Kris Osborn – Defense.org: “The Navy has begun a new pilot program to put tablets on board a destroyer in order to reduce paperwork and more efficiently streamline maintenance procedures, service officials said. Roughly 20 wireless tablets will soon arrive on board the USS Laboon, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer currently pier side in Norfolk, Va., Rear Adm.… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Defense
Defense Department military equipment distributed free to states around the country
New York Times – “Most U.S. counties have received at least some military equipment through a free Pentagon surplus program.” See also Tools of War in Counties Across the U.S. – “State and local police departments, like the one in Ferguson, Mo., get some of their military-style equipment through a free Defense Department program created in the early 1990s. Below… Continue Reading
Report: British spy agency scanned for vulnerable systems in 32 countries
PCWorld via Mikael Ricknäs: “British intelligence agency GCHQ used port scanning as part of the “Hacienda” program to find vulnerable systems it and other agencies could compromise across at least 27 countries, German news site Heise Online has revealed. The use of so-called port scanning has long been a trusty tool used by hackers to find systems they… Continue Reading
Paper – TSA device flaws compromise airport security
Via FCW.com: “The cybersecurity vulnerabilities uncovered in a number of the Transportation Security Administration’s electronic security and personnel management devices are part of a growing problem for federal IT managers, according to the expert that discovered and reported the flaws. Billy Rios, director of threat intelligence at Qualys, a large security tech firm, presented a paper in early… Continue Reading
Extensive interview of Edward Snowden – Wired
James Bamford, via Wired: “..Snowden will continue to haunt the US, the unpredictable impact of his actions resonating at home and around the world. The documents themselves, however, are out of his control. Snowden no longer has access to them; he says he didn’t bring them with him to Russia. Copies are now in the hands… Continue Reading
Big Data in Materials Research and Development
“Big Data in Materials Research and Development is the summary of a workshop convened by the National Research Council Standing Committee on Defense Materials Manufacturing and Infrastructure in February 2014 to discuss the impact of big data on materials and manufacturing. The materials science community would benefit from appropriate access to data and metadata for materials… Continue Reading
Infographic: A Day in the Life of DHS
Nextgov: “Twelve years ago in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Department of Homeland Security was established and consolidated 22 agencies into one organization. Its goal: prevent and respond to attacks and disasters — manmade or otherwise — and safeguard citizens All 22 components have unique missions and plenty gets done in… Continue Reading
SIGAR – Afghanistan: Quarterly Report to the United States Congress
Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. Quarterly Report to the U.S. Congress. July 30, 2014 “This report summarizes SIGAR’s oversight work and updates developments in the three major sectors of Afghanistan’s reconstruction effort from April 1 to June 30, 2014. It also discusses whether the reconstruction is sustainable. During this reporting period, SIGAR published 30 audits, inspections, alert… Continue Reading
Why Is the Economy Still Weak? Blame These Five Sectors – NYT
Neil Irwin: “The economy keeps underperforming. Yes, new G.D.P. data last week were better than expected. But the United States is still producing around $800 billion a year less in goods and services than it would if the economy were at full health, and as a result millions of people aren’t working who would be if… Continue Reading
Security Clearances: Tax Debts Owed by DOD Employees and Contractors
SECURITY CLEARANCES: Tax Debts Owed by DOD Employees and Contractors, GAO-14-686R: Published: Jul 28, 2014. Publicly Released: Jul 28, 2014. “In summary, GAO found that about 83,000 Department of Defense (DOD) employees and contractors who held or were determined eligible for secret, top secret, or sensitive compartmented information (SCI) clearances, or related interim clearances, had unpaid federal tax… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – Defense Contracting, Federal Grants, Healthcare.gov, Littoral Combat Ship
DEFENSE CONTRACTING: Factors DOD Considers When Choosing Best Value Processes Are Consistent with Guidance for Selected Acquisitions, GAO-14-584: Published: Jul 30, 2014. Publicly Released: Jul 30, 2014. FEDERAL GRANTS: Agencies Performed Internal Control Assessments Consistent with Guidance and Are Addressing Internal Control Deficiencies, GAO-14-539: Published: Jul 30, 2014. Publicly Released: Jul 30, 2014. HEALTHCARE.GOV: Contract Planning and Oversight Practices Were Ineffective… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – CFPB, Drinking Water, Media Ownership, Railroad Retirement, Security Clearances
CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU: Opportunity Exists to Improve Transparency of Civil Penalty Fund Activities, GAO-14-551: Published: Jun 26, 2014. Publicly Released: Jul 28, 2014. DRINKING WATER: EPA Program to Protect Underground Sources from Injection of Fluids Associated with Oil and Gas Production Needs Improvement, GAO-14-555: Published: Jun 27, 2014. Publicly Released: Jul 28, 2014. MEDIA OWNERSHIP: FCC Should Review the Effects of… Continue Reading
