Digital Government

Justice taps big data in investigations

Advanced analytics are playing an increasingly important role in the Department of Justice's financial fraud and drug trafficking investigations

Cybersecurity

DHS pursues cases exploiting biometric data gaps

A federal judge's recent order denaturalizing a naturalizing U.S. citizen shows how efforts to remedy a digital fingerprint gap are working.

Modernization

Contractor agrees to new security protocols after exposing sensitive DISA data to Russia

Netcracker Technology Corp. signed an agreement to keep U.S. customer data in U.S. systems, settling a case that goes back to the Bush administration.

Digital Government

Is the FBI investigating Georgia's wiped election server?

Director Christopher Wray declined to answer questions from lawmakers about whether the FBI retained data on a Georgia election server before it was wiped clean by state election officials.

Cybersecurity

U.S. indicts three hackers linked to APT3

Federal authorities indicted three Chinese hackers for operations that allegedly stole trade secrets from corporations.

Cybersecurity

House panel advances FISA reform

The Judiciary committee passed a bill to require federal law enforcement to obtain a warrant before querying spy databases, but some are worried about potential loopholes.

Digital Government

Can FOIA be fixed?

A federal advisory committee offered tech and procedural suggestions to improve agency performance on meeting Freedom of Information Act requests.

Cybersecurity

Whitehouse: 'I can't find a point of entry' to talk cyber with Trump administration

Senate Democrat wants to know whom he needs to talk to in the administration to coordinate on cybersecurity legislation.

Cybersecurity

Sessions pushes back on proposed House surveillance reform

Attorney General Jeff Sessions told a Senate panel that the administration is open to FISA reform, but doesn't want to saddle the FBI with a warrant requirement.

Cybersecurity

DOJ sees a path to legal hacking

A legal framework for information security research is gaining traction, said a senior Justice Department official, but the guidance is broad, with specific policies emerging from the private sector.

Cybersecurity

DOJ rebrands encryption pitch

A senior Justice official wants the private sector to adopt "responsible encryption" that allows law enforcement access via warrant to encrypted communications.

Modernization

FBI data center consolidation takes shape

The FBI began construction of a new data center in Pocatello, Idaho, that will eventually consolidate duties of dozens of its other data facilities.

Acquisition

Federal employees honored for tech, humanitarian work

At a time of generally low public trust in government, the Partnership for Public Service honored the work of civil servants at its annual awards gala.

Cybersecurity

Digital rights advocates slam DOJ data request

Nearly 80 civil and digital rights organizations wrote a letter to the Department of Justice objecting to its "overly broad" data request aimed at a website that coordinated inauguration protests.

Acquisition

IT firms part of $16M false claims settlement

A Virginia IT products and services company agreed to settle with the government over allegations of false claims and fraud in federal small business contracts.

Cybersecurity

Senators: Reorg plans must balance workforce cuts against mission success

Agencies expect to hit the first deadline set by the White House's plan to restructure government and reduce the size of the workforce, but lawmakers want to make sure their efforts don't come at the expense of effective operations.

Cybersecurity

FBI extradites Latvian for malware scheme

The FBI brings an elusive scareware suspect to U.S. courtroom to face multiple wire fraud and conspiracy charges.

Cybersecurity

Comey warns Russia will be back

While many questions remained unanswered after the testimony of former FBI Director James Comey, he made one point abundantly clear: Russia interfered in the 2016 election, and it will do so again.

Cybersecurity

U.S. faces challenges tracking cryptocurrencies

Improved IT systems, new training and updated legislation are needed to track the use of virtual currencies by ransomware crooks and terrorists, according to a U.S. official.

Cybersecurity

Spy powers overshadowed by Russia in Senate hearing

Officials testifying about the extension of a key surveillance program spent most of a Senate hearing dodging questions about President Trump.