Digital Government

Harvard Study: Criminals Aren’t Actually ‘Going Dark’ Using Encryption

Who needs to access encrypted text messages when law enforcement could listen in through a smart TV?

Digital Government

FTC releases online tools to cope with identity theft

The Federal Trade Commission made major renovations to its IdentityTheft.gov website, hoping to help victims recover more quickly.

Cybersecurity

Fear of lost privacy costs lives

A former CTO for the Veterans Affairs Department argues for the embrace of electronic health records.

Digital Government

An Unprecedented Threat to Privacy

A private company has captured 2.2 billion photos of license plates in cities throughout America. It stores them in a database, tagged with the location where they were taken. And it is selling that data.

Cybersecurity

Passwords are a thing of the past

Today’s new cyber world requires multifactor authentication.

Digital Government

Frustrated by Congress, Privacy Advocates Shift Fight to the States

State lawmakers recently announced bills to limit police surveillance and protect the privacy of students and employees.

Cybersecurity

What's missing in the new NSA report?

The NSA released a required report on surveillance transparency, but many questions remain unanswered about how the spy agency is querying vast troves of telephonic metadata.

Digital Government

When Are Americans Willing to Share Personal Data? When They Think They're Getting Something in Return

In short, people are making careful risk calculations every time they’re asked to give up personal information, deciding on a case-by-case basis whether the potential tangible benefits make the exchange worth it.

Modernization

Report: Oregon militants use federal IT to make website

The militants occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon reportedly have access to government computers, and one member is making a website within the compound.

Digital Government

FTC Warns Targeted Ads and Big Data Can Be Civil Rights Issues

Using big data to target ads for financial products could mean “low-income consumers who may otherwise be eligible for better offers may never receive them.”

Digital Government

FTC: Existing consumer laws govern big data

In a long-promised report, the Federal Trade Commission indicates that it will use its existing regulatory playbook to target firms that use big data to discriminate against consumers.

Modernization

Why Are Digital-Privacy Apps So Hard to Use?

Protecting your data usually means navigating a miserable user experience.

Cybersecurity

Privacy Groups Blast Cyber-Sharing Included in Omnibus Spending Bill

Congress is about to take its biggest step yet to bolster cybersecurity, but many fear it could expand surveillance.

People

Ashkan Soltani to join White House tech team

The former Federal Trade Commission chief technologist and Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist will be advising federal CTO Megan Smith.

Cybersecurity

Comey: 'Going dark' is business, not technical, challenge

The FBI director sounded upbeat about the possibility of convincing tech firms to give law enforcement access to encrypted customer communications with a warrant.

Digital Government

FTC Gets New Tech Chief

The new year will bring a new chief technologist to FTC.

Cybersecurity

IRS launches online safety campaign

The IRS has launched an educational series aimed at promoting citizen cybersecurity.