Archived Industry Notes: Government
Published in 2008

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iPhone GIS application released for Montana

Integrity Logic announced the release of Geology MT, the latest version of the GIS for the iPhone/iPod platform, covering the state of Montana. This release focuses on the physical geography and geology of the Treasure state, and contains 30 layers of information, which can be superimposed, mixed and rearranged in any desired combination.

“We keep getting surprised by how these apps are used in the field,” said Max Tardiveau, founder of Integrity Logic. “We recently heard from a user who uses the wildfire layer to hunt for mushrooms in Colorado. Apparently, morels grow best right after a fire.”

Details Here

first published week of: 11/09/2009

Hacker exposes unfixed security flaws in Pentagon Web site.

A Romanian hacker has posted a proof-of-concept attack exploiting vulnerabilities on the Pentagon’s public Web site that were first exposed several months ago and remain unfixed. The hacker, who goes by Ne0h, demonstrated input validation errors in the site’s Web application that allow an attacker to wage a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack. The XSS vulnerability had been previously disclosed by at least two other researchers several months ago – and Ne0h’s findings show the bug is still on the site. The site, which is run by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, is basically a tourist site for the Pentagon and does not appear to house any sensitive data. But a security researcher who studied the Ne0h’s work says the Pentagon Web site could be used to redirect users to a malicious site posing as the Pentagon site

Details Here

first published week of: 12/14/2009

Hackers get into state computers

A hacker broke into the Oregon Department of Human Services computer system on April 8, and investigators were still working on April 10 to determine the extent of the breach. “We have no indication that any personal information has been compromised,” a spokesman for the state Department of Administrative Services said on April 10. The Department of Justice uses the same network application, though there is no indication that the breach extended to that agency, the spokesman said. Hackers frequently try to break their way into the state government’s vast data bank. But the spokesman said it is unusual for an attempt to be successful. At 2:40 p.m. April 8, a state computer security system was alerted an intrusion had occurred within the Human Services network. That alert locked down the system and prevented any further intrusion, added the spokesman. “For security reasons,” the spokesman said he could not offer details of what kind of information might have been obtained. The state’s Enterprise Security Office is investigating. The Department of Human Services, the state’’s largest agency, provides Oregonians with medical insurance, food stamps, and other services.

Details Here

first published week of: 04/13/2009

Houston Exploring Consolidation and Outsourcing Options

Houston recently hired consulting firm TPI to help the city explore aspects of its technology infrastructure it might consolidate or outsource, according to Don Flores, partner and director of State and Local Government Services for TPI.

“They are looking at how to reduce costs to match up those internal costs with the declining tax base,” Flores said.

Data centers will be one obvious infrastructure component headed for change, said Flores.

“There are somewhere in the neighborhood of 16-plus data centers within the city of Houston that can be from the size of a conference room to a large 10,000-square-foot kind of arrangement,” Flores said.

Details Here

first published week of: 10/19/2009

Huntington County fires GIS director

A Huntington County [Indiana] employee who was caught breaking into private e-mails was fired Monday by county commissioners. Geographic Information Systems Director Mike Snelling was removed from his position at the commissioners’ meeting Monday afternoon.

Specific details regarding Snelling’s termination were discussed by the commissioners in an executive session, but the commissioners’ vote to remove Snelling took place during a public meeting. Wall declined to comment on the commissioners’ reasons for firing Snelling.

In November, Snelling was involved in a county e-mail breach. As a result, he was suspended for 10 days without pay and given 90 days probation without access to his computer.

Internet Technology Department employee John Miller discovered Snelling accessed 15 county e-mail accounts — two at the behest of Commissioner Jerry Helvie, and 13 of his own accord.

Details Here

first published week of: 01/26/2009

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