Smarter Gov Tech, Stronger MerITocracy

No Federal systems have been affected by the WannaCry ransomware attacks that crippled thousands of computers this past weekend, according to Tom Bossert, Homeland Security adviser to the president. […]

NSF

The FBI is more focused on retaining and training existing employees than hiring young people who might be more technologically adept, according to Howard Marshall, deputy assistant director of FBI’s Cyber Division. […]

Luke McCormack, chief information officer of the Department of Homeland Security, retired from government Tuesday. McCormack plans to look for opportunities in the private sector. […]

The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate has launched into Phase 1 of its partnership with Kiana Analytics in an effort to produce border security technology. S&T has begun work with Kiana and Customs and Border Protection to develop an identity verification application to process passengers. […]

After nearly five years of development, the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate is making a malware detection technology commercially available. Hyperion, a malware forensics and software assurance technology, will transition to the marketplace through S&T’s Transition to Practice program. […]

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai outlined a proposal to reverse the net neutrality rules. The proposal would reverse the classification of broadband from a Title II service to a Title I service, which would give the Federal Trade Commission the authority to oversee the Internet once again. […]

The Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education launched a new database that helps users understand the accreditation status of higher education institutions across the country. With the database–named the Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs–users can search by accreditation agency or by the institution for higher education. […]

Many Federal agencies oversee vast amounts of big data, from medical records to socioeconomic information. Seventy percent to 80 percent of data analytics work is preparing the data for its specific purpose, according to Adam Wilson, CEO of Trifacta, who spoke at Cloudera’s Government Forum on April 25. […]

The fact that state actors are forced to use criminal, mercenary hackers in their cyber espionage and attack campaigns is a silver lining to law enforcement looking to identify and catch the perpetrators, according to Adam Hickey, deputy assistant attorney general for national asset protection at the Department of Justice. […]

The Federal Communications Commission asked for nominations for its Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council, which will discuss the reliability of communications systems and infrastructure, Internet protocol-based 911 systems, emergency alerting systems, and national security and emergency preparedness communications systems. […]

Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Fla., introduced the NIST Small Business Cybersecurity Act, which directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology director to disseminate guidelines, tools, best practices, standards, and methodologies for small businesses to improve their cybersecurity. […]

In the event of an IT disruption, the United States Postal Service (USPS) might not be able to run properly, meaning huge delays in sending and receiving mail, according to a recent inspector general report. […]

A National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) research team collected data from four different smartphone models over an 18-month period to further the development of indoor navigation apps. This type of technology would assist users in finding their way inside unfamiliar buildings, help emergency responders find victims, direct visitors to find specific works of art in large museums, and more. […]

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