Furlough Exemption for DoD Sex Assault Workers
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Lawmaker: Don't Furlough Weather Service Now
Making Government 'Simpler'
OK Senators Leery of Unfunded Tornado Relief
Boldly Go Where No Fed's Gone Before
AUTHOR ARCHIVES
Aliya Sternstein
Senior Correspondent
Aliya Sternstein reports on cybersecurity and homeland security systems for Nextgov. She has covered technology for nine years at such publications as National Journal's TechnologyDaily, Federal Computer Week and Forbes. Before joining Government Executive, she covered agriculture and derivatives trading for Congressional Quarterly. She has been a guest commentator on C-SPAN, WTOP and Federal News Radio. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.
DHS agrees to outside study on cancer risks of airport body scanners
December 14, 2012
FROM NEXTGOV
The Transportation Security Administration has tapped the National Academy of Sciences to probe the health risks of body scans to passengers and pilots after years of pressure from civil liberties groups and Congress. The study is limited to radiation and safety testing, and will not examine the privacy implications of ...
Immigration officials struggle with identity management – and mismanagement
December 14, 2012
FROM NEXTGOV
Since the days of Ellis Island, the identity of foreigners has been documented and sometimes changed upon arrival in America. Turn-of-the-century immigration officers checked ship manifests or simply translated the names provided by non-English speaking newcomers. Post-Sept. 11 Homeland Security Department officials are more cautious. Authorities check myriad documents, biometrics ...
DHS to recompete online immigration program in ‘crisis’
December 13, 2012
FROM NEXTGOV
The Homeland Security Department will award contracts to multiple companies to fix a long-suffering program aimed at computerizing immigration paperwork, after a lackluster job by the current vendor, according to federal officials and internal memos. The original five-year, $536,000 plan for “Transformation” has grown into a potentially two-decade effort that, ...
How much crime really occurs? Don’t ask the feds.
December 11, 2012
FROM NEXTGOV
The United States has no accounting of how much crime there really is nationwide because FBI statistics do not reflect cybercrimes and other offenses that have cropped up since reporting began in 1930. But that might change in 2013. “Millions victimized by fraud and online crimes, but this is often ...
Cyber early warning deal collapses after Russia balks
December 7, 2012
FROM NEXTGOV
An accord involving the United States, Russia and other countries requiring that each nation provide advance warning of government cyber operations that might otherwise spark unintentional conflict collapsed on Friday after Russia dissented, U.S. officials said. The 57-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe failed to reach the unanimous ...
Virtual border fence contract postponed due to fierce competition
December 7, 2012
FROM NEXTGOV
A digital border security project slated to replace an aborted $1.5 billion system has been delayed by unexpected competition from vendors that want the work. Customs and Border Protection had planned on a Jan. 1, 2013, deadline for selecting a contractor to revamp the now-abandoned Secure Border Initiative network. But ...
U.S., Russia, other nations near agreement on cyber early-warning pact
December 5, 2012
FROM NEXTGOV
The United States, Russia and other members of a powerful international assembly as early as Friday could finalize an agreement to warn each other about governmental cyberspace activities that may be misconstrued as hostile acts to avert international conflicts. Delegates to the 57-member Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, ...
DHS: Hackers could manipulate highway sensors
December 4, 2012
FROM NEXTGOV
This story was updated to provide additional comment from Post Oak Traffic Systems. The Homeland Security Department is warning local governments about flaws in a traffic monitoring system that could expose drivers’ travel habits. Manufacturer Post Oak Traffic Systems used insecure encryption in roadway sensors designed to read data emitted ...
Pentagon cyber activities could grab $120 billion
December 3, 2012
FROM NEXTGOV
One of the latest reports analyzing the potential ramifications of a deficit reduction deal predicts tens of billions of dollars in increased spending for military cybersecurity and cyber weaponry. Under one scenario, cyber funding would grow at the expense of personnel accounts. Savings of $55 billion from Defense Department payrolls ...
Rite of Passage
December 1, 2012 Since the days of Ellis Island, the identity of foreigners has been documented and sometimes changed upon arrival in America. Turn-of-the-century immigration officers checked ship manifests or simply translated the names provided by non-English speaking newcomers. Post-Sept. 11 Homeland Security Department officials are more cautious. Authorities check myriad documents, biometrics ...
