Emerging Tech
What One City Hopes to Learn by Pausing Use of Facial Recognition Technology
A ban in Baltimore would restrict the city from purchasing facial recognition technology and temporarily restrict use by city agencies, residents and businesses (but not the police).
Digital Government
Public libraries and government innovation
Steve Kelman notes an example of government reinvention at the very local level.
Cybersecurity
How Unemployment Insurance Fraud Exploded During the Pandemic
Bots filing bogus applications in bulk, teams of fraudsters in foreign countries making phony claims, online forums peddling how-to advice on identity theft: Inside the infrastructure of perhaps the largest fraud wave in history.
Cybersecurity
States Weigh Bans on Ransomware Payoffs
The idea is that this would deter attacks because cybercriminals would know they couldn’t get paid.
Cybersecurity
Commerce Secretary Highlights Cybersecurity Workforce Needs With $3B Initiative
Grants will be competitively awarded to state and local governmental entities, institutions of higher education, not-for-profit entities, unions and tribes.
Cybersecurity
Can federal funding fill gaps in rural cyber preparedness?
Utility firms in small towns and rural communities across the country lack critical funding and staffing resources necessary to counter an escalation in nationwide cyberattacks, state and local infrastructure experts warned on Wednesday.
Cybersecurity
CISA Considering Open-Source Registrar Platform For .Gov Domain
The agency is looking for support services to help manage the .gov registry as it takes control of the top-level domain from GSA.
Policy
State Data Privacy Bills Growing More Widespread
Ohio lawmakers have introduced legislation to establish “data rights” for citizens. It follows Colorado, which passed a similar law last week.
Cybersecurity
CISA Issues Mitigation Tips for Common Attack Tactics
The agency assessed 37 federal agencies, and state, local and tribal governments last year to see how they are typically exploited.
Digital Government
As Variant Spreads, Some Regions Bring Back Mask Advisories
In St. Louis and Los Angeles, officials are urging vaccinated residents to wear masks as cases of the Delta strain of Covid-19 are on the rise.
Digital Government
Labor watchdog calls out gaps in unemployment fraud reporting
The department says it will update current requirements so that data flagged as potentially fraudulent will be shared with the agency's Office of the Inspector General.
Emerging Tech
Baltimore Latest City to Consider Banning Facial Recognition Technology
The Maryland city joins several other localities that have banned or are assessing the controversial technology, or are limiting its scope and use.
Digital Government
Internet Ads Are a Popular Tax Target for Both Parties
The proliferation of unwanted internet ads and Big Tech’s staggering pandemic profits have fueled bipartisan efforts to capture revenue from tech companies’ mining of personal information.
Cybersecurity
States Bolster Data Security Technology in Response to Covid-19, Survey Finds
Governments have faced significant technology challenges during the pandemic, with 79% saying they faced major issues adopting and expanding remote work, according to the National Association of State Technology Directors.
Modernization
Senate Democrats Introduce Bill to Help State and Cities Modernize IT Systems
The bill would provide $120 million annually for seven years to fund tech teams and tech planning grants.
Modernization
Libraries Eligible for Billions in Federal Funding to Improve Connectivity for Residents
The Emergency Connectivity Fund Program, announced by the Federal Communications Commission, will help libraries purchase laptops, Wi-Fi hot spots and more for patrons.
Cybersecurity
House Panel Passes Bill to Explore Bringing State and Local Cybersecurity Workers into CISA
The Homeland Security Committee cleared several bills to address cybersecurity following the attack on Colonial Pipeline.
Ideas
Paying People to Get Vaccinated Might Work – But Is It Ethical?
In the United States, incentives and disincentives are already used in health care.
Digital Government
The Cicadas Aren’t Coming. Billions are Already Here.
The 17-year cicadas are set to emerge from their underground lairs in multiple areas, with some cities and states finding creative ways to celebrate these large, noisy, clumsy insects.
Acquisition