SEC plans a major face-lift for its site
Sidebars Best and worst features Traffic statistics System details The trouble with Web pioneering is that time marches on. Pioneers have to keep pulling more tricks out of their hat to keep up with newcomer sites that flaunt shiny new technologies. That's how it stands with the Securities and Exchange Commission's once cutting-edge Web site.
What makes an IT team succeed? CIO Council spells out the skills
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.—In the latest update to the core competencies required of a strong information technology program, the Chief Information Officers Council has created a separate category on information management. The update is the work of the council's Education and Training Committee. Last year, it developed the original guide on the skills it considers crucial to a systems organization's success.
Feds counsel CIOs on the future of government IT
Virginia Beach, Va.—After getting feedback from government employees, the Chief Information Officers Council crafted a final version of its 1999 strategic plan. "We want you to put on your imagineering hats and think about the future," James Flyzik, the council's vice chairman and Treasury Department CIO told attendees of the Interagency Resource Management and CIO Council Conference this month.
The Net makes news
At the recent Interagency Resources Management and Federal Chief Information Officers Conference in Virginia Beach, Va., White House technology adviser Tom Kalil asked those in attendance—mostly federal managers—to send him their favorite Web sites, "or government Web sites you'd like to see and why." A week later, independent counsel Kenneth Starr released his report to Congress, and within 48 hours a summary was to be posted to the Thomas Web site operated by the Library of
Hackers turn to stealth mapping for cyberattacks
Hackers are beginning to exploit unique conditions of the Internet's TCP/IP communications protocol to map and analyze sites for future attack. Two such stealthy mapping techniques were discovered this month by Scott Hoye, a college intern working for the Defense Department's Shadow intrusion detection team. The Shadow group recently released government-developed detection freeware [GCN, Aug. 3, Page 1].
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Stephen Ryan's column, "Should U.S. pledge not to make first cyberstrike?" [GCN, August 3, Page 32], looked back to the Cold War for useful parallels. It should have looked back much further. There are extraordinarily strong parallels between the rhetoric today on cyberwar and cyberterror and the rhetoric of strategic bombing in the 1920s and especially the 1930s.
OMB Watch says GILS implementation is poor
Most federal agencies have not implemented indexing programs for the Government Information Locator Service, according to the administration watchdog group OMB Watch. In a recent report, the nonprofit Washington organization found 33 agencies still have not posted online any records for the information indexing service. Among the agencies are two Cabinet-level departments, Justice and Transportation.
Feds can run high-end computer simulations at virtual reality lab
The RealityZone 3D Collaborative Visualization Laboratory in McLean, Va., gives federal users an out-of-body experience in high-end computer simulation. The simulation lab demonstrates virtual reality systems that would add up to $150,000 or $200,000 a pop if an agency bought the components through General Services Administration schedule contracts. The lab is a joint effort of EdgeMark Systems Inc. of Silver Spring, Md., MultiGen Inc. of San Jose, Calif., Pyramid Systems Inc. of Southfield, Mich., Silicon Graphics Inc.
SNEAKER.NET
Q. When can we expect Microsoft Windows NT 5.0 to arrive? Should I wait for it before upgrading systems? A. No doubt Microsoft Corp. representatives are tired of saying, "I don't know," but that's the answer they give. The second beta release of NT 5.0 came out last month, and it will stay in the field for an undetermined time to make sure the kinks are worked out. Remember, NT is in fact two operating systems—Workstation
Service ranks its IT priorities
Sidebars: Who's In Charge Cost estimate for 2000 on rise Major programs Top Contractors Ann Miller, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for command, control, communications, computers and intelligence, electronic warfare and space, has made the year 2000 problem and information assurance her top two priorities. Miller had been the Navy's chief information officer until earlier this month when Navy Secretary John Dalton reorganized the service's information technology shop. Miller retained the C4I job
IRS CIO says systems reorganization is a must
Consolidating data processing will save money and manpower, the IRS' Paul Cosgrave says. The IRS must re-engineer its systems and plan new systems that are in sync with the agency's reorganization of its business units, IRS chief information officer Paul J. Cosgrave said. Cosgrave outlined his plans to reorganize the service's systems at an Association for Federal for IRM luncheon this month in Washington.
Tool chest for NT administrators
Raxco Software Inc.'s instaNT Pro tool set for Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 networks lets administrators control disk, emergency, registry and security services from any network location. They can monitor remote Windows clients, exchange files and run applications remotely. The Raxco suite provides registry management, security support and file-access authorization.
Food inspectors find it online
Agriculture Department food inspectors have a common reference point for indexing and retrieving information from a pile of electronic updates they receive each month. They all turn to Isys 4.0 information retrieval software running under Microsoft Windows 95 on the Food Safety and Inspection Service's 1,700 Gateway Inc. 266-MHz Solo 2500 notebook PCs and more than 800 Dell Computer Corp. OptiPlex desktop PCs with 350-MHz Pentium II CPUs.
BREAKING NEWS
The Customs Service has announced plans to reorganize its Office of Information Technology. The project is one of the first major overhauls of Customs systems operations and one of the first efforts of S.W. "Woody" Hall, Customs' chief information officer. Hall left his Energy Department CIO post to take the Customs job this spring.
2000 work's an inside job
Agencies trying to cope with date code repair mainly are using their own staffs to make the fixes, leaving vendor year 2000 factories mostly idle. "The tsunami wave of requirements has not come," said Barry Robella, a vice president for strategic programs for Platinum Technology Inc. of Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. Although year 2000 service vendors have touted their black-box factories as accurate and efficient, they cannot yet cite a single federal success story. Vendors said they do
AirID protects your data while you roam the office
Pros and cons: + Hands-free supplemental security + Scan range adjustable + Noninterfering frequency – Security exposure from lost badges Real-life requirements: Windows 9x or NT All the network security in the world does no good if logged-in users leave their computers on and unattended during breaks or at lunch. An office full of such computers is an open invitation to mischief.
In e-mail etiquette, the catchphrase should be: Keep it simple, stupid
On the subject of e-mail etiquette, last issue's column discussed the advisability of keeping messages brief and in plain ASCII text. It's getting to the point that agencies need to establish strict policies to keep government e-mail from getting out of hand, as it has in private-sector organizations.
As security step, DOD to limit Web postings
To reduce the chances of terrorists gaining access to information that could threaten national security, the Defense Department plans to set limits on what can be posted on DOD Web sites. Deputy Defense secretary John Hamre is expected soon to issue a memorandum to the services and Defense agencies that lays out strict guidelines on what kinds of information DOD offices can post.
ErgoSentry keeps watch on how people use their computers
Proformix Systems Inc., Branchburg, N.J.; tel. 800-973-2739 Price: $64.95 per user for 50 users, $19.95 for 5,000 up Pros and cons: + Full administrator control over ergonomic program + User obedience enforceable – Possible user resistance – Not on CD-ROM Real-life requirements: Windows 9x or Windows NT clients, network server for advanced administration features, portable computer for ergonomic workplace checker
The V.90 standard for 56-Kbps modems gets union's approval
The International Telecommunications Union this month gave final approval to the V.90 standard for 56-Kbps modems. The union began developing the standard early last year. It supersedes competing modem vendors' K56flex and x2 technologies. To date, more than 800 Internet service providers have installed V.90 connectivity on about 40,000 local dial-up numbers.
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