services in any area where military operations are being conducted.