Emerging Tech

Pentagon Supercomputers Puzzle Out How to Safely Airlift COVID-19 Patients

The Defense Department turned its supercomputing resources toward solving problems presented by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Digital Government

Pentagon Mandates Homemade Masks for Some Workers

N95 respirators and surgical masks will be reserved for health care workers and patients, the Defense Department said in a series of memos this week.

Digital Government

Congress Hears Options—And Concerns—for Using Smartphone Data to Fight COVID-19

Other countries have been using various forms of location and proximity tracing to slow the spread of the disease, with widely varying levels of privacy protections.

Digital Government

140 Million Tweets Capture COVID-19's Spread

And it’s publicly available as a resource for the global research community.

Digital Government

ODNI Directs Agencies to Be Flexible with National Security Contractors

The guidance recommends immediate contract modifications to allow some industry personnel to remain at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Emerging Tech

Wi-Fi Peeks into Buildings to Check Social Distancing

Mapping the Wi-Fi strength of mobile devices can reveal how people move and gather.

Digital Government

GSA Creates Buying Guide for COVID-19 Screenings at Federal Buildings

As the government’s buyer and landlord, the General Services Administration created a central contract vehicle for screening services to prevent infected people from entering federal buildings.

Cybersecurity

CISA, U.K. Agency Issue Alert on Spike in Coronavirus-Themed Cyber Activity

It’s not just phishing and malware. Malicious actors also target known bugs in virtual private networks and other networking tools.

Cybersecurity

CISA Offers Ways to Lessen Lag for Teleworkers Without Sacrificing Security

The temporary guidance outlines options and best practices for agencies to follow during the coronavirus pandemic.

Digital Government

Lawmakers Push CDC for New Demographic Data on Coronavirus Patients

A group of 17 lawmakers asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to collect sex, race, ethnicity and other information to spot potential inequities in health care. 

Modernization

VA Delays Major IT Programs to Focus on COVID-19

The initial rollout of the new electronic health records system will be pushed out—again—as well as pilots for the new scheduling system. A third, integral effort remains on track.

Cybersecurity

NASA Warns Employees of ‘Exponential’ Increase in Cyber Threats

The Office of the Chief Information Officer sent a memo detailing how teleworking employees can protect agency systems. 

Digital Government

Trump Removes Acting Pentagon IG Slated to Lead Pandemic Oversight

Only current IGs may serve in the new position created by Congress to oversee the government's coronavirus relief effort.

Ideas

No, 5G Radiation Doesn't Cause or Spread the Coronavirus. Saying It Does Is Destructive.

Many outlets and people have rushed to debunk this myth but myriad groups and public figures continue to perpetuate it.

Ideas

How Companies, Governments and People Rise to the Conoravirus Challenge

Here are some good examples, both big and small, that make the world a little brighter while we combat coronavirus.

Emerging Tech

Pentagon Seeks Innovative Commercial Tech to Address COVID-19 Pandemic

The Air Force solicitation outlines seven mission areas it’s looking to support, including citizen welfare.

Artificial Intelligence

White House Expands Coronavirus-Focused Supercomputing Consortium

Officials are putting high-performance computing resources to work across the country to help combat COVID-19.

Cybersecurity

The Pentagon Is Using Zoom. Is it Safe?

Experts say the ubiquitous videoconferencing tools bear some risk of accidentally exposing mundane details, and even inviting a new wave of deep fakes. But the risks can be managed.

Modernization

Mid-Pandemic, CDC Looks to Upgrade Its Biosurveillance Database

The system collects data from hospitals, local public health departments, pharmacies and more to give researchers and officials a view of how diseases spread across the country.