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.
Emerging Tech
NOAA’s Next-Gen Weather Satellite is Still Malfunctioning and May Not be Fixable
The second satellite in NOAA’s $11 billion GOES program continues to experience issues with its most important instrument and officials still aren’t sure what’s wrong.
Digital Government
Census Bureau Fumbles a 'Foundational' Part of the 2020 Trial Run
The Census Bureau is facing more problems in the lead up to the 2020 Census.
Cybersecurity
Census Should Be More Transparent About Cyber Protections, Former Officials Say
The Census Bureau will conduct its first largely online decennial census in 2020 but hasn’t said how it will secure the process.
Policy
State Sales Tax Collections Finally Move Into the Internet Age
The Supreme Court's ruling in South Dakota v. Wayfair scraps a precedent that dates back to the heyday of mail order catalogs.
Cybersecurity
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.
Emerging Tech
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.
Emerging Tech
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.
Cybersecurity
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.
Digital Government
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.
Digital Government
Census Gambles on Shorter Cybersecurity Testing for 2020 Count
Experts worry the rushed process could leave some security gaps unaddressed.
Cybersecurity
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.
Emerging Tech
Fuzzy Space Law Is Forcing the U.S. to Update its Orbital Regulations
There soon could be an "Office of Space Commerce.”
Cybersecurity
Can Quantum Physics Help Keep Your Credit Card Safe?
NIST has developed a new security method using lasers and crystals.
Digital Government
State AGs and Cities Sue Feds Over Census Citizenship Question
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is joining the legal action as well.
Digital Government
How Mapping And Data Could Make The Census Cheaper
The tool can help the bureau tailor outreach efforts and find potential employees.
Ideas
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.
Digital Government
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.
Digital Government
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.
Cybersecurity