Government

The United States National Security Agency reportedly has seeded 50,000 networks worldwide with malware designed to steal sensitive information. The report -- the latest in a series of published disclosures based on documents released by Snowden -- is likely to fuel the controversy raging around cyb...

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler announced Thursday that the commission is considering changing its rules regarding the use of cellphones and mobile broadband in airplanes. It is possible for the latest electronic gadgets and broadband to be used safely during flights, he noted, and the time is right for th...

The FCC is ramping up efforts to transition U.S. phone networks from their current TDM technology to VoIP. The commission's January meeting will include consideration of an Order for immediate action, said Chairman Tom Wheeler. The order should include recommendations on how best to obtain comment o...

Bitcoin, the virtual currency that governments love to hate, came under the spotlight this week at a United States Senate committee hearing on virtual currencies. U.S. government and law enforcement agencies and the International Center for Missing & Exploited Children emphasized the attractiven...

The U.S. government's Big Data initiative is sparking more investments in data management projects, especially those involving joint efforts between business and government. Under the sponsorship of the Obama administration initiative, the White House showcased more than 30 Big Data projects Nov. 12...

Companies across the IT sector are in favor of improving the U.S. patent system and generally support efforts in Congress to improve patent protection. However, not all IT companies are in favor of specific proposals to improve the patent process. A current example is a patent reform bill recently i...

The troubled launch of HealthCare.gov has been costly for President Obama and Democratic supporters of the entire Affordable Care Act program, also known as "Obamacare." The difficulties surrounding the launch have spurred broader criticism about the federal government's management of major IT deplo...

Fending off cybersecurity breaches from external sources is a difficult task -- but when breach problems arise from within an organization, the challenge of protecting information becomes even more difficult. While U.S. government agencies have intensified their use of cybersecurity control technolo...

The tough political bargaining over the federal budget underscored by the recent government shutdown portends a continuing emphasis on keeping the cost of government under control. As federal agencies resume full operations after the budget and debt ceiling hiatus, it is clear that the goal of getti...

While the federal market for cloud technologies promises to be a prime opportunity for vendors, it is becoming clear that providers cannot expect the phone to ring with orders from federal agencies. Instead, vendors will have to make investments in product development, marketing and other activities...

The impact of the U.S. government budget impasse on federal information technology operations is likely to be minimal if the duration of the shutdown is relatively short. However, as the suspension of federal agency operations enters its third week, federal IT vendors are finding themselves in an in...

The acquisition process for the latest innovation must keep pace with the ever changing IT landscape. In the public sector, that process has surfaced in acquisition vehicles related to cloud technology, data management and IT security. For the U.S. government, the GSA has become a focal point for de...

The Obama administration has upheld a ban won by Apple earlier this year that requires Samsung Electronics to stop importing certain smartphones and tablets into the U.S. U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman made the announcement on Tuesday morning. "After carefully weighing policy consideration...

In a paperless society, office file cabinets may become an endangered species. However, the need to store documents will remain. The U.S. government is struggling to develop efficient means to retain billions of electronic messages. NARA is playing a central role in the government-wide effort to ret...

Vendors seeking to obtain federal information technology contracts are regularly challenged to deal with a variety of complex factors. These include negotiating special IT security requirements, tricky service level agreements, and a growing number of government contracting vehicles that have been d...