Air passengers without Real IDs will hear from TSA agents at the check-in podium.
The security line at the airport might take slightly longer now.
The Transportation Security Administration has instituted a new policy requiring its agents who check photo IDs at airports to advise travelers without Real ID-compliant driver’s licenses that they have just 13 months to get one.
Those travelers now can expect a short spiel from the TSA agent at the check-in podium, which includes explaining the rules and advising travelers on where they can get more information.
“It will take a few extra seconds,” said Lisa Farbstein, a spokeswoman for the TSA. “There are signs at the ticket document podiums and in the lines and on the TSA website.”
The Real ID Act, passed in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, requires licenses to be marked with a special insignia or star, indicating that ID holders have gone through extra steps to prove their identity.
Read full story at GovExec…
first published week of: 09/23/2019
The Trump administration added five Chinese entities to a United States blacklist on Friday, further restricting China’s access to American technology and stoking already high tensions before a planned meeting between President Trump and President Xi Jinping of China in Japan next week.
The Commerce Department announced that it would add four Chinese companies and one Chinese institute to an “entity list,” saying they posed risks to American national security or foreign policy interests. The move essentially bars them from buying American technology and components without a waiver from the United States government, which could all but cripple them because of their reliance on American chips and other technology to make advanced electronics.
Read full story at The New York Times…
first published week of: 06/24/2019
Gen. Paul Nakasone, then a lieutenant general, at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in 2018.
(Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Military cyber officials are developing information warfare tactics that could be deployed against senior Russian officials and oligarchs if Moscow tries to interfere in the 2020 U.S. elections through hacking election systems or sowing widespread discord, according to current and former U.S. officials.
One option being explored by U.S. Cyber Command would target senior leadership and Russian elites, though probably not President Vladimir Putin, which would be considered too provocative, said the current and former officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the issue’s sensitivity. The idea would be to show that the target’s sensitive personal data could be hit if the interference did not stop, though officials declined to be more specific.
“When the Russians put implants into an electric grid, it means they’re making a credible showing that they have the ability to hurt you if things escalate,” said Bobby Chesney, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin. “What may be contemplated here is an individualized version of that, not unlike individually targeted economic sanctions. It’s sending credible signals to key decision-makers that they are vulnerable if they take certain adversarial actions.”
Read full story at Washington Post…
first published week of: 12/30/2019
At the beginning of this year, President Trump signed into law the Open, Public, Electronic and Necessary Government Data Act, requiring that nonsensitive government data be made available in machine-readable, open formats by default.
As researchers who study data governance and cyber law, we are excited by the possibilities of the new act. But much effort is needed to fill in missing details – especially since these data can be used in unpredictable or unintended ways.
The federal government would benefit from considering lessons learned from open government activities in other countries and at state and local levels.
Read full story at Government Executive…
first published week of: 03/11/2019
In a Sept. 23 request for information, USPS said it is exploring the use of unmanned aircraft systems to supplement mail delivery on expensive routes and collect geospatial data to help improve performance of all autonomous vehicles, including its own, and inform its facility and land management.
The drones would conduct beyond-line-of-sight mail delivery to remote locations or to residences with long driveways. The drone would launches from a USPS vehicle, make its delivery and return to the vehicle as the carrier continued along the route.
USPS also envisions a drones-as-a-service operation where clients could access USPS drones for their own deliveries. Additionally, drone service providers could leverage USPS drone resources -- vehicles, launching, charging, data -- for their own applications, such as farm surveys or power line inspections.
Read full story at GCN…
first published week of: 10/07/2019
These cities, along with others yet to be announced, join Chicago and Minneapolis, which are the first in the world where customers have access to the company’s 5G Ultra Wideband mobility service.
Verizon has announced the next 20 cities in the U.S. that will have access to its 5G Ultra Wideband service this year.
