Weekly Roundup: January 16-20, 2017

Submitted by on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 10:18

Michael J. Keegan

How will Trump lead on tech? The businessman turned reality star turned U.S. president clearly has mastered Twitter, but what will his administration mean for broader technology issues.

Weekly Roundup: January 23-27, 2017

Submitted by on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 10:16

Michael Keegan

Trump's pick for OMB sounds enthusiastic about the Data Act. Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) stressed the importance of getting accurate and useful data in order to inform his and President Donald Trump's decision-making during his confirmation hearings to lead the Office of Management and Budget.

The Threat from Within

Submitted by on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 10:14

Background.  Reform legislation adopted in 2004 in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that restructured the intelligence community included requirements to standardize and better align the background security clearance process across agencies.  But in the years that followed, the consolidation efforts took time, culminating in a 2008 presidential directive to improve the process.

Artificial Intelligence as a Driver for Innovation

Submitted by on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 10:12

AI is an umbrella term that encompasses a variety of capabilities that allow a computer system to perform tasks normally done by humans. Many people are also familiar with the term Cognitive Computing. Cognitive leverages several AI components, such as Machine Learning, to understand, reason, and learn much like the human brain. Cognitive complements Artificial Intelligence, enabling computers to both think like humans and understand how humans think. Current AI systems and subsystems are able to learn, make decisions, and solve complex problems.

Weekly Roundup: January 30 - February 3

Submitted by on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 10:11

John Kamensky

Moving Forward on Cybersecurity

Submitted by on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 10:09

The data breach at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in the spring of 2015 was breathtaking in scope – nearly 22 million sensitive personnel records stolen.  But this wasn’t a new issue.  There had been breaches at the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, the IRS, even the National Security Agency.

In Praise of Public Servants

Submitted by on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 10:07

This week, FCW announced the list of winners of the 2017 Federal 100 Awards. For nearly three decades, the Fed 100 has recognized many impactful leaders who made a significant impact in federal IT during the previous year – the list highlights change agents in and with government who make a difference in how IT can drive mission performance and operational efficiency.

Weekly Roundup: February 6 - 10, 2017

Submitted by on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 10:05

Ethical Hacking.  Federal News Radio reports: “The federal market for “white hat” hackers continues to grow. Not only are ethical security burglars popular in the Defense Department, but now the General Services Administration’s Technology Transformation Service (TTS) is setting up a bug bounty program.”

After the Award: How to Make Contracts Deliver

Submitted by on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 09:48

Blog Co-Authors:  Tim Cooke, CEO of ASI Government and Steve Kelman, Weatherhead Professor of Public Management at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

 

Applying Risk Management Strategies to Reduce Improper Payments

Submitted by on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 09:46

Federal agencies make more than $2 trillion in payments to individuals and a variety of other entities each year. Disbursing these payments expose agencies to many risks. One such risk is making what is known as improper payments. Improper payments can take many forms:  incorrect amounts paid to eligible recipients; payments made to ineligible recipients; payments for goods or services not received; duplicate payments; and payments with insufficient or no documentation.

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