Interior

National Park Service to Share Special Use Permit Data with White House

The updated system of records notice would also allow the agency to share data with other departments in the event of a cybersecurity breach.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Overcrowded U.S. National Parks Need a Reservation System

Limiting visitors has two purposes: reducing COVID-19 risks and allowing some parks to recover from recent wildfires.

  • By Michael Childers, The Conversation

Interior Reverses Trump Science Policy, Vows to Free Career Staff From Political Interference

Biden administration announces its latest move to reverse Trump-era science policies.

  • By Eric Katz

NPS Officials Share Fresh Details on Forthcoming Self-Driving Shuttle Pilot

Yellowstone National Park visitors can catch rides on the autonomous shuttles early next summer.

  • By Brandi Vincent

Self-Driving Shuttles Are Set to Be Deployed at Yellowstone National Park in 2021

The National Park Service is exploring emerging, autonomous technologies through a new pilot program that the public can opt to participate in.

  • By Brandi Vincent

Interior IG Team Used Evil Twins and $200 Tech to Hack Department Wi-Fi Networks

A team of hackers was able to gain access to Interior networks using publicly available equipment, open source software and a backpack.

  • By Aaron Boyd

Interior Struggles to Secure IT Systems Amid Pandemic, IG Says

Interior is one of many agencies trying to meet new challenges posed by an explosion of increased remote work.

  • By Mila Jasper

Another Federal Employee Caught Watching Porn at Work

The employee admitted watching adult pornography at work but retired amid a government investigation.

  • By Brandi Vincent

Interior Grounds All Drones With Ties to Chinese Companies

The decision comes months after agency officials approved purchases of aircraft built by the Chinese firm SZ DJI Technology. 

  • By Jack Corrigan

Interior Expects to More Than Triple Drone Flights by 2025

Unmanned aircraft offer the department a cheaper, faster and safer way to conduct operations across 500 million acres of federal lands.

  • By Jack Corrigan

Interior Approves Chinese Drone Purchases Despite Spying Concerns

However, the agency has multiple technical measures in place to ensure the manufacturer can’t use the aircraft to spy on the U.S., according to the director of Interior’s drone operations.

  • By Jack Corrigan

Interior Department Announces Modest Cutback to Telework

Beginning next month, front-line employees with telework agreements will be required to report to a physical office once a week, while supervisors will be eligible only for situational telework.

  • By Erich Wagner

10 Government Legacy Systems Cost Taxpayers $337 Million Every Year

Outdated tech can be costly.  

  • By Heather Kuldell

Interior Doubled Its Use of Drones in 2018

The agency flew more than 10,000 unmanned missions to survey federal land, monitor wildlife and respond to natural disasters.

  • By Jack Corrigan
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How Two Agencies Handled Expired Credentials After Historic Shutdown

Despite agencies reopening, some feds weren’t able to get right back to work due to expired PIV cards and passwords.

  • By Aaron Boyd

L.A.’s Public Earthquake-Warning App Is the First in the U.S.

ShakeAlertLA aims to give smartphone users a few seconds’ warning of imminent quakes.

  • By Amanda Kolson Hurley, CityLab

Federal Employee Visited 9,000 Porn Sites in Less Than 7 Months, Auditor Found

The Interior Department inspector general released new details about the employee whose browsing habits allowed Russian malware onto government networks.

  • By Jack Corrigan

Porn-Watching Employee Infected Government Networks With Russian Malware, IG Says

Government auditors traced a malware infection back to a single porn-watching employee within the U.S. Geological Survey.

  • By Jack Corrigan

How Mobile Data Could Help Manage the National Parks

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