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Daily Archives: May 28, 2009

Toward A 21st Century Framework for Federal Government Privacy Policy

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Information Security and Privacy Advisory Board (ISPAB), Toward A 21st Century Framework for Federal Government Privacy Policy, May 2009

  • “[this]…report analyzes issues and makes recommendations around updating privacy law and policy in light of technological change. The Privacy Act of 1974 is the basis for much of the legal and policy framework by which the U.S. Government handles personal information. At the same time, vast changes in technology since 1974 have transformed how Federal agencies collect, use, and distribute information in major ways. While the fundamentals of the Act—the principles of fair information practices remain relevant and current, the letter of the Act and related law and policy may not reflect the realities of current technologies and information systems and do not protect against many important threats to privacy. Moreover, new technologies, not covered by the Act, are generating new questions and concerns; and government use of private‐sector databases now allows the collection and use of detailed personal information with little privacy protections. The attached report examines these issues, and is based on a record that has been developed through the Board’ having heard from numerous panels of experts for several years. The Board provides analysis and makes recommendations for the Administration and Congress to consider.”

    • North American Surface Trade Numbers for March 2009

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    New release: “Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico was 27.9 percent lower in March 2009 than in March 2008, dropping to $51.1 billion, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the U.S. Department of Transportation, March was the third… Continue Reading

    EPA Launches Annual Efforts to Protect Area Beaches, Coastal Waters and New York/New Jersey Harbor

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    News release: “With the beginning of the beach season, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is again undertaking a beach and harbor protection program, comprising surveillance, sampling and funding activities to safeguard beaches and bays in New Jersey and New York, and the health of the people who enjoy them. Using its helicopter, ships and… Continue Reading

    New GAO Reports: FDIC Audit, DOD Gift Fund Policies, U.S. Public Diplomacy

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    Financial Audit: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Funds’ 2008 and 2007 Financial Statements, GAO-09-535, May 28, 2009 Financial Management: DOD Needs to Clarify Its General Gift Fund Policies to Provide for Effective Oversight, GAO-09-486R, May 27, 2009 U.S. Public Diplomacy: Key Issues for Congressional Oversight, GAO-09-679SP, May 27, 2009 Continue Reading

    The Budgetary Treatment of Proposals to Change the Nation's Health Insurance System

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    The Budgetary Treatment of Proposals to Change the Nation’s Health Insurance System, May 27, 2009 “The Congress is currently considering various approaches for instituting major changes in the nation’s system of health insurance. Some of those proposals would signifi­cantly expand the federal government’s role in that sys­tem, thus raising the question of how such changes… Continue Reading

    NIST: Working Definition of Cloud Computing Released

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    “NIST announces that its working definition of cloud computing is available. Researchers worked in collaboration with industry and government to draft the definition that serves as a foundation for its research and future publication on the topic. Cloud computing is a pay-per-use model for enabling available, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of… Continue Reading