Digital Government

Human Trust Overpowered High-Tech Security in German Air Plane Crash

Experts say the downing of Germanwings flight 9525 seems like the classic case of the insider threat -- which belies easy tech fixes.

Cybersecurity

The Smartest Hackers in the Room (Hint: They're Not the Humans)

The $2 million “Cyber Grand Challenge” pits hacker-fighting software against malicious code programmed by Pentagon personnel.

Cybersecurity

Agencies Waited Nearly a Month and a Half to Fix High-Threat Vulnerabilities

Initial "anti-phishing" and malware defense reports show the mean time for dealing with "high findings" flagged by vulnerability scans was 42 days.

Cybersecurity

State Says It Mistakenly Gave Itself an F on Email Security

A buggy scoring system and self-reporting mistakes are partly to blame for State earning "0" marks on email encryption, officials say.

Digital Government

This Is How the Military Eyes ISIS Oil Laundering from the Sky

By watching signs of the black market oil industry, NGA can glean clues to help its partners choke off the source of ISIS' money and fuel.

Cybersecurity

In Nod To Privacy, Feds Say Every Agency Website Will Be Encrypted

While the "HTTPS-Only Standard" makeover likely won’t happen overnight, privacy proponents cheered the effort.

Cybersecurity

US Military Cybersecurity by the Numbers

Money for the Cyber Command – tasked with orchestrating network defense maneuvers and offensive cyberattacks – eventually will stabilize over the next five years, totaling out at $1 billion.

Digital Government

New USCIS Computer System Was Supposed to Speed Up Immigration Processing. What Went Wrong?

The online system to automate the processing of Green Cards and other immigration benefits has struggled to function properly since at least 2009

Cybersecurity

Treasury Begins Automating Cyber Tip-Sharing with Banks

The technology upgrade follows heavy assaults on Wall Street networks over the past few years.

Cybersecurity

Pentagon on Path to Launch Hacker-Proof Boeing Drone by 2018

Defense industry programmers are rewriting software on the helicopter drone to prevent outsiders from digitally infiltrating the aerial vehicle.

Cybersecurity

State Says it Needs to Rebuild Classified Computer Networks after Hack

State has asked Congress for $10 million to support "the necessary re-architecting of the classified and unclassified networks” at the department

Digital Government

Isis -- No, Not That One -- Wins $7 Million Pentagon Cyber Contract

The Pentagon has hired a little-known Virginia startup with an unfortunate name to work on a big data project.

Cybersecurity

Attention, Cyber Pros: The Pentagon Wants You -- 3,000 of You

The military has been given the go-ahead to fast-track the hiring of 3,000 computer whiz civilians.

Cybersecurity

Fallout from Clinton’s Private Emails: How Secure are Agency Email Systems?

Official government email accounts are no locked fortresses, and some shirk key federal security regulations.