Technology

• Did 2010 cyber threat predictions come true?

  Fortinet\'s Derek Manky evaluates the top five threats for 2010 and if the predictions came true.

  Technology

  January 11, 2011
• Final Five named in Secure Hash competition

  The National Institute of Standards and Technology is launching a new phase in a competition to secure government documents.

  Federal Drive

  January 11, 2011
• Spam experts move to high alert

  It\'s too quiet on the cyber front.

  Federal Drive

  January 11, 2011
• OSTP loses another deputy CTO

  Beth Noveck returns to New York Law School after spending two years at deputy chief technology officer for open government. She focused on the White House\'s transparency initiative.

  Budget

  January 11, 2011
• Conversation with Authors Series – Dr. David Wyld, Dr. Vicki Grant, and Prof Sukumar Ganapati

  January 10th and January 12th, 2011 Exploring ideas to improve government effectiveness. We profile three recent Center reports with authors Dr. David Wyld on Cloud Computing in Government, Dr. Vicki Grant on Process Improvement in Social Service Delivery, and Prof. Sukumar Ganapati on the use of GIS in engaging citizens.

  Budget

  January 10, 2011
• What’s new for the federal gadget lover?

  The Consumer Electronics Show had a lot to offer the federal gadget lover. We get details from Sapient\'s Theresa Bozelli.

  Federal Drive

  January 10, 2011
• Data breaches top 100 in 2010

  Data breaches are up, but fewer personal records were released.

  Federal Drive

  January 10, 2011
• Trusted ID strategy distrusted by some

  An internet ID for Americans would be different from a national ID card... or would it?

  Federal Drive

  January 10, 2011
• New office to lead secure transactions initiative

  White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Howard Schmidt announced the formation of the National Program Office to manage the administration\'s plan to enhance security in cyberspace. The new office will align government standards with industry innovation to create a safer online environment.

  Technology

  January 10, 2011
• Patent and Trademark Office Rolls Out Nationwide Desktop VTC This March

  A big move is coming in 2011 to implement more nimble, flexibly-configurable video teleconferencing solutions at the Pentagon\'s Warfighter Capability Demonstration Center (WarCap). In an average month, the WarCap\'s VTC team supports one major exercise, and two or three demonstrations of emerging technology, and many smaller-scale events. End users and subject matter experts join in classified and unclassified briefings and conversations with top military leaders. \"Warfighters themselves can talk to the leadership. Guys on the floor of an Air Operations Center brief capability of the technology and its value -- or lack thereof.\" Anna Santos de Dios, Director of the Air Force\'s Warfighter Capability Demonstration Center told us more. \"Using VTC for exercises lets us bring the field experience right into the Pentagon. Senior decision-makers based here, who may lack the time or budget travel to event, can get in one room or on the same call, and bounce ideas around about what they\'ve just seen.\" The WarCap has three VTC options. DISN VIDEO SERVICES GLOBAL (DVSG) uses Tandberg systems to link multiple sites but each participating site is a fixed conference room and must be equipped with DSVG-specific hardware. AT&T schedules the VTC and allocates bandwidth. Internet-Protocol (IP)-Based VTC is about to get a lot more popular. This approach connects two points theirusing a Tandberg MXP-IP coder/decoder (cCodec) or similar gear (like the Polycom VSE-7000) on the exercise network. 

