Web Headlines

Headlines from around the Web for Friday, March 7, 2008
Compiled by Melanie Bender

Washington Prepares for Cyber War Games

The Washington Post

"Cyber Storm II," the largest-ever exercise designed to evaluate the mettle of IT experts and incident response teams from 18 federal agencies, is set for next week in Washington. Escalating scenarios will test for weaknesses in the response methods of the companies and agencies.

Tech Leaders in Massachusetts Scramble to Make Hires

NetworkWorld

According to a state official, 30 percent of the IT professionals in the commonwealth plan to retire within the next five years. The dwindling number of computer science majors -- even at schools like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology -- is compounding the problem.

RFID Encryption Flawed in Smart Cards, Researchers Claim

NetworkWorld

Recent media attention given to University of Virginia research that showed with just $1,000 of technology RFID encrypted cards could be cracked has caused concern in Boston, where the subway system uses the technology for its CharlieCard.

U.S. Worried That High H-1B Demand May Tempt Some to 'Game' Visa Lottery

ComputerWorld

The U.S. is concerned that some companies, desperate to get an H-1B visa, may try to "game" the random visa lottery selection process to improve their odds. To prevent that sort of interference, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service is considering regulations that would penalize any company that attempts to seek an unfair advantage for its visa petitions in the selection lottery.

Who Needs IT Experts? Workers Take Control

InformationWeek

Describing the practice as "consumerization," industry observers say savvy workers frustrated with their on-the-job computer tools are not waiting around for IT to help them, but instead pulling what they need right off the Web.

Pa. County Switches from Touch-Screen to Optical Scan E-voting Machines

ComputerWorld

The Lackawanna County, Pa., board of commissioners decided to use optical scan voting machines instead of touch-screen machines not because concerns about the controversial touch screens, but because they couldn't resolve legal concerns with the Texas company that manufactures the touch-screen machines.

What Will a Recession Mean for IT Outsourcing?

eWeek

While it seems clear the U.S. has a rough economic road ahead of it in 2008, observers have mixed views about what this might mean for outsourcing. Some argue that a depressed U.S. economic climate will make the cost savings of offshoring less dramatic, which could save jobs that were otherwise at risk of being sent.

Technologists Present Policy Recommendations to Congress

Government Technology

Chief technology officers from the world's leading computer software and hardware companies have sent a letter to U.S. House and Senate leaders requesting their support of several pending policy measures, including full funding of important high-tech initiatives in the President's FY 09 budget.

DHS Tests Northern Border Security

Federal Computer Week

While the Homeland Security Department prepares a prototype solution for protecting the northern border, new technologies already are being tested in the field, according to a 20-page report from the department’s Customs and Border Protection directorate.

Arizona Legislators Push for Transparency on Budget, Spending

The Arizona Republic

A new resolution calls for a Web site maintained by the state treasurer and the treasurers of each county, city and town to be updated monthly with details of all spending and revenue, down to whether payments were made with cash, check or debit card. The databases would have to be available by July 2010.