Interior

Interior’s Cyber Practices Allow for Easily Crackable Passwords, Watchdog Finds

An OIG investigation found that the Interior Department has not fully implemented multifactor authentication and that its “outdated and ineffective” password requirements leave employees’ accounts vulnerable to exploitation.

  • By Edward Graham

Fish and Wildlife Service Contract Aims to Help Show Impact of Grants

The contractor will help develop the agency’s internal system and use artificial intelligence to aggregate data.

  • By Kirsten Errick

Offshore Drilling Operations Vulnerable to Cyberattacks, Watchdog Warns

The Government Accountability Office made a new case for improving the cybersecurity safeguards within offshore drilling and natural gas facilities. 

  • By Alexandra Kelley

Interior’s Body Camera Policy is not Finalized Despite Years of Use, Watchdog Says

Not all Department of Interior bureaus using body cameras have finalized and implemented their policies, which often were not in compliance with the agency’s overall policy or standards.

  • By Kirsten Errick

New Computer Vision Model Tackles Improved Wildfire Prevention

The model uses satellite imagery to identify areas at risk of wildfires before they actually happen.

  • By Patience Wait

Interior’s Cyber Threat Detection and Defenses are Sufficient, OIG Finds

According to the inspector general’s memorandum, the Department of the Interior detected simulated malicious attacks and responded properly, making improvements from 2015 and 2018 evaluations.

  • By Kirsten Errick

Interior Issues Draft Cloud RFP Valued at up to $1B

The Interior Department’s next cloud contract appears to be a big one.

  • By Frank Konkel

Better Data Would Help Federal Response to Missing Indigenous Women, Watchdog Says

The Government Accountability Office recommends improving database access and management, as well as better communication, to help resolve cases of missing and murdered Native American and Alaskan women.

  • By Alexandra Kelley

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
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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