\"Even some guy in the field with a webcam and internet access can be on the call,\" said Santos de Dios. \"We\'ve had guys doing VTC\'s standing next to their HUMVEE\'s talking about how systems perform, and that\'s much more powerful and memorable, than someone briefing from a PowerPoint.\" But the WarCap wanted the flexibility to arrange those calls itself, to multiple points, and do it more quickly. The WarCap\'s senior NCO colloborated with the office\'s SAIC support team to come up with the solution. By 2011, General Dynamics IT and its subcontractor, PPI, will have installed a Multipoint Control Unit (MCU), the Tandberg MCU-4150 to improve service by decreasing scheduling lead times. Defense Connect Online (DCO), a web-based VTC system, is the low end: just an invitation via URL weblink plus a USB-plug-in web cam, and you\'re good to go. It\'s a good solution for informal meetings and document sharing, or linking sites without higher resolution options. \"The people we support -- those running exercises, and those advocating more resources for work in the field -- feel that VTC helps them reach audiences they wouldn\'t have access to any other way. \"The senior leadership appreciates the opportunity to see exercises or evaluate technologies without disrupting their schedules with additional travel. The big challenge is that, with constant turnover in personnel that\'s simply part of military life, we always have to keep educating people that this resource is available, so we\'re always doing outreach about the WarCap\'s VTC capabilities.\" Traditional two-way conference-room-based VTC, to communicate with Embassies, patent offices and other federal agencies. That\'s deployed via about 6 large conference rooms that hold several dozen people. Today, for peer to peer interaction within PTO; later this year, PTO expects to offer applicants for patents and trademarks the option to discuss their applications with examiners via videoteleconference, too. Broadcast events, both within the agency for internal meetings and education as well as for consultations and working groups with PTO\'s customers and the public. An auditorium that seats over 300 people and offers PTO multiple camera angles and full video production capability. CISCO\'s hardware and software dominate PTO\'s VTC technology. That includes Tandberg equipment in dedicated videoteleconference rooms, and the suite of CISCO desktop software, including WEBEX, all running on CISCO\'s networks and expanding bandwidth. Big changes are afoot. Starting in March, Owens and his team roll out a massive technology upgrade to 10,000 employees and about 5,000 contractors that includes desktop video teleconferencing capability no matter where they work, from headquarters to home offices. The contractor who\'ll support the implementation has been selected; watch for an announcement of the award soon. What will they get? \"Brand new secure metal-jacketed HP laptop with Voice-Over-IP, plus a handset and headset. The laptop, telephone, and WEBEX all launch together in March, running Windows 7...it\'s in Beta, and the people that have it in their hands now cannot believe the improvement in quality they experience in their daily work.\" VTC is a critical capability for communication among PTO\'s increasingly dispersed workforce. Owens says he\'s been told to expect the agency\'s 3,000-strong teleworkforce to grow by over 15% this year. What three things would Owens like PTO employees to keep in mind about the new desktop VTC capability? \"Be patient and learn to use the technology for what it is. \"Provide constructive and timely feedback through the appropriate channels; and \"Remember that desktop VTC isn\'t broadcast television. We have plans to increase our capability and use better tools as they become available, but you\'re getting the cream of the crop of what\'s available today.\"

  Technology

  January 09, 2011
• Genome Sequencing Produces Finer, Healthier Chocolate

  The production of high quality chocolate, and the farmers who grow it, will benefit from the recent sequencing and assembly of the chocolate tree genome. An international team, including scientists from the National Science Foundation, sequenced the DNA of a variety of Theobroma cocoa, considered to produce the world\'s finest chocolate. Many growers currently prefer to grow hybrid cocoa trees that produce chocolate of lower quality more resistant to disease. Increasing the productivity and ease of growing cacao can help to develop more sustainable economies. Other genes were found that influence the production of flavonoids, natural antioxidants, hormones, pigments and aromas. Altering the genes for these chemicals might produce chocolate with better flavors, aromas and even healthier chocolate.

  Technology

  January 09, 2011
• FCC Examines Services Offered by Travelers Info Stations

  The Federal Communications Commission is asking the public to weigh in on a plan to expand the services offered by travelers information radio stations. The stations now typically broadcast traffic information - often near airports or major interchanges - and typically at the high end of the AM band. The FCC wants to expand what the stations broadcast to include weather reports, Amber alerts, and public health warnings. The stations would also get a power boost under the FCC proposal. Many of the stations operate on solar-power or have battery back-up power systems that enable them to continue to provide broadcast information to travelers regionally during significant power outages.

  Technology

  January 09, 2011
• New Weather Forecasting Models Developed

  Thanks to more powerful and reliable super computers - NOAA - the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - is now using enhanced weather and marine forecast models for the Great Lakes. That means that forecasts can be extended from 36 to 60 hours into the future to better serve mariners, the shipping industry, emergency responders, water resource managers and others. The Great Lakes Operational Forecast System is now running on the super computers. They operate around the clock, offering a more reliable computing framework to generate Great Lakes forecast models and ultimately producing more timely forecasts. It also marks a first step toward linking NOAA\'s environmental modeling efforts with state-of-the art technology that paves the way for a more seamless way to deliver forecasts.

  Technology

  January 09, 2011
• New Public Access Prototype Now Available

  The National Archives and Records Administration\'s new Online Public Access is now available. It\'s part of NARA\'s Open Government plan - including the development of online services. Archives officials say it\'s also a key component of the agency\'s Transformation Plan - to become more customer-focused and to ensure the nation\'s heritage is accessible to everybody. The prototype portal provides access to digitized records, and information about the Archives own records. It also provides a centralized means of searching multiple National Archives resources at once. The prototype currently contains 10.9 million permanent electronic records. The National Archives will add additional functionality in the coming year, including an image zooming feature that will enable users to zoom and pan the online holdings, and social sharing through Facebook, Twitter, and other sites.

  Technology

  January 09, 2011