mobile devices

Safari-Gate: Did Google Break Government Computing Laws?

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On February 17, The Wall Street Journal reported that a researcher working for them discovered that Google ran hidden code designed to circumvent the security settings on Apple devices that use the Safari web browser. While much of the coverage of this revelation has focused on consumers and whether the action may have violated laws or the consent agreement between the FTC and Google, little has been written about the impact for public sector customers.

Public sector customers are big users of Apple devices and these users are governed by a strict set of unique regulations and laws. Given the circumstances of the events here, the question needs to be asked: Did Google break any of the laws or regulations that restrict entities from accessing or changing government computing systems? Keep reading →

 /  Published May 10, 2012 at 3:03 PM

Securing the Mobile Frontier

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Barbara Fast was among those on a CGI mobile securty panel at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C. on February 16, 2012.

COMMENTARY: Cybersecurity in the mobile age is everyone’s responsibility, requiring strong partnership among businesses, governments and citizens. We are living in an information age that has changed the way we conduct business and share information. Keep reading →

 /  Published May 10, 2012 at 11:00 AM

VA’s Peter Levin: Openness Key To Mobile Security

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As chief technology officer at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Peter Levin is responsible for the cybersecurity of the largest medical system in the United States and the second largest federal agency.

His job involves helping to facilitate and secure the flow of personal health information among the VA employees at hundreds of hospitals, clinics and offices nationwide, and making that information available electronically to the 21.9 million veterans and their families who depend on the VA for their medical care. Medical professionals and veterans are increasingly seeking to access that information via mobile devices, which raises new concerns about privacy. Keep reading →

 /  Published May 1, 2012 at 11:30 AM

Commission Recommends Technology Efforts To Enhance Education

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The TechAmerica Foundation announced key recommendations on Friday for research initiatives and policies to enhance education across the nation through technology.

The recommendations came from a report compiled by the Recommendations for Education and Advancement of Learning (REAL) Agenda Commission, made up of leaders in science and technology in government and industry. Their intent is to advance the goals of Digital Promise, a national center founded to spur breakthrough technologies that aims to transform the way teachers teach and students learn. Keep reading →

 /  Published April 27, 2012 at 4:00 PM

FAA Inspectors Test iPads

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As part of a plan to upgrade technology and support a mobile workforce, Federal Aviation Administration inspectors are taking part in a pilot project using iPads to conduct safety checks on airline carriers.

About 50 of the FAA’s 3,300 inspectors are testing the mobile devices in a six-month pilot project across a range of airports, FAA’s Chief Technology Officer Douglas Roseboro told Breaking Gov. Keep reading →

 /  Published April 25, 2012 at 11:38 AM

Reining In Hidden Costs Of Software In Government

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In a technology-driven world, applications take center stage, running our personal lives (e.g. think iPhone and iPad), our businesses and our government. Indeed, according to research firm IDC – the government spent about $8 billion last year on software apps. And according to application usage management specialist Flexera Software – anywhere from 5-30% of that $8 billion (up to $2.4 billion) was likely wasted. Wasted on misunderstood license entitlements, wasted on shelfware because it wasn’t used or needed in the first place, or wasted on inefficient processes and high deployment costs.

As the government scrambles to cut federal spending in increasingly contentious budget hearings, finding the “low hanging fruit” that both parties can readily agree on – is a no brainer. Private enterprises have long understood that application usage management – which includes application readiness and enterprise license optimization — is critical. And it’s time for the government to follow suit and acknowledge the billions of dollars of waste hidden within its software budget – and do something about it. Keep reading →

 /  Published April 20, 2012 at 12:30 PM

DHS Agents Will Trade Radios For Smart Phones

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The Homeland Security Department plans to migrating to mobile devices and advance information sharing as part of updates to law enforcement technology, Federal Computer Week has reported.

CIO Richard Spires said the department has set up a joint program office for law enforcement agents to swap tactical radios (such as the one pictured above) for modern smart phones within five years. Keep reading →

 /  Published April 19, 2012 at 2:20 PM

FedSMC: Is Governing ‘Beyond The Desktop’ All Good?

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A conversation about how technology allows leaders to “govern beyond the desktop” generated optimism and laughter as well as fear and skepticism Tuesday at the annual Federal Senior Management Conference in Cambridge, Maryland.

“People are dating online. Meeting people all over the world,” said Anthony Macri, who serves on the General Services Administration’s mobility transformation team. “You have to shift to a virtual mentality and the technology supports that. It’s a mindset of virtual connectivity.” Keep reading →

 /  Published April 17, 2012 at 2:00 PM

Mobile Report: Most Federal Agencies Are Telework IT Ready

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Most federal agencies indicate having above-average IT programs for enabling telework and mobility and expect mobile device use to increase 20 percent by next year, according to a report released this week.

The report, released by the Telework Exchange, offers a snapshot of where federal agencies stand on enabling remote workers, and delivers a forecast for mobile IT investments. Keep reading →

 /  Published April 11, 2012 at 4:30 PM

FDA Launches Mobile Device To Find Tainted Eggs

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The Food and Drug Administration has turned a mobile tablet that it calls the “Egg Pad” into a virtual detective squad to uncover the presence of tainted eggs and health violations during farm inspections.

Using a Panasonic Toughbook and software developed for the FDA by Booz Allen Hamilton, the Egg Pad guides inspectors through a series of questions. Based on the answers, the device brings up additional questions and information the inspectors need to answer. Keep reading →

 /  Published April 9, 2012 at 2:00 PM
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