Commerce

Long-Awaited Botnet Report Calls on Industry for Solutions

The long-awaited botnet report from the Commerce and Homeland Security departments paint government as a facilitator, not a leader in the fight.

  • By Joseph Marks
This satellite image provided by NOAA shows a powerful nor'easter winter storm moving up the U.S. eastern seaboard on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018. This satellite image provided by NOAA shows a powerful nor'easter winter storm moving up the U.S. eastern seaboard on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018.

Next-Gen Weather Satellite Goes Online; NASA Orders Two More for $460M

The first satellite in the new Joint Polar Satellite System passed all its tests and is fully operational.

  • By Aaron Boyd
Technicians and engineers move NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-S (GOES-S) to a work stand at Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla. Technicians and engineers move NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-S (GOES-S) to a work stand at Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Fla.

NOAA’s Newest Weather Satellite Isn’t Working Right

The satellite's “premiere” instrument gets too hot at night and engineers are struggling to find out why.

  • By Aaron Boyd
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, November 9. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, November 9.

ZTE Kerfuffle Shows Cybersecurity Doesn’t Operate in a Vacuum

Lawmakers have decried the president’s efforts to reverse a ban on a Chinese telecom, citing security fears, but there’s a lot more at stake.

  • By Joseph Marks

Census Bureau Goes Tech Shopping for 2020 Count

The bureau is looking for help with background vetting, app testing and other prep for the decennial.

  • By Jack Corrigan

Census Gambles on Shorter Cybersecurity Testing for 2020 Count

Experts worry the rushed process could leave some security gaps unaddressed.

  • By Jack Corrigan

One Cybersecurity Metric To Dwell On

If Commerce Department acting CIO Rod Turk had to pick just one cybersecurity metric to measure, this would be it.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Fuzzy Space Law Is Forcing the U.S. to Update its Orbital Regulations

There soon could be an "Office of Space Commerce.”

  • By Tim Fernholz, Quartz

Can Quantum Physics Help Keep Your Credit Card Safe?

NIST has developed a new security method using lasers and crystals.

  • By Caitlin Fairchild
New York Attorney General Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, left, joins Oregon's Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum as she speaks during a news conference, Tuesday, April 3, 2018, in New York. New York Attorney General Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, left, joins Oregon's Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum as she speaks during a news conference, Tuesday, April 3, 2018, in New York.

State AGs and Cities Sue Feds Over Census Citizenship Question

The U.S. Conference of Mayors is joining the legal action as well.

  • By Bill Lucia

How Mapping And Data Could Make The Census Cheaper

The tool can help the bureau tailor outreach efforts and find potential employees.

  • By Jack Corrigan

Government Starts to Build New Links for Its Blockchain

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is prepping the final version of a report on effective blockchain use—and when to avoid it.

  • By John Breeden II

Lax Census Background Checks Could OK ‘Unfit’ Employees for 2020

Part of the problem is the type of contract the agency used to vet the temporary workers who handle the data, the inspector general found.

  • By Jack Corrigan

Budget Cuts, White House Apathy Stifling Open Data Efforts

Tight budgets and staff cuts are hindering the accuracy and accessibility of federal open data initiatives, experts said.

  • By Jack Corrigan

Half A Million People Don’t Know Criminals Stole Their Identities to Get Jobs

Auditors found a programming error prevented the IRS from sending out notices.

  • By Jack Corrigan

Industry Weighs in on How the Government Can Fight Botnets

Feds need to secure the internet of things and work more closely with private companies, they said.

  • By Jack Corrigan

Design a Long-Haul Drone And Win Up to $320,000

A National Institute of Standards and Technology contest wants the drone that can haul the most for the longest flight time.

  • By Jack Corrigan

The Free Market Won’t Fix Botnets, Government Report Says

The government should create incentives for good security in the internet of things.

  • By Joseph Marks

Now It's Industry's Turn to Come Up with Botnet Fighting Ideas

A Commerce Department center is seeking partners to make internet-connected devices more secure.

  • By Joseph Marks

To Teach Americans a Lesson, the US Government Set Fire to a Few Christmas Trees

Burn, baby, burn.

  • By Michael Tabb, Quartz