cloud
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OFSA conducted a survey to point out which departments and agencies were best using open source technologies.
March 08, 2011 -
February 22nd at 10AM In OMB\'s 25-point plan for Federal IT Reform, a mandate for agencies to adopt a Cloud First policy requires agencies to default to a cloud-based solution when evaluating options for new IT initiatives. Virtualization is the key to realizing the true benefits of cloud computing: cost savings, agility, flexibility and better resource utilization.
February 18, 2011 -
The White House wants common security requirements for agencies in the cloud. So GSA is rolling out FedRAMP. They say it will provide security authorizations and continuous monitoring of cloud systems.
November 03, 2010 -
October 20th, 2010 at 11 AM The application of knowledge discovery within the cloud is immensely powerful, but not inbuilt. We are collectively moving past the question of \"what is cloud computing\", and swiftly moving towards \"how does the cloud enable advanced analysis against massive volumes of data?\" With industry and government leveraging multiple clouds, how do we successfully share and search large collections of data across systems, departments, and geographies? Organizations will continue to discuss and better understand the analytic power and economies of cloud computing, in the sense of data storage, sharing, and management; but we are quickly discovering that creating knowledge from data is more than just a discussion of technology. It\'s a discussion of what can be accomplished when massive data and cloud computing efficiencies combine to make advanced analysis and innovation possible.
October 15, 2010 -
The General Services Administration is reiterating its promise to boost cybersecurity and privacy of cloud computing. As part of the so-called FEDRAMP program, beginning this fall an interagency group will inspect vendors\' cloud computing facilities to make sure they meet federal security standards. If the group certifies a cloud facility, agencies would be able to sign up for service without having to further inspect the facility.
July 09, 2010 -
In addressing the importance of cyber security as a government priority in testimony before a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee last fall, Vivek Kundra, the Federal Chief Information Officer, said: \"Our Nation\'s security and economic prosperity depend on the stability and integrity of our Federal communications and information infrastructure.\" Federal News Radio has reportedthat the federal government will spend $8.3 billion on computer security this year - marking a 60% increase in four years. As Federal information security decision-makers allocate dollars and resources to protect our infrastructure, it is important to prioritize the key challenges they face. These include: 1. Increased use of mobile devices.Mobile devices are becoming smaller and faster every day. Agencies face even more challenges as mobile applications have now become widely used and they are even looking to build their own mobile applications to increase their productivity in the field. 2. Continued movement of data into the cloud. Cloud computing has become a pervasive buzzword but in the end, risk stems from a matter of oversight and control. Agencies must rely on strong governance and compliance oversight of their service providers since they do not own or control the systems where their data resides. 3. Changing regulatory environment. NIST has undergone sweeping changes across their Special Publications by introducing a new Risk Management Framework and introducing new nomenclature such as \"Security Authorization.\" OMB continues to press their performance metrics as a part of the FISMA reporting process and could see some changes in the next 9 months. 4. Application security. Attackers have now moved their focus from the network and infrastructure level to the application layer. We\'re seeing more attacks proliferated through applications such as Adobe and web browsers but some high profile data breaches stemmed from custom web applications through SQL injection attacks. 5. Developing/maturing offensive capabilities. \"Understanding the offensive to build the defensive\" has become the mantra for today\'s cyber security efforts. The ability to understand the mindset of an attacker and their methods becomes critical in building defenses that focus on these attack vectors. Reigning in the changes can pose a difficult problem for several agencies but it ultimately comes down to understanding the threats to your particular agency and narrowing your defenses on those areas. Focus and prioritization become key in the constant battle.
February 02, 2010