Digital Government

How the U.S. Census Kickstarted America's Computing Industry

By 1880, the population count had become a mind-numbingly boring, error-prone, clerical exercise of a magnitude rarely seen.

Digital Government

Census is Asking the Public to Help Fight Misinformation Ahead of 2020 

The bureau launched a website for dispelling common Census rumors and created a special email address where people can report misinformation and other malicious activities.

Digital Government

GAO again warns of risks in 2020 census

Untested innovations, implementation of IT systems and cybersecurity issues are adding risk to the decennial population count, GAO says.

Cybersecurity

Census Chief Assures Lawmakers IT and Cyber Risks are Under Control

But with less than a year until the 2020 count kicks off, the bureau still has little room for error, the Government Accountability Office warns.

Digital Government

America is Aging and Growing More Diverse, Census Data Shows

“More than four out of every five counties were older in 2018 than in 2010," said one Census Bureau official about new population estimates.

Cybersecurity

Census’ Cybersecurity Plan is Full of Holes, Watchdog Says

The 2020 Census will be a prime target for digital adversaries, but the plans for fighting those threats are incomplete and outdated, the Government Accountability Office found.

Digital Government

6 Citizen-Focused Steps Census is Taking to Improve the 2020 Count

Officials hope improving the customer experience for citizens will boost the participation rate for the Census Bureau’s biggest undertaking.

Digital Government

Peak census web traffic pegged at 120,000 simultaneous users

The Census Bureau is expecting a maximum of 120,000 concurrent respondents to its internet self-response page during the 2020 population count, but it's preparing for much higher loads.

Cybersecurity

GAO Flags New Cybersecurity Issues for Upcoming Census

The bureau needs to fix vulnerabilities faster, upon hundreds of other security issues the congressional watchdog previously identified.

Digital Government

Lawmakers, GAO worry about Census prep

As the Supreme Court weighs the legality of the citizenship question on the 2020 census, Congress and the Government Accountability Office have more immediate concerns about the bureau's ability to conduct an accurate population count.

Digital Government

Senators question IT impact of Census funding

At a Senate hearing, lawmakers raised issues with plans for funding the tech-dependent 2020 Census.

Digital Government

One year out, Census plans a busy final stretch

Tech supporting the 2020 census has performed well in testing, officials said at a Census Day event, but will it scale?

Digital Government

Oversight Dems grill Ross over Census

As a legal battle over the addition of a question on citizenship heads to the Supreme Court, the Commerce Department chief faced questions on Capitol Hill about how and why the question came to be added to the basic 2020 population survey.

Cybersecurity

Census braces for cyberattacks

With less than a year before the 2020 census officially begins, the bureau knows it'll be a prime target for cybersecurity attackers.

Digital Government

Census’ Big Data Innovation Program Infects HHS with Promising Results

Officials at Health and Human Services took an idea from their colleagues at Census to use big data and public-private collaboration to design systems that can save lives.

Modernization

Census demo day showcases open data, AI tools

Open data is fueling federal, private and nongovernmental tech projects aimed at addressing challenges ranging from geospatial mapping and disaster recovery to health care to the workforce.