Digital Government

Real ID Deadline Postponed Due to Coronavirus

President Trump pushed back the Oct. 1 deadline that would have required Americans to have Real ID compliant driver’s licenses and other identification cards in order to board an airplane.

Digital Government

Coronavirus Cases to Jump with Increase in Testing Capacity

Health officials said Monday that as testing shifts from public labs to commercial labs the number of coronavirus cases will increase. The insufficient testing capability has been a major criticism of the disease response.

Cybersecurity

West Virginia Scraps Voatz Mobile Voting App

The West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office announced it would use a different electronic absentee voting technology after researchers raised security concerns with the previous voting app it had used.

Digital Government

One Month Out, Watchdog Warns About Census IT and Cybersecurity Challenges

The Census Bureau this month switched the internet response system that respondents will use to complete the 2020 census questionnaire. The last-minute change worries the Government Accountability Office.

Modernization

Frustrated by Flawed Broadband Maps, States Are Trying to Create Their Own

The Federal Communications Commission’s broadband maps underestimate the number of households that lack internet service. State agencies are trying to gather better data.

Digital Government

The Census Already Started in Alaska. Native Translators Are Working to Prevent Undercount Repeat.

Across the country, tribal and non-English speaking communities are creating guidance and messages in a variety of languages to encourage Census 2020 participation.

Emerging Tech

FCC Approves $20 Billion Rural Broadband Funding Plan

While proponents heralded the fund as a major step to close the "rural digital divide," Democrats on the commission warned that many areas that need internet won't get help.

Cybersecurity

FBI to Alert States About Local Election System Hacks

The FBI changed its policy to allow agents to inform both state and local election officials when election systems are breached.

Digital Government

How California’s Consumer Privacy Act Will Become the Digital Law of the Land

Under the law, the onus is on consumers to request that companies disclose or delete their personal data. But more states and the federal government could still jump into the privacy debate.

Cybersecurity

Local Election Officials Can Get Free Election Auditing Software from the Feds

The open-source software is already being piloted in at least six states and officials say it can help authenticate results in 2020.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence Could Have Biggest Impact on White-Collar Jobs

New research suggests that white collar jobs are more likely to feel the impacts of artificial intelligence in the workplace than blue-collar positions.

Modernization

A State Agency Scraps Its Paper-Based Licensing System

In adopting a digital licensing system, officials at the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission say they moved away not just from stacks and stacks of paper, but also an old mindset.

Cybersecurity

Senator Urges Cybersecurity Review of Mobile Voting App

West Virginia and local governments in Colorado, Utah and Oregon have all piloted mobile voting applications developed by Voatz.

Cybersecurity

A Plan to Engage Hackers in Election Security

The Information Technology-Information Sharing and Analysis Center wants to create a coordinated vulnerability disclosure program that could alert vendors about security flaws in their voting systems.

Cybersecurity

Ohio Establishes ‘Cyber Reserve’ to Combat Ransomware

The civilian unit of the National Guard will be on call to assist local governments that come under cyberattack.

Artificial Intelligence

Use of Artificial Intelligence Poised to Grow in State Government, Survey Finds

Experimentation is key to the Utah chief information officer’s expanded use of artificial intelligence.

Cybersecurity

Texas Chief Information Officer Shares Lessons Learned from Ransomware Attack

The 23 municipalities hit in a July ransomware attack put themselves at risk by failing “to follow good cyber hygiene,” the state’s CIO said.

Cybersecurity

Protection from Ransomware Attacks Isn’t as Simple as Insurance

In the wake of high-profile ransomware attacks, local governments are looking to cyber insurance to mitigate risk. But not all policies are equal and merit close scrutiny, experts say.

Emerging Tech

Local Law Enforcement Should Be Able to Protect Airports From Drones, Report Says

To address security risks, a task force recommends that Congress authorize local law enforcement to take down drones flown too close to airports.

Policy

States Can Craft Own Net Neutrality Rules, Appeals Court Rules

A federal appeals court upheld much of the FCC’s rollback of net neutrality rules but found that the commission overstepped its authority when it blocked states from enacting their own internet regulations.