Archived Industry Notes: Government
Published in 2008

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Pentagon cyber-command is in the works

The Presidential Administration is finalizing plans for a new Pentagon command to coordinate the security of military computer networks and to develop new offensive cyber-weapons, sources said on April 21. Planning for the reorganization of Defense Department and intelligence agencies is underway, and a decision is imminent, according to a person familiar with the White House plans. The new command would affect U.S. Strategic Command, whose mission includes ensuring U.S. “freedom of action” in space and cyberspace, and the National Security Agency, which shares Pentagon cybersecurity responsibilities with the Defense Information Systems Agency. The Pentagon plans do not involve the Department of Homeland Security, which has responsibility for securing the government’s non-military computer domain. But the President must approve the changes and Congress must be notified of them before they can be implemented, said this source, who has spoken with several White House and military officials. News of the proposal comes on the heels of a 60-day White House review of cybersecurity efforts. Federal agency deputies are expected to meet Friday to consider the recommendations of the review team.

Details Here

first published week of: 04/20/2009

Pentagon spends over $100 million on cyberattack cleanup

The Pentagon spent more than $100 million in the past six months cleaning up after Internet attacks and network issues, military leaders said on Tuesday. “The important thing is that we recognize that we are under assault from the least sophisticated — what I would say the bored teenager — all the way up to the sophisticated nation-state, with some petty criminal elements sandwiched in between,” the head of U.S. Strategic Command told reporters at a cyberspace conference in Omaha, Nebraska. Neither he nor the deputy commander for network operations would say how much of the estimated $100 million was spent cleaning up from viruses compared with outside attacks and inadvertent security problems due to U.S. Department of Defense employees. However, they did say that spending money to shore up the networks to prevent attacks and breaches would be better than paying to clean up after an incident.

Details Here

first published week of: 04/13/2009

Pierce County, WA selects IT Director

Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy announced Dec. 4 she selected Linda Gerull as director of the county's Information Technology Department.

Gerull has served since 1994 as manager of the IT Department's Geographic Information System division, which uses GIS technology to perform activities related to property assessment, health and emergency services, public works and more.

As IT director, Gerull will oversee an award-winning department of roughly 139 employees and a $24 million budget. The IT Department provides strategic planning, software development, system operations, telecommunications and GIS services to county departments, subscribing agencies and businesses, and the general public. Public services available from the Pierce County home page include permit review, jail rosters, critical areas, neighborhood crime reports, property tax records and recorded document search.

Details Here

first published week of: 12/14/2009

Portage County (OH) Public Safety Utilizes DDTI-Created LBRS Dataset

Digital Data Technologies, Inc., (DDTI®), became Portage County’s vendor of choice to create and deliver its Location Based Response System (LBRS) dataset, and has continued to provide the tools necessary for the county’s geographic information systems (GIS) officials to maintain it.

After DDTI’s two-person teams of GIS experts drove every road and field verified every address in Portage County, they handed over a delivery file consisting of 1,744 miles of road centerline and 65,157 addresses. The newly created dataset also included additional information, such as one-way restrictions, traffic control devices, railroad crossings, speed limits, school zones, and visible bridge and culvert locations, all features which can enhance emergency response vehicle routing.

An extra incentive not included in all vendors’ mapping solutions, DDTI field teams mapped the Kent State University campus, which previously followed an unconventional addressing scheme and had recently reassigned all addresses. Now, campus public safety has a field-verified location of each building and dormitory, as well as each student suite located within the on-campus housing. The university’s parking lots with associated identifiers and blue safety phones were also mapped.

Details Here

first published week of: 03/09/2009

Public Meetings Set On New GIS Mapping Of Civil War Sites

The Friends of the Park and Trust for Public Land have collaborated on a federal grant that allowed them to add a Civil War history layer to the Hamilton County GIS property database. This tool will be accessible to the public. To educate people about it and how to use it, the two groups are holding a series of public meetings during the week of Aug. 17.

Details Here

first published week of: 08/10/2009

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