Industry Insider: What’s Happening in IT
MeriTalk compiles a weekly roundup of contracts and other industry activity. Stay up to date on everything that’s happening in the Federal Information Technology community. MeriTalk.com keeps you informed about the topics that mean the most to you and creates a targeted platform for cooperation, public-private dialogue, highlighting innovation, and sharing informed opinions. This week: Georgia Tech gets a Department of Energy award, and Lockheed Martin gets a DHS contract.
Its Not Clear Where to Go on Election Cybersecurity
The Technical Guidelines Development Committee’s cybersecurity working group doesn’t know what to focus on in terms of voting security less than two months from Election Day. “Should we try to continue at this stage or should we simply move on?” Wagner asked the committee. The cybersecurity working group identifies election security principals, looks at election use cases, articulates security best practices, and finds and prioritizes risks. “Most of [the systems] we can handle if you tell us to develop specific requirements.” The committee declined to outline specific requirements in case their best practices duplicated other agencies.
Internet Domain Name System Will Finally be Privatized
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration on Oct. 1 will finish the process of privatizing the Internet’s address book, a task it started in the 1990s. The DNS creates and stores the names of Internet sites. The Federal government has no statutory authority over ICANN. Shifting control to the U.N.–or any intergovernmental body–would leave the Internet vulnerable to geopolitical disputes and endless bureaucratic delays.
The Situation Report: Separating the FedRAMP Signal From the Noise
The storm has not yet passed for some big programs run by the General Services Administration. During a joint forum hosted by GSA and MeriTalk, GSA’s chief information officer, David Shive, responded honestly and without hesitation to some tough questions on a number of fronts, including the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program’s (FedRAMP) spending of $150,000 in taxpayer money to duplicate an online dashboard capability that had already been developed in the private sector and made available to the government for free. Questions were also raised about financial management problems at GSA’s internal tech consulting organization, 18F. Sources tell The Situation Report that the IG wants to know why the agency’s digital services consultants can’t explain how they used about $200,000 worth of seed funding. Interestingly, SitRep sources reported the presence of four members of the GSA inspector general’s office in the audience Tuesday.
Senate Prepares to Modernize 911 Services
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will introduce legislation that aims to fund and expand 911 emergency services at the insistence of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). 911 emergency networks are dangerously out of date, according to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler. He said it is time for Congress to transition to the Next Generation 911 (NG911) first envisioned in 1999. Wheeler said the quality of 911 support will deteriorate if Congress does not apply NG911 on a large scale.
The White House on Thursday named Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Gregory Touhill as the Federal government’s first chief information security officer, bringing to a close an executive search that has gone on for more than seven months. “In creating the CISO role, and looking at successful organizational models across government, it became apparent that having a career role partnered with a senior official is not only the norm but also provides needed continuity over time,” U.S. CIO Tony Scott said. Touhill enters the job less than four months before the Obama administration leaves office and a new administration is likely to shuffle most of the top national 
For the first time in state history, Maryland’s state government website was named the best in the country by the Center for Digital Government’s Best of Web competition. “From day one, our administration has been committed to providing Marylanders with the highest level of customer service across every platform, from in-person to electronic interactions,” said Gov. Larry Hogan. Residents are also able to pay for various government fees online and find information on upcoming events sponsored by 
Since 2013, more mobile devices have been sold than laptops. Therefore, ransomware is progressing from laptops to mobile devices and IoT devices. Mobile ransomware hackers could use their skills to change the PIN on a user’s phone, overlay an app on an entire phone screen so that the user can’t do anything else on their cellphone, or use the camera app to take pictures or video of the user and threaten to upload the 
Agencies should be implementing a policy of zero trust when it comes to who is accessing their data, according to Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah. “Zero trust is one of the things I like to think the private sector figured out a long time ago,” said Chaffetz. Zero trust operates under the principle of “never trust, always verify,” which means that trust is never assumed for any device or user on the system. Chaffetz said the policy is like requiring elementary school students to carry hall passes when they 
Since 2012, teachers in grades 3-8 have signed up more than 870,000 students to participate in the national competition. The website has one island per grade level where students play age-appropriate games to learn about Internet safety. After navigating through the islands, students take a quiz based on the 
The National Institutes of Health announced the winners of the Design by Biomedical Undergraduate Teams Challenge, which included designs for smart pills and disposable sepsis detection chips.Winners excelled across six key categories. The first-place team, from Purdue University, created a “smart pill” to diagnose tuberculosis in children. TB diagnosis is a challenge in low-resources areas because they require trained clinicians and stable electricity–and for children, pediatric diagnostic tests are invasive and painful. The second-place team, from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, developed a disposable 
The E-Rate program, which has provided $25 billion in subsidies since 1996 to schools from the Federal government for broadband, internal wiring, and networking equipment, hasn’t correlated with increased test scores among students in North Carolina, a recent study says. The researchers studied how E-rate affected the number of students per Internet-connected computer, SAT scores, and how dollars per student affect test scores from 1999-2013 in public high schools. Under E-rate, schools could apply for grants from the government that would give them a 20 percent to 90 percent discount on telecommunications services and costs associated with Internet wiring, depending on 
In the five years since the government has encouraged agencies to transition to the cloud, spending on cloud-based technologies has increased to about 9 percent, which is a good pace, according to Tom Ruff, vice president of Public Sector America at Akamai. “That was a pretty nice jump given that cloud had some obstacles to begin with,” Ruff said. Agencies struggle with transitioning to the cloud because of security 
Many of you have heard of “joint operations,” “information operations,” and “intelligence collection activities” when it comes to the world of defense and national security. Well, let me introduce you to the Pentagon’s latest buzz phrase–Identity Activities. “Identity is the summary (or sum total) of multiple aspects of an entity’s characteristics, attributes, activities, reputation, knowledge, and judgments–all of which are constantly evolving,” according 
What does all of this psychobabble really mean? Well, it means the Pentagon wants to employ data analysis tools that will leverage biographical, biological, behavioral, and reputational data inputs to help the military determine the identity of a person they encounter on the battlefield and whether that person poses any kind of threat.
