Defense
From Nextgov.com: Air Force looking to build cyber weapons
Requests industry to help it hide in enemy’s networks and take down systems, but some believe the service isn’t ready to deal with cyber warfare .
Oversight
Hewlett-Packard vaults into ranks of top federal contractors with EDS deal
Company gets a leg up in the federal IT services market.
Oversight
From Nextgov.com: FBI partially blames procurement rules for fake IT products
Pursuit of lowest price and multiple subcontractors makes it easier for counterfeit hardware to end up on agency systems, increasing security threats.
Defense
From NextGov.com: Navy changes course on IT outsourcing
A contractor will build the next-generation network, but it will be the service’s job to manage and defend the system.
Defense
Suicides of Iraq veterans could top combat deaths
VA officials acknowledge suicide rate could be higher than earlier estimates.
Defense
VA official says veterans' suicides not reflection of agency negligence
Veterans Health Administration official says it would cost millions of dollars to track compliance with mental health plan.
Defense
New Air Force satellites protect, improve space-based communications
One satellite helps forecast degrading 'space weather' and another provides faster downloads.
Defense
Nation faces billions in long-term care costs for wounded troops
Some soldiers injured in combat will face a lifetime of care, and estimates of mental health care costs continue to rise.
Defense
Top military doctors say six- to nine-month combat tours would reduce stress
Lack of time at home said to have ‘devastating’ effect on soldiers and their families.
Oversight
VA in midst of huge project to rewrite regulations in plain language
Skeptics say it will be hard to change VA writing process, and complex rules do not lend themselves to simple prose.
Defense
Hack steered Coast Guard e-learning users to al Jazeera site
Incident shows importance of conducting security assessments of applications, CIO says.
Defense
New intelligence sharing strategy shifts from ‘need to share’ to ‘responsibility to provide’
Report calls for secure, collaborative system in which agencies can access and disseminate information.
Defense
Focus on outcomes will advance Army health care, surgeon general says
Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker says shifting focus away from process will improve health care for soldiers and could cut costs.
Oversight
National health records network to expand
HHS initiative also will integrate electronic health records from Defense, Veterans Affairs, Indian Health Service and other agencies.
Tech
HHS awards network contract to share medical records
Harris Corp. plans to reuse technology to build an information gateway that ultimately will open to private health care providers.
Oversight
NIH told patients about security breach weeks after incident
Stolen laptop contained personal information of 2,500 patients enrolled in a study.
Oversight
Intel CIO aims to cut years out of IT buying process
Operations at various intelligence agencies also must be centralized to improve information sharing, says Dale Meyerrose.
Oversight
Information czar calls for performance reviews to include sharing
Head of the Information Sharing Environment says all agencies should follow intelligence community's lead to create a culture based not on "need to know" but "need to share."
Defense
Veterans Affairs closer to deploying comprehensive e-Benefits portal
Department expects to have a bare-bones site soon with health, benefits information for vets.
Defense