Cybereye | Could FISMA stem the flow of personal data?
Abe Kleinfield thinks the Federal Information Security Management Act could be a solution to the rash of security breaches that have exposed the personal data of millions of individuals in recent weeks.
Chris Wysopal and Jeff Rashka | Government IT security begins at app level
The federal government has poured millions of dollars into security-related software purchases and shoring up computer hardware infrastructure. Yet many federal agencies received failing grades in Federal Information Security Management Act compliance.
Editor's Desk | Unwanted bounty
The government's table is straining from the weight of security lapses. The State Department got an old-fashioned hacking. A Veterans Affairs computer laden with data was stolen. NIH called in the cops on an identity theft ring. Agriculture, the IRS, Social Security and the Navy have joined the crowd.
OMB's reminder on FISMA reporting
The Office of Management and Budget reminded agencies of a few significant additions as they start work on their annual reporting requirements under the Federal Information Security Management Act.
Amendment calls for missing persons database
The Homeland Security Department would be required to set up a new IT system and database for tracking missing persons and reuniting families following major disasters under an amendment approved by the Senate.
Bill would transform VA cybersecurity
The House Veterans' Affairs Committee has drafted legislation to accelerate improvements in information security at the beleaguered Veterans Affairs Department.
Agencies to test ID credentials
The Transportation and the Homeland Security departments will test the interoperability of different identification cards at three ports this week.
No loss of data from VA, USDA breaches
The Veterans Affairs and Agriculture departments have determined that sensitive personal data was not accessed in recent incidents of data threats at both agencies.
Senate bill would boost DHS spending but stall border card plan
The DHS appropriations bill the Senate approved yesterday would delay a requirement that U.S. citizens returning from Western Hemisphere countries present secure identification, such as the new border-crossing card the administration is developing.
GSA readying RFI to figure out costs of E-Authentication
The General Services Administration will in the next month release a request for information on the cost implications of using existing credentials in the E-Authentication federation.
NGA meets new ISO standards
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has become the first organization in either the public or private sector to become certified in three of the International Standards Organization's standards: ISO 9001, ISO 15000 and ISO 27001.
Congress puts brakes on 'passport-lite'
Uncle Sam's plans to design a passport-lite for mandatory use by citizens entering the country have become further mired in debate, as Congress has joined the conflict between the State and Homeland Security departments.
Lawmakers call for accounting of data breaches
The House Government Reform Committee wants a governmentwide picture of the risk from data breaches and has given agencies two weeks to provide a list of compromises since 2003.
GSA puts HSPD-12 on a tight timeline
The first large-scale test of the technology that will put Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12 into practice is slated to be in place by Oct. 20.
OMB tightens IT security incident rules
Agencies must now report all security incidents involving personally identifiable information within one hour of discovering the incident, the Office of Management and Budget said in a memo tightening information security notification procedures.
Army close to full PKI implementation
The Army is ahead of schedule in implementing the public-key infrastructure mandates of Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12, according to Lt. Gen. Steven W. Boutelle, the Army's CIO.
State investigating cyberintrusion
The State Department is investigating an intruder breaking into unclassified department IT systems, starting with embassies and offices in the East Asia/Pacific region and migrating to department headquarters.
A FIPS-approved flash drive
Kanguru Solutions has announced its KanguruMicro Drive AES is now FIPS-140-2 certified.
Saflink broadens smart-card support
Saflink Corp. announced that its SureAccess line of biometric smart-card readers would now also support proximity cards.
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