If the Department of Defense were a private corporation, it would sit at the top of the Fortune 100, a behemoth with more than 2 million employees spread across 5,000 locations and a $36 billion annual IT budget. But it would still be wrestling with what is arguably the most complex enterprise network environment in the world. That is the underlying message in the Defense Department’s new strategy document outlining the department’s vision for its future IT environment. Speaking to reporters, CIO Terry Halvorsen characterized the plan as “a living document” that will change as the department and the 
Netflix’s new sci-fi series “Stranger Things” has gripped people everywhere, from comic book nerds to those who yearn to go back to the 1980s. As Will’s friends and family members launch a frenzied search for him, their investigation leads them to the nearby Department of Energy facility. Paul Lester, digital content specialist of DOE’s Office of Public Affairs, binge-watched all eight episodes of the first season in a weekend. He wrote a blog post addressing the show’s depiction 
The UCaaS provides services such as unified messaging, video calls, call center functionality, and E911 on the cloud, all of which come from Cisco off-the-shelf software. In an interview with MeriTalk, CEO Kevin Schatzle and Mustafa Baig, head of engineering at collab9, described a couple of areas in which collab9’s recently authorized service provides flexibility: bring your own device and contract vehicles. This means that the security for desktops, laptops, smartphones, and other devices already in use in different agencies can be integrated into the 
Active learning includes scientific research or software design to supplement subject matter, computer activities that promote trial-and-error learning, collaboration among students, and writing to produce original ideas and understand concepts. “Throughout the Obama administration the president has recognized that engaging and educating more students in science, technology, engineering, and math subjects will meet a growing need in the nation’s high-tech economy and prepare young people for a range of rewarding careers,” wrote Jo Handelsman, associate director for Science in the OSTP, and Quincy Brown, senior policy adviser for the OSTP, in a blog post. The OSTP wants to hear about incentives given to PK-12 teachers for using active learning methods, investments in professional development opportunities for teachers, and training resources that encourage teachers to use 
The Federal Railroad Administration awarded $25 million in grants Tuesday to 11 companies to develop software that will help prevent train collisions. Railroads will use these grants to achieve interoperability through Positive Train Control systems that work to prevent crashes, derailments, intrusions into work zones, and improper switching of lines. “Every dollar we invest in implementing Positive Train Control as quickly as possible is money well spent because ultimately it means fewer accidents and 
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response created a publicly available interactive map showing the number of Zika virus cases in each state. Zika virus is spread to people primarily through bites from infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes or through sexual contact. The health impact is greatest on growing fetuses, which can develop a serious birth defect called microcephaly. “Prevention is the first course of action in protecting public health, but people need information to make decisions about what preventive actions to take,” said Este Geraghty, 
Government employees who attended the hacking conventions of the past had a pretty hard time remaining unnoticed, as many hosted “Spot the Fed” games that rewarded attendees for outing Federal employees. Today’s hacking conventions, like Black Hat and Defcon that took place earlier this month, are creating a much more collaborative environment. “We wanted to do outreach to the hacker community,” Federal Trade Commission chief technologist Lorie Faith Cranor said, adding that her agency wanted to encourage communication and collaboration 
“We’re trying to make government work better by bringing in top talent and best practices from the technology industry,” said Matt Cutts, USDS software engineer. USDS digitized an external application and internal review process for immigration applications and requests, including the green card renewal application; and launched a digital stamp approval process for agencies processing refugees who have been interviewed and have cleared security and background checks. The digital service team also assists in the day-to-day maintenance of HealthCare.gov, which helps Americans sign up for access to health care provided by 
Eight years ago, Purdue University students could scroll through their BlackBerrys using the institution’s Signals application to learn about their risk of failing a particular class. Now, they can use the school’s new app, Forecast, to learn not only how difficult a class is, but also which courses may be enjoyable for them. Forecast, which was released in March, uses data analysis to help students do well in school and 
How do you approach managing the cybersecurity of an event as massive and popular as the Olympics? According to Symantec’s vice president for the Americas, Rob Potter, treat the event like a Fortune 100 company. “I think it’s very, very similar, both in dollar amounts and in terms of interaction and people, as a Fortune 100 company for the period of time that the Olympics are,” 
The Federal government should focus more on defensive cybersecurity measures, work around the regulatory culture of government, and hire more in-house cybersecurity professionals, according to Alex Levinson, information security specialist at Uber. “The government puts a lot of eggs in the offensive basket,” Levinson said. The private sector, which is motivated by profits, differs from the government in that agencies can spend money on developing the latest offensive cyber technologies, because they don’t have to worry as much about money loss, 
