Your essential catch-up on the week's news

As you look forward to the weekend, scan this list of some our best stories from the week to catch up on any you missed.

Whistleblowing may be an old practice, but it's a new game in this technological age. Amassing vast amounts of data and distributing it rapidly is easy and cheap today. How does that change the way agencies should protect their information from people who seek to expose it? And does it shift the balance between effectiveness and transparency? Here's our report.

Plus: More analysis on the ease with which Edward Snowden spirited out the data that allowed him to expose the NSA's Prism program.

Have a senior-level vacancy you've been trying to fill for a while? The Partnership for Public Service's John Palguta explains why it's hard to do, as part of an FCW Q&A.

Think Congress isn't doing much to rein in government spending? Former GAO leader David Walker has a proposal to change things.

Around the Web: Microsoft's reversal of a policy that would have severely limited the ability of gamers to lend or sell used games with its forthcoming XBox One console, has been well covered. Wired has one take on it. It's proof that no company is too big to ignore the wishes of its customers – not even Microsoft.