Cybersecurity
Emergency IT authority for FERC gains support
Support is growing for proposals to give the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission additional authority to act during an emergency involving a cyberattack on the country's electric power system.
Cybersecurity
Agencies riddled with security holes, GAO says
The Government Accountability Office says agencies' information security policies aren't good enough and OMB needs to improve its guidance under FISMA.
Modernization
IT costs central to Real ID, PASS ID debate
Backers of the Real ID Act and proposed PASS ID Act have been debating the extent to which states need to make expensive information technology investments to improve the security of driver's licenses.
Acquisition
House passes spending bill with outsourcing provisions
Agencies would have to create an annual inventory of services they’ve outsourced to the private sector and review whether to return the work to government employees.
Modernization
GAO: Grants.gov has serious weaknesses
The Government Accountability Office says the government portal that has information on more than 1,000 grant programs and provides access to approximately $500 billion in annual awards needs better management.
Modernization
IT central to debate over Real ID, PASS ID
Backers of a new driver's license security program say the current Real ID program's costly IT requirements are unnecessary and won't work for states.
Modernization
GAO: Better management needed for e-health project
The Defense and Veterans Affairs departments are making progress on electronic health records interoperability, but the project's management needs to be improved, the Government Accountability Office said.
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity: Senate bill would make international cooperation a priority
A new Senate bill would ask the secretary of state to work for international collaboration to improve cybersecurity.
People
Congress tries to improve defense acquisition
A defense task force said the acquisition process is too cumbersome and slow to keep up with the fast-pace evolution of information technology systems.
Modernization
New bills would make RF spectrum inventories open to public
Bills pending in the House and Senate would create inventories of RF spectrum managed by the NTIA and FCC, along with a Web portal to make the information public.
People
DOD seeks to balance outsourcing, in-house expertise
The Defense Department needs systems engineers who have a deep understanding of the IT systems in their charge, although they don’t need to actually write the software lines of code, an official said.
Acquisition
Spending panel wants inventory of service contracts
The House Appropriations Committee wants an inventory of services contracts and for agencies to consider bringing that work back in-house.
People
Rep. Towns: States need help managing stimulus money
The chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee said states need guidance on how to oversee stimulus law spending.
Acquisition
Defense bill: Contractors would feel the hurt if feds are injured
If a contractor is found at fault for causing injury to a government employee, DOD must prohibit any award fee.
Modernization
Justice tech a big winner in Senate spending bill
The Senate Appropriations Committee's plan to fund the Justice Department in fiscal 2010 includes more money for some large IT programs.
Cybersecurity
GAO urges improvements to FISMA
GAO recommends more oversight by OMB to improve information security.
Modernization
Administration seeks input on declassification
As part of the White House’s open government initiative, officials ask public to comment on declassification policies.
Acquisition
DOD’s use of services contracts gets congressional scrutiny
The fiscal 2010 National Defense Authorization Act seeks greater oversight of services and speedier ways to buy information technology.
Digital Government
House backs biometrics in DHS 2010 spending bill
The House endorsed a spending increase on DHS' largest biometrics program in the fiscal 2010 spending bill it has passed.
Cybersecurity