Agencies must install energy measuring systems to track power usage, complete virtualization and server utilization metrics to ensure that equipment is being used efficiently, and track the use of space in Federal data centers. The new Data Center Optimization Initiative also includes a power usage effectiveness target to increase energy efficiency. Over three years, agencies must close 25 percent of their tiered data centers and 60 percent of their 
The company announced Aug. 2 that X-Force Red will consist of hundreds of security experts based in dozens of locations around the world. The team, part of IBM Security Services, will also examine human security vulnerabilities in daily processes and procedures that attackers often use to circumvent security controls. X-Force Red is the latest addition to IBM’s other X-Force divisions and will actively share threat intelligence with IBM X-Force Research, IBM X-Force Exchange threat sharing platform, 
Over U.S. aviation’s 100-year history, 320,000 people have registered to operate manned aircraft. Over the past eight months, 520,000 people have registered to use Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The Unmanned Aircraft Safety Team will include representatives from the drone and aviation industry; this team will analyze safety data from drones and attempt to 
“[Politicians] are going to have to be developing policies in their local areas to permit a lot of the fruits of new technology,” said Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Ernest L. Many of those policies have to do with preparing for jobs that increasingly require technological experience, such as building infrastructure. “Those jobs don’t necessarily require STEM skills, but they should and they will as technology is increasingly embedded in our infrastructure,” 
A sophomore at Watkins Glen High School can use the 45-minute bus ride to her rural home to do her schoolwork with her own personal device. The quarterback of the high school’s football team can complete his assignments on his hour and a half journey to a game at a neighboring school. According to school district Superintendent Tom Phillips, about 20 percent of students in the area come from rural homes that have little or 
Telehealth, the delivery of health care services while the patient is at one site, and the licensed health provider is at another site, is here. But what does the future hold in terms of cost, coverage, consumer demands, and legislation? MeriTalk takes an in-depth look at those challenges, and talks with industry leaders about what is not just a novel idea 
The Presidential Directive that defined roles and responsibilities of Federal agencies in the event of a cyber incident is being applauded as a step in the right direction by private sector cybersecurity companies. “Clarification on who to contact is important, but the larger challenge is identification and classification of the threat level defined in the schema, and how quickly that determination can be made. It’s a step in the right direction and heightens the need for improved incident preparedness and coordination. We’re getting a step closer to a national cybersecurity weather map.” Much like a weather map, a schema released in conjunction with the directive provides a color-coded graph to measure incident severity and ensure that all parties involved measure their cyber incidents 
Chief among these recommendations, which include tips on optimizing IT spending and consolidating data centers, is the need for CIOs to demonstrate transparency. The commission said that improved transparency can also optimize business demand and customer satisfaction. “While not without shortcomings, transparency is a powerful tool for applying the economic forces of supply and demand to IT,” 
Many members of Congress can agree that IT modernization is an important problem in need of a solution, but there is less agreement on how exactly to go about it. Two bills focus on the same area of Federal IT needs, but their differences do not necessarily mean that they are contradictory. The symbiotic nature of the bills is evidenced by the fact that some congressmen have cosponsored both bills, such as 
“Postsecondary educational institutions entrusted with student financial aid information are continuing to develop ways to address cybersecurity threats and to strengthen their cybersecurity infrastructure,” wrote Ted Mitchell, the under secretary of the Department of Education. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act Safeguards Rule requires universities to: Develop, use, and maintain a written information security program as well as determine employees responsible for coordinating the 
The Republican Party platform, released during the convention in Cleveland that chose Donald Trump as the nominee, explains the party’s views on technology including broadband expansion, net neutrality, cybersecurity, education, and health care. The platform emphasizes the party’s views that the government should invest in more broadband development. “At the cost of billions, the current administration has done little to advance our goal of universal broadband coverage,” 
The House and Senate Intelligence Committees each passed restrictions on the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board that would restrict its funding, give it jurisdiction only over the privacy of people in the United States, and force it to report to the agencies that it’s overseeing. HR 5077 has passed the House and was referred to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. S 3017 was introduced in the Senate last month. “Intelligence authorization bills are neither the appropriate vehicle for authorizing spending for the PCLOB, nor do they pass every year,” Sen. Patrick 
The Situation Report would like to know why the technology revolution has completely bypassed the world of dentistry? Your humble correspondent had a close encounter with a dentist this week and found the entire experience like living through a battle scene in Conan the Barbarian. Now, anybody who sits within 6 feet of me at the MeriTalk office can tell you that this former Marine is one big baby when it comes to 