Those cities are Atlanta; Boston; Charlotte, N.C.; Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio; Dallas and Houston, Texas; Denver; Des Moines, Iowa; Detroit; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Mo.; Little Rock, Ark.; Memphis, Tenn.; Phoenix; Providence, R.I.; San Diego; Salt Lake City; and Washington, D.C.
Read full story at GovTech…
first published week of: 04/29/2019
Nearly 12,000 snowplows in the state will be outfitted with new software and equipment to more efficiently manage winter weather operations. The changes will mean better monitoring of routes, and vehicle maintenance.
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will outfit some 11,700 snowplows with new technology to provide officials with real-time operational data via a “snowplow tracker” mounted on each device.
“The snowplow tracker shares snowplow locations and clearing efforts with the public during winter weather events, and the improved system will provide more timely and accurate data to this service,” said Branco Vlacich, maintenance division administrator at VDOT.
The technology will be provided by CalAmp, which produces connected vehicle equipment and software. The Virginia Department of Transportation signed a 10-year deal to use CalAmp’s iOn fleet software-as-a-service technology to manage its own snow removal equipment, as well as contract equipment.
Some of the data collected by the iOn system includes the location of individual vehicles, their speed, idling data, mileage, engine diagnostics, driver behavior and more, said Brett Lim, director of global sales at CalAmp.
Read full story at Government Technology…
first published week of: 07/29/2019
Chris Youngblut, director of technology services for the city of Waterloo, standing, and Ben Wagner of the engineering department, discuss GIS projects.
The city of Waterloo has received an award for its work with geographic information systems.
Esri gave the city a 2019 Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) award at the Esri user conference July 10 in San Diego. The award recognized the city for developing a single enterprise GIS that coordinated GIS processes, users and data throughout the city.
Chris Youngblut, director of technology services for the city, and Ben Wagner, of the engineering department, accepted the award on behalf of the city.
“It is an honor to be recognized by the leading company in this field,” Youngblut said. “Even more gratifying is implementing cutting edge technology to city departments that will help us better serve the public.”
The city had been using three different Esri customer accounts in six departments before moving to the enterprise GIS.
Read full story at Cedar Valley Business…
first published week of: 09/09/2019
Public safety and law enforcement need to know about and follow FAA regulations for their drone programs.
Drones, formally known as unmanned aerial systems, have proliferated rapidly across the public safety community in the United Sates.
According to a May 2018 report from Bard College’s Center for the Study of the Drone, at least 910 state and local police, sheriff, fire, and emergency services agencies in the U.S. had acquired drones as of the report’s publication.
Notably, the center estimated that the number of public safety agencies with drones had increased by around 82 percent in the last year prior to the report’s publication. “All told, there are now more than twice as many agencies that own drones as there are agencies that own manned aircraft in the U.S.,” the report states.
As StateTech has reported, “cities, counties and state governments turn to drones to help fight crime, combat fires and assist in rescue efforts.” However, public safety agencies cannot simply go out and purchase a fleet of drones. They need to abide by federal and state UAS regulations and engage in proper drone training.
Read full story at StateTech…
first published week of: 10/28/2019
he Cyberspace Solarium Commission aims to have policy recommendations ready to plug into the next defense authorization bill, Co-Chairman Rep. Mike Gallagher said.
Foreign adversaries are increasingly turning to cyberattacks to disrupt the U.S. economy, steal trade secrets and undermine the political process, and Congress is teaming with government and industry experts to fight back.
Lawmakers in May stood up the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, a 16-person panel charged with reviewing U.S. cyber strategy and recommending policy changes to improve the country’s response to digital threats. The group, whose members include lawmakers, high-ranking national security officials and a smattering of industry experts, is expected to release its findings around the end of the year.
Nextgov recently sat down with the commission’s co-chairman Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., to discuss gaps in U.S. cyber policy, the high turnover among national security officials and what we can expect from the commission’s report.
Read full story at NextGov…
first published week of: 11/25/2019