The Vast Majority of IRS Employees Aren't Corrupt
GSA Mishandled Executive Bonuses
EIG 2013 as Told by Your Tweets
Infographic: Nominee Limbo
Will You Be Furloughed?
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.
Fewer connections could limit cyber attacks, agency official says
December 12, 2007 A Justice Department cyber-security official on Wednesday touted the government's strategy of reducing its number of Internet connections to 50 by June in order to reduce cyber vulnerabilities. The government's "Trusted Internet Connections" initiative, which was announced last month, will help protect information by shrinking the attack surface area -- ...
NASA will check backgrounds despite criticism
December 7, 2007 NASA is going forward with what some are calling "invasive" background checks at all but one of its field centers despite ongoing litigation to end the process at that facility, NASA officials said Thursday. On Wednesday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in California heard arguments in the case ...
Tech problems hamper drug agency, report says
December 3, 2007 Severe weaknesses in information technology are hampering the Food and Drug Administration's regulatory role, with some computer systems unable to distinguish between different forms of common chemical compounds like salt, an advisory panel said Monday. "The IT situation at FDA is problematic at best -- and at worst it is ...
Panel eyes ways to enhance hospital communications
November 28, 2007 A diverse advisory committee representing the technology sector, healthcare community and all levels of government met Wednesday to hear from each other and outside officials on efforts to ensure that medical facilities can communicate with each other during disasters. The Commerce Department and FCC established the Joint Advisory Committee on ...
Courts offer libraries free access to e-records
November 20, 2007 For the first time, the U.S. court system is providing free access to its online court records at select libraries. Lawyers say that waived fees for the system known as Public Access to Court Electronic Records, or PACER, which typically costs 8 cents per search, will empower citizens who choose ...
FCC announces creation of telehealth initiative
November 19, 2007 The FCC is moving into the healthcare arena. Chairman Kevin Martin last week announced a plan for a $400 million effort to expand treatment access for Americans in rural and impoverished areas via high-speed Internet services. The expansion of long-distance healthcare, known as telehealth, will help lay the foundation for ...
Privacy concerns plague Senate health IT legislation
November 16, 2007 The Senate's eagerness to mandate incentives for modernizing healthcare through information technology has prompted concerns about enacting a law without adequate privacy protections. Psychiatrist Deborah Peel, founder of the Patient Privacy Rights Foundation, has alerted her coalition of nearly 40 organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians and the ...
Web experts weigh value of 'trustmarks' for health sites
November 12, 2007 A seal of approval on a health information Web site should not automatically instill consumer confidence, according to experts who discussed the role of such "trustmarks" at a Health Improvement Institute workshop Monday. Whatever rating "you come up with has to be page-specific, rather than just domain-specific," Tom Eng, president ...
Confusing terms prompt call for health IT glossary
November 9, 2007 A "cacophony" of competing and confusing definitions, with terms often used interchangeably, is hampering progress toward a nationwide health information network, according to the National Alliance for Health Information Technology and the Health and Human Services Department. On behalf of the alliance, HHS on Tuesday called for help in defining ...
Coalition seeks public's view of government transparency issues
November 7, 2007 A coalition that promotes transparency in government has partnered with an online debate forum to let the public speak its mind on the pros and cons of government transparency. Helium.com, a citizen-authored compendium of articles, debates and other forms of written expression, has incorporated OpenTheGovernment into Helium's site. Helium is ...
