Web Headlines

Headlines from around the Web for Dec. 4

Compiled by Melanie Bender

Group Will Develop Antivirus Testing Guidelines by Early Next Year

ComputerWorld

Last week, security vendors and software testing organizations agreed during a conference in Seoul to form the Anti-Malware Testing Working Group, which will determine how best to conduct behavioral tests of security software, said Andreas Marx, who works for AV-Test.org, a German antivirus software testing group.

Data Sharing, Access Present Problems for Fusion Centers

Washington Technology

Many state and local officials who work at fusion centers report problems logging onto federal networks and have difficulty handling the high volume of information they receive from federal authorities, according to a recent survey by government auditors.

Investigators Continue to Probe Data Access by Denver DA's Office

The Denver Post

After the U.S. attorney's office brought charges last month against a federal special agent for obtaining information from the National Crime Information Center, state and federal agents interviewed employees at the DA's office to find out why they accessed the same information; and the agents aren't finished yet.

Symposium Discusses 'Government in the Age of YouTube'

Government Technology

In an attempt to get a better grasp on how government ought to operate in a Web 2.0 world, the National Electronic Commerce Coordinating Council, a consortium of leaders from the public and private sectors, recently held its 2007 symposium titled Government in the Age of YouTube.

Report Paints Bleak Picture of FDA IT, Resources, Science

Federal Computer Week

The Food and Drug Administration is so underfunded that it does not have the science foundation, staff or information technology to meet mounting demands to oversee the country’s drugs, medical devices and food safety, FDA’s Science Board said in a report released Nov. 29.

DOD Including COIs in All Major Defense IT Projects

Government Computer News

In the federal sector, the Department of Defense is spearheading a movement to incorporate communities of interest in all phases of major IT projects, and, after early success with the approach, is beginning to codify the best practices for creating and managing COIs to achieve the maximum benefit.

Oregon Schools' New Online Assessment Test Appears Free of Glitches that Doomed Previous System

The Register Guard

Nearly six weeks into the first round of assessment testing, schools are reporting only a smattering of glitches, and most say they prefer the new Technology Enhanced Statewide Assessment system better than the old.

Web Hosting Providers Let Security Sag

eWeek

Several .gov domains in the past few months have seen their sites seeded with redirects to malicious servers in other countries that have pushed pornography, malware, Viagra ads and the like to site visitors.

IT Spending Will Get Off to Weak Start in 2008, Research Firm Says

ComputerWorld

The outlook for IT spending in the new year is "unusually bad," according to ChangeWave Research LLC, which said its latest quarterly tracking survey of corporate users shows that an increasing number of companies are looking to hold down their purchases of technology products and services.