People

IRS chief to tackle identity theft

Commissioner says new processes and technology will improve IRS response to victimized taxpayers.

People

GAO: OMB should move on HSPD-12

None of the federal agencies surveyed had met the October 2007 deadline, auditors found.

People

Air Force pushing ahead on cyberspace

The service is close to finalizing a doctrine designed to guide its major cyberspace offensive and defensive capabilities.

People

GAO report outlines purchase card abuses

A Government Accountability Office report finds that weaknesses of internal controls allowed almost half of government purchase card transactions to skirt the rules.

People

Get a Life: How well do you get along?

None

People

OFPP's Burton to retire in July

During more than seven years at OFPP, Robert Burton played a major role in directing and developing governmentwide acquisition policies.

People

Hughes to provide distance-learning network

The company will provide a satellite-based distance-learning network for agencies in the Government Education and Training Network.

People

Davis: Census didn't heed warnings

Rep. Tom Davis says the Census Bureau ignored multiple warnings about the expanding requirements for its Field Data Collection Automation program.

People

OMB seeks agency plans for fewer gateways

OMB wants to know how agencies plan to reduce their Internet connections and which of them might be able to serve as shared-service providers.

People

TIGTA: IRS routers need stronger security

A disgruntled employee, contractor or hacker could reconfigure routers and switches to disrupt operations or steal taxpayer data, a report warns.

People

Letter: Census should have kept Internet option on the table

A reader says that if the bureau had pursued a Web-based response system for the 2010 census, the decision to abandon handheld devices wouldn’t be so disappointing.

People

Bush will appoint new DHS CIO

The president plans to appoint Richard Mangogna to agency's top IT slot.

People

NIH bars sensitive data from Mac laptops

The agency restated its policy mandating full-disk encryption for laptop PCs, which is still in beta testing for Macs.

People

OFPP: Data on advisory contracts lost in the shuffle

Officials can't find information on advisory and assistance contracts because agencies don't keep track of services contracts.

People

Senators: DHS needs flexibility in choosing personnel chief

Sens. Akaka and Voinovich have introduced a bill that would allow DHS' secretary to appoint a career chief human capital officer.

People

Letter: GAO lost objectivity under Walker

A reader says Comptroller General David Walker has completed GAO’s transformation into a management consultant to Congress, undermining and often abdicating its role as an independent auditor in the process.

People

Letter: Agency practices keep employees from advancing

A reader says the practice of “stepping” keeps qualified employees from using outside experience to move up to the executive level in government.

People

Letter: Lifting IBM’s suspension was the right move

One reader has worked with or competed against IBM for 30-plus years, and he believes the company is rigorous about following the rules.

People

Letter: IBM sales figure is misleading

A reader says the company’s sales to the government exceed $1.5 billion when you consider indirect sales through other contractors.

People

Letter: Is IBM off the hook?

A reader says the government’s reversal of its ban on IBM shows a failure to adjudicate.