Cybersecurity

VA still mum on IT security questions

When given the opportunity at a private briefing to respond to assessments and criticisms of the department's IT security posture, VA officials declined to comment.

Digital Government

COBOL still integral to government systems

If the hundreds of billions of lines of COBOL code ceased to function, stoplights would crash, ATM machines would fail and a whole host of other systems would fail.

Cybersecurity

Spires lands CEO post

The former DHS CIO will lead Resilient Network Systems, a San Francisco-based Internet software company.

Digital Government

Army, Navy using big data to increase energy savings

Analytics speed up the energy inventory process by telling an auditor what kinds of data to collect, and can compare multiple combinations of potential improvements.

People

Report: Sequester cuts worse the second time around

A new report from the Center for American Progress warns about the impact of the next round of sequester cuts on federal programs, including IT.

Modernization

Obama wants agencies to push the Green Button

GSA, DOE and EPA are tasked with launching a pilot energy data exchange program at federal facilities within 120 days.

Cybersecurity

Leading tech firms seek stronger surveillance rules

Open letter urges Congress and the president to ensure U.S. surveillance efforts are "restricted by law, proportionate to the risks, transparent and subject to independent oversight."

Cybersecurity

Pentagon exploring methods to mitigate insider threats

The Defense Department wants contractors to offer up ideas on combatting espionage, sabotage, treason and terrorism.

Cybersecurity

Congress still awaiting IT security answers from VA

Hill sources say the House Veterans' Affairs Committee has received only a single response to its multitude of inquiries.

People

Telework Week 2014 aims higher

The Mobile Work Exchange wants to exceed 2013's record number of 112,000 federal employee participants.

Digital Government

Latest GOES-R instrument ready for installation

SEISS is the third of six major instruments that will fly with GOES-R when it is launched in early 2016.

Modernization

Could state law curtail NSA’s massive Utah data center?

A coalition of anti-surveillance activists wants to use local utilities as leverage to halt data collection.

Digital Government

GAO: NASA needs to reflect IT investments in EA

NASA officials said their failure to comply with the PortfolioStat directive does not translate to a lack of oversight.

Digital Government

NASA begins exploring quantum computing

Scientists face numerous challenges in testing the D-Wave Two’s capabilities, beginning with mapping problems to quantum models.

Cybersecurity

Global study reveals lack of IT preparedness

In the public sector, 59 percent of respondents said funding was the biggest limiting factor in their organization’s tech project success.

Digital Government

Survey says platform-as-a-service can save $20.5 billion in IT

By reducing software development time by 31 percent, the government can boost efficienty at cheaper costs.

Digital Government

Can privacy exist in a big data world?

As agencies' ability to capture and store vast datasets grows, experts differ on the best ways to keep big data from enabling Big Brother.

Acquisition

Can IT procurement be saved?

The problems with large federal IT projects are deep, broad and mostly immune to quick fixes. So what's to be done?

Digital Government

Got awesome tech concepts? Call NASA

Seed funding program seeks "revolutionary concepts with the potential to transform aerospace endeavors."

Modernization

Study details challenges in government cloud contracting

An analysis of five public-sector contracts yields best practices for avoiding cloud pitfalls in a new report from the IBM Center for the Business of Government.