Web Headlines

Headlines from around the Web for Thursday, Nov. 15

Compiled by Melanie Bender

Philadelphia Region Transit System Launching Long-Awaited Smart Cards

Philadelphia Inquirer

The region's first transit "smart card" will make its appearance late this month as the Port Authority Transit Corporation finally inaugurates its Freedom Card service, similar to systems in Atlanta, Boston, Washington, D.C., and other cities. The launch comes after more than a year of conducting tests and wrangling with the maker of the $13 million system.

Boston Area Transportation Authority OKs Installation of Information System

The Boston Globe

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's board of directors has approved the purchase of a $2.4 million public information system that will include 256 public address screens in 21 MBTA stations systemwide. The screens will broadcast messages showing the waiting time for arriving trains, as well as station announcements.

Experts Seek to Improve Public's Understanding of RFID

Government Technology

Participants at a recent conference of privacy professionals noted that many people do not realize they are using RFID every day, and that for most, it remains a vague and formless technology that could easily be abused. Experts addressed ways the public might become better educated and more aware of the daily uses of RFID.

Senate Committee Passes IG, Telework, e-Gov Bills

Federal Computer Week

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee today approved its version of the Inspector General Reform Act along with three other bills that will affect agency policies on e-government, telework and real property disposal.

Nevada Tightens Payroll Security After Security Breach

Government Computer News

Under new procedures, disks must be signed for and returned to the personnel department after each pay period. Passwords will be required to read data stored on CDs. And state employee information will be correlated to unique employee identification numbers instead of Social Security numbers.

DHS Completes Implementation of Electronic Shipment Processing

Government Computer News

The Homeland Security Department's Customs and Border Protection agency is requiring truckers to submit cargo information in advance via its Automated Commercial Environment technology in Alaska, the last state where use of the system has become mandatory.

With Web 2.0 Comes the Evolution of a New Breed of Malware

InfoWorld

Google Mashups, RSS feeds, search, all of these can be misused by hackers to distribute malware, attack Web surfers and communicate with botnets, said Petko Petkov, a security researcher speaking at the Open Web Application Security Project U.S. 2007 conference.

IT Heavy Hitters form Certification Council

InformationWeek

Representatives from HP, IBM, Microsoft, Sun, Novell, the Linux Professional Institutes, and the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) have joined to form an IT certification group.

Obama Unveils Tech Policy Plans

InformationWeek

In his comprehensive technology and innovation plan, the Democratic candidate strongly supports network neutrality. The plan says that Obama supports diverse media ownership, patent reform, safeguards for privacy rights, protecting children while preserving the First Amendment, and using technology for a more open and effective government, as well as a more competitive nation.