Acquisition
What’s going on?
Congress and the Bush administration introduce ways to measure contractor performance.
People
Checking on contractors’ work
Congress tries to add info to databases to keep tabs on how contractors perform, but questions linger.
People
CBP cancels technology project
Some $20 million that was for an advanced technical system for border security will instead be spent on fencing, official says.
People
GAO: SBInet strategy needs reworking
The Homeland Security Department needs to better manage technology to contain costs of the border surveillance system, an official at the Government Accountability Office says.
People
USCIS says it cut name check backlog
The agency's ombudsman says a backlog in longstanding pending applicant database name checks has been reduced by two thirds.
People
DHS distributes IT application
DHS deployed a secure online database system that enables management of data about critical infrastructure and key resources, the department said.
People
Democrats hit administration on security
A report by two House committees today criticized the Bush administration's progress in implementing anti-terrorism recommendations.
People
Center develops food tracking tools
The Homeland Security Department's Center of Excellence is collaborating with major food manufacturers and suppliers on a computer model that simulates the spread of food illnesses or poisoning.
People
Gustav triggers COOP
Continuity-of-operations plans went in effect after Hurricane Gustav swept across southern Louisiana last week.
People
CBP installs RFID readers on border
Border protection agency will install RFID readers at Nogales, Ariz., as part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, officials said.
Modernization
FEMA nears emergency alert standard
Goal is to create a national infrastructure so digital messages can be sent to TVs, radios and desktop computers.
People
FEMA adopts open standards
Public alert systems to use same standard that local emergency managers embrace.
People
GAO: U.S., Canada can’t agree on fingerprints, info sharing
DHS and Canadian officials couldn’t agree on how a joint border office in N.Y. would operate, according to a new GAO report.
People
DHS' Cohen made questionable picks on research projects, IG says
DHS Inspector General Richard Skinner later finds choices acceptable.
Acquisition
Firms get $9 million for cryptography work
European companies working on advanced cryptography for smart cards get funds from the European Union.
People
Permit resolution won’t restart SBInet work
The Homeland Security Department plans to put its SBInet electronic border surveillance system on hold even if DHS resolves a snafu related to federal land permits.
Digital Government
New York could kill $2 billion network
New York State shouldn't build a $2 billion statewide wireless network for emergency responders unless all the problems identified in testing are fully resolved and all contract requirements are met, State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli has recommended.
People
TSA official defends TWIC deployment
An official of the Transportation Security Administration takes issue with a recent report that highlighted problems with the high-tech ID card program, saying the rollout of TWIC is going well.
People
More than 380,000 passport cards issued
Agencies have started distributing wallet-sized identification cards designed primarily for people living close to the land borders of the United States and for passengers on cruise ships.
Modernization