Author Archives: FCW

Picking Up the Open-Gov Torch

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From time to time GovEvents will come across information we feel our members and audience would benefit from. Here's something we wanted to share:

Originally posted on FCW

In September, the White House announced a series of new initiatives as part of its second Open Government National Action Plan. Among them was a commitment to developing and implementing a governmentwide open-source software policy by the end of 2015.

But two of the leaders of that initiative -- Todd Park and Steven VanRoekel -- left the White House toward the end of the summer, raising questions about whether the program will stay on track.

Former U.S. Chief Technology Officer Park and former U.S. CIO VanRoekel were in their respective positions for more than two years and played a role in the launch of the Digital Government Strategy, the Presidential Innovation Fellows program and the U.S. Digital Service. They also had a hand in writing the second open-government plan, which set a Dec. 31, 2015, target for developing an open-source software policy that, with the Digital Services Playbook, "will support improved access to custom software code developed for the federal government." Continue reading →

DHS Sketches the Tech Future

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From time to time GovEvents will come across information we feel our members and audience would benefit from. Here's something we wanted to share:

Originally posted on FCW

Reginald Brothers will probably be out of his job in another two years or so. But he's making policy plans for the next three decades.

This week, Brothers -- Homeland Security undersecretary for science and technology -- laid out an ambitious, though very general, long-term agenda for DHS's tech-development arm that concentrates on developing a seamless cybersecurity infrastructure, networked threat detection technology, and speedier traveler and cargo security detection capabilities.

Brothers unveiled the goals for the Science and Technology Directorate after consultation with a number of stakeholders. Continue reading →

House Intelligence Committee Chairman: We Need More Cyber Offense

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From time to time GovEvents will come across information we feel our members and audience would benefit from. Here's something we wanted to share:

Originally posted on FCW.com

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers said Oct. 1 he would like to see the United States go on the offensive in cyberspace more than it does, but that there is not a clear understanding across government of what an offensive policy entails.

The Michigan Republican said the Pentagon, the intelligence community and law-enforcement agencies must agree on attack protocols in the event Washington goes on the offensive in cyberspace.

"We haven't coordinated that policy," he told reporters after his appearance at a Washington Post-hosted conference. "We have disparate levels of cyber offensive capability across the federal government. ... Some are fantastic, some not so good and then [there are] some in the middle."

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Managing the Mobile Workforce

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Originally posted on FCW.com by Colby Hochmuth

Several agencies have surpassed their peers in managing mobile technology, yielding cost savings and increased productivity while fostering a culture that values the opportunity for employees to work away from their desktops.

But experts from government and industry agree that although the desire to build a more mobile workforce is spreading rapidly, crafting a strategy that serves agencies' missions and meets their security requirements still presents a serious challenge.

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Cybersecurity a top priority in Senate appropriations bill

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Originally posted on FCW by By Adam Mazmanian

Cybersecurity provisions emerged as a leading theme in the fiscal 2015 appropriations bill for the Commerce Department, Justice Department and science agencies. Projects designed to beef up security for government systems, target malefactors in cyberspace, conduct research and encourage the growth of cybersecurity professions and businesses all held their own.

The FBI is maintaining the around-the-clock incident-response National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force and will continue an agent-training program that gives the FBI authority and expertise for incidents affecting government systems, utilities, classified defense contractor systems and banks. The Justice Department is set for an increase to fund 25 new positions, including nine attorneys to prosecute cybercrime cases.

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