Interior

How Mobile Data Could Help Manage the National Parks

Zion National Park, near Springdale, Utah.

The data could be used to create better park experiences despite overcrowding.

  • By Jack Corrigan

Forest Service Public-Private Partnership Explores Using Drones for Precision Pesticide Application

The group plans to award a sole-source contract to research whether unmanned aerial systems can spray in hard-to-reach places without disrupting nearby sensitive ecosystems.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Pilot-Optional Helicopters Could Be the Future of Fighting Wildfires

The Interior Department’s been working on a plan to expand its aerial firefighting efforts from daylight-only to a 24-hour cycle.

  • By Jack Corrigan
a helicopter drops water on a brush fire that broke out in Topanga State Park, Los Angeles. a helicopter drops water on a brush fire that broke out in Topanga State Park, Los Angeles.

Someone Flew a Drone Too Close to a Wildfire, Again

Firefighters in Colorado had to ground their aircraft for an hour.

  • By Robinson Meyer, The Atlantic

Interior IG: Nation’s Dams Safe From Hacks But Vulnerable to Insider Threats

An inspector general review exposes significant weaknesses to dam cybersecurity that have grown more serious over time.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Two Companies Picked To Protect Nation’s 600 Dams from Cyberattacks

The Interior Department awarded spots on a five-year, $45 million contract to manage IT risk for more than 600 dams nationwide.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Interior is Using Drones to Save People Trapped by Hot Lava

They’ve also been faster and safer than putting boots on the ground, a department official said.

  • By Jack Corrigan

The U.S. Government Wants to Start Charging for the Best Free Satellite Data on Earth

The government says the cost of sharing the data has grown as more people access it.

  • By Tim Fernholz, Quartz
Burning Man participants walk on the playa at the Black Rock Desert near Gerlach, Nev. Burning Man participants walk on the playa at the Black Rock Desert near Gerlach, Nev.

Interior Wants Wi-Fi for Burning Man

Even temporary cities/arts festivals need networks for government and law enforcement operations.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Here’s What Government Gets Wrong About Bug Bounties

Congress has gone bananas for bug bounties, but they may not always be the right choice.

  • By Joseph Marks
A guide at Yosemite National Park, Calif., talks to tourists with Yosemite Falls behind her. A guide at Yosemite National Park, Calif., talks to tourists with Yosemite Falls behind her.

Interior Wants To Know How To Manage Its Huge Social Media Presence

The department issued a sources sought notice seeking tools to manage its 1,500 social media accounts.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Interior Department Sees ‘Limitless Possibilities’ for Drones

The department aims to be the civilian leader in unmanned systems, flying nearly 5,000 missions last year alone.

  • By Jack Corrigan
President Donald Trump speaks at the American Farm Bureau Federation annual convention Monday, Jan. 8, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. President Donald Trump speaks at the American Farm Bureau Federation annual convention Monday, Jan. 8, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn.

Trump Signs Executive Order to ‘Streamline’ Rural Broadband

The order offers no funding for broadband projects but aims instead to reduce bureaucratic barriers for industry.

  • By Frank Konkel
A drone designed to ignite controlled grass fires comes in for a landing in a field at the Homestead Monument of America in Beatrice, Neb., on Friday, April 22, 2016. A drone designed to ignite controlled grass fires comes in for a landing in a field at the Homestead Monument of America in Beatrice, Neb., on Friday, April 22, 2016.

Interior Department's Plan to Stop Drones from Blocking Firefighters

The "Know Where Not To Go" data set tells drone operators where wildfire response might be happening so they can avoid flying there.

  • By Mohana Ravindranath

How the Interior Department Stopped a Phishing Attack

The phishing attack compromised more than 100 employees' credentials.

  • By Heather Kuldell
Interior Department’s Mark Bathrick at Nextgov's Tech + Tequila Feb. 23. Interior Department’s Mark Bathrick at Nextgov's Tech + Tequila Feb. 23.

Interior Dept. to Nature: Bring It On, We've Got Drones

The agency’s growing fleet of drones are being used in disaster response, search and rescue and in containing wildfires, mitigating avalanches and monitoring volcanic eruptions.

  • By Frank Konkel

An Interior Data Center's Security May Have Exposed Data for Years

An OIG report suggests the Bureau of Indian Affairs' cyber program wasn't enough to protect 24 systems internally.

  • By Mohana Ravindranath

Interior Department Audit Spots Nearly 100,000 Software Vulnerabilities

Interior agencies don't know how many computers are on their networks.

  • By Joseph Marks

OIG: Interior Needs to Shore Up Insider-Threat Defenses

The department also needs to ensure mobile devices are encrypted, among other recommendations.

  • By Mohana Ravindranath
A drone aircraft wi, ... ] A drone aircraft wi, ... ]

White House Ramps Up Federal Drone Programs

The Interior Department will soon use drones for search and rescue missions.

  • By Mohana Ravindranath