Digital Government

SO-A What

John Burrow, deputy commander of the Marine Corps Systems Command, may have put the brakes on the continued proliferation of the buzz phrase <em>de jour</em>: Service-Oriented Architecture, better known as SOA.

Digital Government

Gauss to Run Navy NGEN Acquisition

Retired Rear Adm. John Gauss, who commanded the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center from 1998 to 2001 and served as chief information officer of the Veterans Affairs Department from 2001 to 2003, will run the acquisition for the <a href=http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20081010_4699.php>Navy's Next Generation Enterprise Network</a>.

Digital Government

Navy attempts massive consolidation of intranet portals

The service plans to join an umbrella portal that gives military members access to e-mail, social networking and teleconferences.

Digital Government

Whither the Navy?

Since today is <a href=http://www.afceanova.org/events/special-events/it-days/naval-it-day-fy09/naval-it-day>Naval IT Day</a>, it's a good idea to look at the overall state of the Navy. And, if you judge by the number of ships it has, the U.S. Navy is in quite sad shape, according to Ike Skelton, D-Mo., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

Digital Government

Defense urged to develop software for warfighting systems quicker

Lengthy software development cycle fails to account for rapidly changing requirements, official says.

Digital Government

That's Counterintelligence, No Spaces

Evidently I have some real eagle-eyed readers in the intelligence community, because I received a note pointing out that I had a slight misspelling when referring to counter-intelligence in <a href=http://whatsbrewin.nextgov.com/2009/02/thumb_drives_like_unsafe_sex.php>my continuing coverage</a> of the thumb-drive ban.

Digital Government

OK, Can't Treat Adults Like Adults

In my <a href=http://whatsbrewin.nextgov.com/2009/02/thumb_drives_like_unsafe_sex.php>last post</a> I endorsed the intelligence community's approach to thumb drives - don't ban them but issue warnings about the risks, and then assume end users will take an adult approach to the judicious use of computer technology.

Digital Government

Digital files on presidential helicopter found in Iran

Documents outlining an upgrade to Marine One inadvertently leaked through a peer-to-peer, music-sharing network.

Digital Government

Thumb Drives Like Unsafe Sex

That's the view of Joel Brenner, National Counter-Intelligence Executive, who said he views the use of thumb drives on national security information systems as "the electronic equivalent of unprotected sex and the biggest sources of what I call ETDs, or electronically transmitted diseases."

Digital Government

File-sharing networks used to uncover thousands of medical records

Study shows peer-to-peer programs expose personal health files, indicating the government's security of a nationwide network of health files is "fantasy."

Digital Government

Secretary Gates Muzzles Budgeteers

<a href=http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/fy2010_new_era/Department_of_Defense.pdf>The $534 billion fiscal 2010 budget for the Defense Department</a>, which the Obama administration released on Thursday, contains few details, particularly on major programs such as the IT-rich $230 billion <a href=http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20080314_5162.php>Army Future Combat Systems</a> project intended to network myriad vehicles and sensors on the battlefield.

Digital Government

Nicely Assumes CIO Duties At ODNI

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Digital Government

VA to start processing vets' educational benefits in March

Although a new claims processing system won't be fully up and running when the GI Bill takes effect, officials promise a short-term fix.

Digital Government

The March of the Botnets

Dennis Blair, Director of National Intelligence, provided a <a href=http://www.dni.gov/testimonies/20090225_testimony.pdf>grim statistic in his testimony</a> on Wednesday at a hearing of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He said 15 percent of all networked computers in the world are in <a href= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botnet>botnets</a>, computers hijacked and remotely controlled to deliver spam or launch distributed denial-of-service attacks.

Digital Government

Billions for health records rest on NIST standards

Health professionals say finding agreement is the key to success for the economic stimulus act's $19 billion for automating health records.

Digital Government

Oh, AHLTA is a Proper Noun

Last week <a href=http://whatsbrewin.nextgov.com/2009/02/a_new_vista_for_ahlta_redux.php>I referred to AHLTA</a>, the Defense Department's electronic health record system, as an acronym that stood for Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application system. It did when AHLTA was introduced in 2005.

Digital Government

Mullen's Thumb Drive Road Show

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, seems to be using trips to bases nationwide to reinforce his view on thumb drives and removable media.

Digital Government

A New VistA for AHLTA, Redux

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Digital Government

Official says Defense can save millions with in-house satellites

Commercial operators say they can provide capacity cheaper and quicker than Pentagon's Wideband Global System satellites