Is IoT a Superhero or Villain?

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The Internet of Things (IoT) is made up of webcams, sensors, thermostats, microphones, speakers, cars, and even stuffed animals. All of these connected devices can help individuals and organizations stay connected across geographic distances, keeping tabs on and managing assets from miles away. The data they collect can be combined with other data sets to create actionable advice for better management and service.

This holds incredible promise for local governments and federal agencies charged with maintaining safe operating fleets and facilities. There's also the application for improving the routing of field technicians as well as traffic flow in general. But, as every superhero knows, with great power comes great responsibility.

As with any technology, IoT standards need to be developed for effective and safe use as well as to enable interoperability. NIST has been working on defining standards and recently released Considerations for Managing Internet of Things (IoT) Cybersecurity and Privacy Risks, but no federal agency is currently claiming jurisdiction over IoT policy and rule-making. In this vacuum, the legislative branch is getting involved. This past November, the House passed the SMART IoT Act that tasks the Department of Commerce with studying the current U.S. IoT industry. A Senate bill was introduced to manage what types of IoT devices the government can purchase, ensuring that all IoT tech in government is patchable and has changeable passwords. Finally, states are even weighing in on the proper use of IoT in government. California passed the first IoT cybersecurity law, making device manufacturers ensure their devices have "reasonable" security features. Continue reading →

The Face in the Machine: Facial Recognition Application in Government

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When your grandma is using her face to unlock her iPhone, you know a technology has gone mainstream. Facial Recognition "is a biometric software application capable of uniquely identifying or verifying a person by comparing and analyzing patterns based on the person's facial contours." In the last four years, there has been a jump in the use of the technology as vendors have begun to use convolutional neural networks (CNN), a deep learning methodology and algorithms, for model training. A National Institute of Standards and Technology test of vendors in 2018 showed a 95% reduction in error rate compared to a similar test completed in 2014. Applications of facial recognition in government include security (access to devices, data, and physical locations), law enforcement (matching video footage of a crime to a database of suspects), and identity verification for travel.

While the technology has come a long way, many argue it still has a way to go before it can be used widely in areas as critical as criminal justice and security. There are calls for regulation by the FTC and other federal entities. While there are accuracy benchmarks that vendors must pass to be used in government, in many cases, the groups used in benchmarks are not as diverse as those that the system will interact with once fielded. Regulation proponents argue that much of the facial recognition technology was designed with the majority of subjects being white males. When the system faces (pun intended) women with dark skin, the accuracy they promise plummets significantly.

With these challenges both in technology and policy, there are a number of events to help sort out the next steps in introducing facial recognition. Continue reading →

Let’s Go to the (Job) Fair!

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Looking for a new job may be a goal for 2019, a result of feeling job (or pay) insecurity, or perhaps out of necessity. In today's job hunting process, a lot of the searching (and even interviewing) happens online. But even in the age of LinkedIn, Monster, and Skype, there's still a huge place for job fairs as they benefit both job seekers and employers alike. In-person job fairs provide the efficiency of online sites and the face-to-face connection of video interviews.

Job fairs are a great opportunity for recruiters to build up their resume pipelines and an efficient way to knock out initial interviews. In the government market especially, job fairs prove to be a critical way to make sure that contractors can staff up quickly to get started on new contracts. Connecting with people that already hold key clearances and specialized skills ensures that when the opportunity arises, they will be able to tell the customer, "Yes, we have someone that can do that."

For job seekers, job fairs are also a great use of time to be able to meet with a large number of potential employers at one time and get a feel for what companies have to offer. Having access to dozens of people that want to look at your resume provides an opportunity for amazing feedback on what you have to offer. Talking to a variety of companies can give an individual a range of perspectives. First, it's a great way to get a pulse on the job market - what jobs are out there and in demand. Second, it is a smart way to survey the market and figure out areas in your experience that stand out and areas where you need more development. Continue reading →

What the New U.S. Intelligence Strategy Says About Cyber Threats

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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 from Bob Gourley, Founder and CTO at Crucial Point LLC:

The United States intelligence strategy for 2019 has been released, covering seven specific themes. Here's how the United States Intelligence Community will deal with cyber threats:

"Despite growing awareness of cyber threats and improving cyber defenses, nearly all information, communication networks, and systems will be at risk for years to come. Our adversaries are becoming more adept at using cyberspace capabilities to threaten our interests and advance their own strategic and economic objectives. Cyber threats will pose an increasing risk to public health, safety, and prosperity as information technologies are integrated into critical infrastructure, vital national networks, and consumer devices. The IC must continue to grow its intelligence capabilities to meet these evolving cyber threats as a part of a comprehensive cyber posture positioning the Nation for strategic and tactical response."

For more on the new strategy and to download a copy see: OODAloop.com

Take a Seat, But Which One?

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Organizing seating at events has traditionally been a pretty straight forward endeavor. It seems the biggest challenge has been to get people to sit up front as opposed to hiding in the back. Generally speaking, planners have had to decide if they want event seating in one of the following arrangement styles:

  • Classroom - Tables in front of chairs arranged in rows. Optimal for events that require note taking.
  • Table rounds - Round tables, generally seating 6 - 12 people based on the table size. Rounds are ideal for events with food service, but often cause half the attendees to have to turn their seats around to see speakers.
  • Theater - Rows of chairs.

Today, as events are looking to be more interactive and inclusive, many organizers are looking beyond basic seating arrangements, and finding news ways for people to inhabit traditional meeting spaces.

Knowing one size does not fit all, the Corporate Event Marketing Association set up seating zones at their recent conference. These zones included: Continue reading →