Digital Government

House Committee OKs Bill Letting the FBI Use Rapid DNA Profiling

The idea behind the technology is to swiftly clear innocents, detain criminals and free up technicians to clear rape kit backlogs, among other things, say Judiciary Committee members who advanced the bill.

Cybersecurity

Bill Banning Porn, Personal Email on Agency Computers Under Fire on Unrelated Grounds

White House threatens veto over provisions on firing senior executives and reporting on union activities.

Cybersecurity

DHS: Security Holes in All Symantec Programs a ‘Very Serious Event’

The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team recommends users and system administrators fix their Symantec programs immediately.

Digital Government

Justice Wants Drones to Try Reconstructing Car Crashes

Police departments in Florida, Kansas and Texas are just a few of the local agencies nationwide authorized to patrol the skies, in certain situations, for public safety.

Emerging Tech

The Intelligence Community Will Monitor Wearables to Find the Perfect Spy

The new program will measure each volunteer's biometric signals during their daily activities, according the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Emerging Tech

What the Military Is Learning From a Chameleon Sandbox

Made up of kinetic sand, a toy that feels like the stuff on the beach but has the consistency of Silly Putty, the system's miniature bridges, lakes and other structures morph -- or disappear -- when a finger crushes critical infrastructure.

Cybersecurity

Lawmakers Want to See If Dumbing Down Smart Grids Might Thwart Hackers

The idea behind the experiment with analog tech is to help identify -- and remove -- hidden vulnerabilities that could let in malware.

Cybersecurity

OPM Updates Hack Info Website

Agency updates and streamlines FAQ on the incident and its response.

Cybersecurity

White House Cyber Commission May Endorse Security Ratings System for Software

Legendary Hacker "Mudge" expects to release results from security tests of 100,000 software programs as early as July.

Cybersecurity

DHS Readies Biometric ID Contract to Track Foreigners Who Stay Too Long

The Homeland Security Department is asking industry how to go about contracting out the activation of the long-overdue system.

Cybersecurity

Foreign Government Hackers Are the Gravest and Most Common Threat, Agencies Say

All 18 agencies that operate high-impact systems vital to society cited nation-state attacks as the most serious threat.

Emerging Tech

Inside the Spy Mapping Agency's Virtual Reality Lab

Virtual reality is one tool the agency uses to offer analysts a real-world view of landscapes rocked by natural or manmade changes.

Digital Government

Pentagon Prepares to Launch Mega Database for Screening National Security Workers

The new system will consolidate two existing tools used for vetting employees and job applicants.

Cybersecurity

DHS Hacker Warnings Will Soon Carry Reputation Scores

Essentially, the ranking would tell companies and agencies, with a certain degree of confidence, the reliability of a threat warning.