Management
Groups Boycott Administration's Facial Recognition Talk
The Commerce Department will forge ahead, but privacy advocates have lost faith in negotiations over software that can identify faces.
Tech
Agencies Looking for Internal Data Turn to USASpending.gov
Advocates say the DATA Act is changing the way government works.
Nextgov
EPA Releases Mapping Tool Tracking 'Environmental Justice' Across US
After five years of work, EPA has released EJSCREEN, a map full of detailed data on environmental and demographic issues.
Nextgov
OPM Announces -- Then Pulls Back -- Contract Award for Social Media Job Screening (UPDATED)
Social Intelligence's technology provides reports on employees' — and potential hires' — social media use, among other services.
News
Obama: I’ll ‘Yank Government’ Into Changing Its Ways
In an interview with Fast Company, the president talks about upgrading IT and procurement systems to ultimately change the way people think about government.
Management
Experts: NSA Spying May Leave the U.S. Without Moral High Ground in OPM Hack
Was the breach of federal employee records all that different from U.S. surveillance programs?
Nextgov
White House Tells Agencies to Tighten Up Cyber Defenses 'Immediately'
U.S. Chief Information Officer Tony Scott "recently launched" what officials are calling a 30-day cybersecurity sprint.
Nextgov
VA Demos Prototype for New Patient Record System
The system pulls patient records from DOD, VA and community clinics into one place, VA officials said.
Nextgov
White House Wants to Build Digital-Savvy Contracting Corps
The new team will be modeled on the U.S. Digital Service, but will be staffed by existing agency contracting officers who undergo specialized training.
Nextgov
NGA Deputy Director: Let’s Get More Agile
If a specific strategy or procedure is in NGA’s best interest and not outright prohibited, the agency's contracting officers should assume it’s allowed
Nextgov
DARPA Wraps Up Robotics Challenge But Don’t Expect C-3PO Any Time Soon
The Pentagon's research agency was looking for robots that could eventually help in humanitarian crises.
Defense
Why Credit Monitoring Fails to Address the Real Threat Facing Hacked Feds
State-sponsored breach was probably never about financial information, experts say.
Nextgov
Agencies Get IT Reform Marching Orders, but Don't Expect Congress To Sit Idle
The Office of Management and Budget is holding agencies’ feet to the fire to fully implement the new CIO job responsibilities.
Oversight
OPM Hacking Deals Yet Another Blow to Federal Morale
Employees are upset at the way OPM handled the breach, but private sector cybersecurity is not much better, contractors note.
Management
The Price of Reading Hillary Clinton's Emails
Twelve State Department employees are working full-time to vet thousands of messages, but that's just part of a process that could cost more than $1 million.
Tech
Warner Pushes for DATA Act Follow-Through
Former governor and tech executive says he’s pleased with agency progress on implementation.
Nextgov
Tattoo Algorithms Could Soon Help Identify Criminals
A newer system might use image recognition, instead of verbal descriptions of tattoo designs, to identify individuals or find patterns.
Nextgov
Oversight ‘Urgently Needed’ as Agencies Implement IT Reform Law, Watchdog Says
The former DHS CIO will tell Congress some agencies will likely struggle to fully implement the Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act, known as FITARA.
Nextgov
OPM Hack: Why Email Notification Makes a Bad Situation Even Worse
By using a third party to manage data breach communication, OPM has now, in essence, provided phishers with a blueprint for creating an attack.
Oversight