cybersecurity

Feds@Work: Courier Service Key To Diplomatic Missions

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This is one in a series of profiles on the 2012 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medalfinalists. The awards, presented by the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service, recognize outstanding federal employees whose important, behind-the-scenes work is advancing the health, safety and well-being of Americans and are among the most prestigious honors given to civil servants. This profile features a finalist for the Call to Service Medal, Shane Morris, Supervisor for the Diplomatic Courier Serviceat the Department of Statein Germany.

Shane Morris played a crucial behind-the-scenes role for the State Department during the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011, ensuring that U.S. embassies were able to dispatch and receive critical classified documents and equipment to fully carry out their diplomatic missions. Keep reading →

 /  Published July 5, 2012 at 12:00 PM

Sophisticated Cyber Weapon Goes Down

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Cyber investigators looking at the Stuxnet code determined that on June 24th the sophisticated cyber weapon would stop operating and remove itself from the systems it had infiltrated.

This function was identified long ago and cyber researchers have patiently waited to see what if any implications this will have on the tens of thousands of computers in more than 155 countries the sophisticated cyber weapon had infected. By all accounts this is a self-destruction, an unusual function not often seen embedded within malicious code. The inclusion of this function is a strong indicator that those behind this cyber attack did not believe that Iran would discover the malicious code. Keep reading →

 /  Published June 25, 2012 at 12:00 PM

Study: Successful Government Contractors Foresee Growth Opportunities

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Government contractors with higher contract win rates are expecting to see continued growth in the future, especially for those who assess opportunities in cyber and cloud early. In addition, trade shows, conferences and thought leadership marketing play major roles in winning contractors’ positioning and success strategies.

Market Connections, Inc. released these findings from the 2012 Government Contractor Study on Thursday at the Government Marketing Forum 2013 Contractor Outlook Event at the Tysons Corner Marriott in Vienna, Va. Keep reading →

 /  Published June 22, 2012 at 7:00 AM

Cyber Intelligence: Cyber And The Threat of Wildfires

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Cyber intelligence comes in a variety of forms and from many places and sources. For years intelligence organizations look at routine communications by organizations they target to gain insight from the communications that the targeted group or organization has with its members.

For a while now intelligence organizations have been monitoring an online magazine known as Inspire which is said to be produced by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Keep reading →

 /  Published June 18, 2012 at 12:30 PM

Defining The Future Of Government IT

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Last week, the General Services Administration had the pleasure of hosting a roundtable in Washington, D.C., that brought together federal CIOs, CTOs, and thought leaders in technology from the public and private sectors. Together, they discussed the future of government IT, and how agencies should respond to shrinking budgets and increased expectations for workplace efficiency.

Owing to the growing disparity between shrinking budgets and the need for emerging technologies, agency CIOs are under increasing pressure to do more with less. Keep reading →

 /  Published June 18, 2012 at 10:55 AM

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

The Human Perimeter: Essential Workforce Planning Solutions for Improving Cybersecurity

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Today’s threat landscape is a dynamic collage of cyber exploits perpetrated by sophisticated and agile crime syndicates, religious and political groups, and others with malicious intent. The organizational victims of stealth cyber warfare-commercial companies and government agencies-must fortify their traditional technology-based defenses in order to effectively combat this pervasive and constantly evolving threat. The battlefield has expanded and matured…so must the fighting forces of the human perimeter.

A broader perspective that encompasses all critical aspects of people, process and technology is required to attain a state of resilient cyber readiness. Cybersecurity no longer falls within the exclusive purview of the security organization; it now encompasses every job that touches technology acquisition, deployment and operations. Leading agencies (e.g., Department of Homeland Security, intelligence) are leveraging proven workforce planning strategies and solutions to overcome the acute shortage of cybersecurity professionals. Similar approaches should be adopted across all federal agencies and in the private sector as a matter of national security. Keep reading →

 /  Published June 15, 2012 at 1:00 PM

Clear Skies for Cloud Security: FedRAMP To Bring Service Era

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The benefits of cloud computing are too compelling and numerous for agencies not to take serious adoption steps in this budget-constrained fiscal environment. Some estimate the government can save as much as $14.4 billion through cloud adoption.

Looking ahead, cloud will provide a platform for integrating mobility and BYOD into agencies’ day-to-day operations. The benefits of an increasingly commoditized IT world will be passed along quickly to taxpayers in the form of better and more cost-effective government services delivery. Sooner than expected, the government will be in the “Everything as a Service Era” with the vast majority of IT services being provided virtually via the cloud. Keep reading →

 /  Published June 14, 2012 at 11:00 AM

Cybersecurity Market: Hot or Cool?

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You can tell when a market is heating up by the projections of analysts and forecasts by market report writers. That is certainly the case when it comes to the cyber security market. Some research suggests that the 2012 global market for cybersecurity products and services ranges between a pessimistic view of about $55 billion USD and an optimistic view of nearly $70 billion USD with an average annual increase of $5 billion USD. With 26 million new strains of malware identified in 2011 it is easy to justify this level of security product and service sales. Keep reading →

 /  Published June 14, 2012 at 9:00 AM

Could Cutting GSA Contracting Vehicles Become A ‘Slippery Slope’?

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While government insiders applauded the General Services Administration’s move to cut back contracting schedules to save $24 million, some caution against what could become a “slippery slope.”

GSA said it will stop adding new contractors to schedules – the shopping catalog for the government to get bargains and discounts – as the first step toward streamlining its contract offerings. After a year, officials will review the schedules to see if there is still demand for them. GSA plans to eliminate contract agreements that are rarely or never used. Keep reading →

 /  Published June 12, 2012 at 12:00 PM
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