Commentary

  • While everyone wants the government to be a good manager of public funds, a look behind the reverse auction curtain may find that not all is rosy in this world, says Larry Allen, president of Allen Federal Business Partners.

    August 03, 2015
  • The Office of Personnel Management's data breach has people questioning the competence of OPM’s staff and leaders, and asking why OPM exists in the first place, says former DHS HR executive Jeff Neal. So what does something other than business-as-usual look like?

    July 30, 2015
  • The problem with most data breaches is that too often, IT and security staffs only find out about them long after the damage has been done and the hackers have moved on to other soft targets, says Federal Drive host Tom Temin.

    July 30, 2015
  • Greg Gardner of NetApp details four key strategies to making data center consolidation into a business and decision-making activity.

    July 28, 2015
  • The commander of US Cyber Command says he wants to create an effective early warning system for cyberspace – potentially ringing alarm bells when foreign adversaries are preparing attacks on government, or even private networks. But to do it, he says he needs more voluntary sharing of cyber threat information between the federal government and commercial companies. More from Federal News Radio’s DoD reporter Jared Serbu.

    July 24, 2015
  • The Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel says Inspectors General must get permission from their agencies before getting certain documents like grand jury, wiretap and credit information. But Inspectors General say they need independent access to information to do their jobs. Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz is asking for Congress' help now by pushing for a bill that would give IGs that access. Brian Miller is the managing director at Navigant and former inspector general at the General Services Administration. He tells In Depth with Francis Rose about some of the contradictions he sees with this OLC opinion.

    July 24, 2015
  • Something as big and as shocking as the OPM data breach can be a credibility killer for any organization. Even so, former Homeland Security HR executive Jeff Neal says he's been surprised by the number of people saying OPM should be shut down and have its mission transferred to other agencies.

    July 23, 2015
  • The drive to make software more and more functional may be behind what seems to be a disturbing trend towards failures in critical systems. Because of this, two problems linger with software controlled systems: they can be difficult to interact with, and in their complexity, they produce effects even expert operators can’t foresee.

    July 22, 2015
  • OPM's recent cybersecurity breach shows how tight budgets, limited expertise and cultural blind spots create perfect storms of agency vulnerability throughout the federal environment.

    July 20, 2015
  • Alan Paller and John Pescatore of the SANS Institute explain why Katherine Archuleta's departure may not be a fair nor effective means for addressing the cybersecurity problems at OPM.

    July 15, 2015
  • The OPM breach exemplifies the failure to recognize that cybersecurity is a challenge that must be owned by everyone within an agency, says former Homeland Security HR executive Jeff Neal.

    July 14, 2015
  • Simply ensuring offices have views to the outside, contain plants, receive adequate daylight or have nature-inspired art all help create a more inviting, healthy environment. Bill Browning offers tips on making your office a more productive place for employees by bringing the outside in.

    July 14, 2015
  • Ensuring effective office space accommodations for people with disabilities necessitates increased understanding of what accommodations really are, says the Labor Department's Jennifer Sheehy. And that starts with the words we use.

    July 14, 2015
  • What does the future hold for the Office of Personnel Management? Federal Drive host Tom Temin offers new steps for the agency to take following Katherine Archuleta's resignation.

    July 13, 2015