Dan Verton

 

Posts by Dan Verton

Data Act Could Usher In Era Of Real Transparency In Government

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A coalition of technology companies on Tuesday launched a major lobbying effort aimed at showing members of Congress that data transparency in federal spending is not only possible, but could be achieved in short order using standard markup languages and electronic identifiers that the commercial world has been leveraging for years.

But Congress must first pass into law the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act, or Data Act, before the deployment of such industry standard technologies could put an end to fraud, waste and abuse in federal spending by making detailed information about where and how every tax dollar is being spent. Keep reading →

 /  Published July 11, 2012 at 3:25 PM

Deciphering Flame: An Intelligence Officer’s Perspective

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The discovery of the Stuxnet computer worm in 2010 and the more recent spyware attack known as Flame – both of which specifically targeted the Iranian nuclear development program – has led to wild speculation by subject matter experts from almost every discipline imaginable.

But the common thread that binds the analysis of these experts together (in a not-so-flattering way) has been the conclusion that the great “cyber wars” of the 21st century have begun. Keep reading →

 /  Published June 15, 2012 at 4:00 PM

Security, Cloud Key To Nuclear Security Agency’s New IT Infrastructure

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Security, mobility and social networking are driving a new vision within the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) that’s led the department to embrace cloud computing.

This fall, the component within the Department of Energy that is responsible for the security and reliability of the nation’s stockpile of nuclear weapons will begin rolling out a major component of its new Network Vision – YourCloud. Keep reading →

 /  Published May 17, 2012 at 2:05 PM

Amazon’s Cloud Cover Expanding

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A leading federal cloud provider has launched Amazon Web Services (AWS) on its GSA IT-70 contract, giving Amazon yet another boost in what is already a rapidly expanding presence in government.

Laurel, M.D.-based Aquilent made the announcement last week on the heels of news that Microsoft Corp. plans to develop a new multi-tenant cloud community for federal agencies. Keep reading →

 /  Published May 16, 2012 at 2:00 PM

FBI Cyber Director Raises Concerns About Mobile, Tablet Security

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The FBI’s cyber chief issued a warning last week that the agency is beginning to see increased targeting of mobile devices, including smart phones and tablet computers, by sophisticated cyber criminal organizations.

Speaking at the annual GovSec Conference in Washington, D.C., April 3, Gordon M. Snow, the FBI’s Assistant Director in charge of its Cyber Division, said the new mobile attack trend is likely to increase in the near future as the number of smart phones and tablets skyrocket. Keep reading →

 /  Published April 13, 2012 at 8:34 AM

Defense Department Wants Cyber Arsenal, Report Says

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The U.S. Defense Department has accelerated its efforts to develop offensive cyber weapons that could be used to dismantle hostile military networks in countries where U.S. forces are operating, The Washington Post reported today.

The report cites the Pentagon’s growing frustration with the military’s inability to disable enemy air defense systems and other military communications networks in places like Libya, where U.S. pilots flew combat missions to protect civilian populations from attacks by the Libyan army. That frustration has reportedly led to a five-year, $500 million budget infusion for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Pentagon’s main research and development organization, to fast track research into offensive cyber tools. Keep reading →

 /  Published March 19, 2012 at 3:46 PM

DHS Pushes For Mobility Solutions; Budgets Threaten Future Innovation

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More than a dozen CIOs and senior IT managers from the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday told a gathering of industry executives that mobile computing and communications technologies are among the agency’s top strategic IT imperatives.

Speaking at the DHS Information Technology Industry Day, members of the DHS CIO Council and other senior IT program managers underscored the urgent need to modernize outdated systems for new mobile applications while maintaining the agency’s need for security and reliability. Keep reading →

 /  Published February 29, 2012 at 7:49 AM

Obama Gives First Responders More Broadband Spectrum

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President Barack Obama signed into law today a tax cut extension bill that includes long-awaited provisions for setting aside wireless communications spectrum to help build a nationwide public safety network for first responder organizations.

The allocation to public safety organizations of the much-needed wireless spectrum, known as the 700 MHz D-Block, comes exactly 10 years, 23 weeks and 4 days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 – the event that highlighted in agonizing detail the inability of firemen, police and emergency responders to communicate in a timely, effective manner. Keep reading →

 /  Published February 24, 2012 at 3:58 PM

FCC Chairman Warns Hackers Gaining Means To Shut Down The Internet

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Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski today called upon the nation’s Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to “take concrete steps” to improve Internet security for consumers and critical infrastructure, warning that a failure to do so could slow broadband adoption and threaten the nation’s economy.

With more than $8 trillion exchanged electronically every year, Genachowski warned that sophisticated hackers are gaining the expertise to “shut down the Internet…shut down our economy [and] compromise our growth engine.” Keep reading →

 /  Published February 22, 2012 at 4:42 PM

Cybersecurity Act Of 2012 Challenged on Capitol Hill; McCain To Draft Alternative

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Sen. John McCain (R-Az.) on Thursday ripped into the authors and supporters of the Cybersecurity Act of 2012 for what he called “legislative bullying,” suggesting that democrats are attempting to push a flawed bill through the Senate without input from those that oppose the bill.

During a hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, McCain sent an unexpected shot across the bow of committee chairman Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT), stating that a lack of transparency in the legislative process that led to the drafting of the bill has now forced him and at least seven other Republicans to begin work on “an alternative” cybersecurity bill that they plan to introduce before the end of the month. Keep reading →

 /  Published February 16, 2012 at 5:54 PM
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