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Archived Government Notes
Published in 2020
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Analysis: How to Protect Civil Liberties in a Pandemic
by Conor Friedersdorf
There are much bigger worries than temporary stay-at-home orders.
Last month, tens of millions of Americans suddenly accepted previously unthinkable restrictions on freedoms as basic as leaving home, gathering for worship, assembling in public, running businesses, and having elective surgery.
They did so understanding the sacrifice to be urgent and temporary. The coronavirus was spreading. Dramatic action was required to avert countless deaths. Then life would return to normal. But as the weeks pass, the comforting conceit that this emergency is time-limited begins to muddy as much as it clarifies. What if there is no effective treatment until 2021? Or 2023? What if more and more members of the public dissent from social distancing with each passing week, until compliance is no longer mostly voluntary?
The prospect of civil disobedience seemed to grow last week, when President Donald Trump instructed his Twitter followers to “liberate” several states with Democratic governors and small populist protests began to make headlines in communities across the country. In one scene, protesting motorists in Denver were met by health-care workers silently blocking traffic. On Monday, a couple thousand people gathered for an anti-quarantine protest in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Similar gatherings are scheduled in other cities.
Read full story at GovExec…
first published week of: 06/01/2020
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Are Feds Ready for 5G Networks?
by Firooz Ghanbarzadeh
5G wireless is coming, and the potential is significant. What can agencies do to get ready
5G wireless networks are no longer theoretical. At the end of 2019, T-Mobile’s 5G network covered about 200 million people nationwide, Verizon had 5G coverage in 31 cities and AT&T had coverage in 19 cities. Those milestones do come with some caveats: T-Mobile’s deployment runs on the 600-megahertz wireless spectrum and AT&T’s runs on the 850MHz spectrum, meaning that speeds are not as fast as Verizon’s high-band millimeter wave spectrum 5G. However, high-band spectrum has limited coverage and cannot easily penetrate buildings.
With all of this activity, the federal government is taking notice. Agencies that rely on mobile connectivity are exploring 5G as they seek to take advantage of the new generation of technology’s benefits.
5G can deliver data speeds 10 to 100 times faster than 4G LTE. Speeds on AT&T’s 5G network in Dallas hit 1.3 gigabits per second during April tests conducted by PC Magazine. Meanwhile, tests CNET performed in May on Verizon’s 5G network in Chicago produced download speeds of 1.3Gbps
Read full story at FedTech…
first published week of: 02/03/2020
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Arlington, VA Still Charging Late Fees, Sending Letters Threatening to Turn Off Water Service
by ARLnow.com
Arlington County is still sending letters threatening to turn off the water service of delinquent utility customers, though it actually stopped the practice last month amid the coronavirus outbreak.
On March 16 the Virginia State Corporation Commission ordered utility providers to stop disconnections of electricity, gas, water and sewer utility services as a result of the public health emergency. The next day Arlington announced that it was suspending water shut offs. “Arlington County will not shut off any customer’s water service for non-payment, effective March 17,” the county government said. “This is to ensure access to safe, clean water during the coronavirus outbreak.”
But delinquency notices sent to homeowners whose water bills have not been paid have continued to list a “turn off date” and threaten that “water service is subject to be turned off without further notice.” The county has also continued assessing late fees.
Read full story at arl.com…
first published week of: 05/04/2020
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Army Awards Massive Contract for Commercial Software
by phil goldstein
At the same time, the service branch has been taking steps to enhance and modernize its own software development efforts.
For the Army, software enables everything from communication and collaboration to capabilities that warfighters need on the battlefield. The service branch in recent weeks has been taking steps on two fronts to make it more agile and modern when it comes to the software it uses.
On Aug. 31, the Army awarded a $13 billion contract to 31 vendors, including CDW•G, to supply commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software across the Defense Department. The 10-year indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract, known as Information Technology Enterprise Solutions - Software 2, covers 14 product categories in addition to related incidental services and hardware.
Separately, the Army Futures Command, which is leading the Army’s modernization efforts, recently launched a new “software factory” to help train soldiers to be able to quickly develop and deploy software to meet the service’s needs.
Taken together, the developments indicate that the Army is looking to modernize its approach to software use and application development.
Read full story at FedTech…
first published week of: 09/28/2020
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Army Sets Up Software Factory for 2028 Battle and Beyond
by scott maucione
The Army opened its first ever software “factory” today in Austin, Texas as a way to use software development to prepare for future warfare, constantly update practices and cultivate a technologically advanced workforce.
The soldier-led Software Factory takes after entities already established in the Air Force like Kessel Run and Kobayashi Maru, which use agile software and DevSecOps to improve weapons systems and address service member needs.
“The capability to develop software at the lowest tactical levels will help us provide better software products,” said Gen. Mike. Murray, leader of Army Futures Command in a Tuesday statement. “We anticipate long-term cost savings and expect the Software Factory to help us maintain a competitive advantage across Army modernization efforts.”
The factory will work on projects led by soldier demand in the field, and will do that by focusing on three lines of effort: digital proficiency, leveraging modern technology to solve existing Army problems with agile software and harnessing an innovative spirit.
Read full story at Federal News Network…
first published week of: 07/20/2020
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Audit Finds IT Security Issues Across Kansas Agencies
by sherman smith
Many agencies failed to comply with IT security practices that protect sensitive information against data loss or theft, with findings showing no progress has been made from past reports on similar concerns.
The Legislature’s auditing division released a three-year study Wednesday that reveals significant information technology security weaknesses across 19 state agencies.
More than half the agencies failed to comply with IT security practices that protect sensitive information against data loss or theft. The findings show that no progress has been made from past reports that reflected similar concerns.
The state will face significant consequences if hackers are able to access an agency’s network or confidential data because of poor security controls, state audit report
“It’s a very serious situation,” said Sen. Julia Lynn, a Republican from Olathe who serves as chairwoman of the Legislative Post Audit Committee. “Our constituents expect and believe their data is safe. These continual reports have shattered the faith of the Post Audit Committee that these issues are being seriously addressed.”
The findings were presented to the committee during executive session, and a full report was published online.
The audit division studied IT functions at 19 state agencies from January 2017 to December 2019. Most agencies failed to scan and patch computers to keep them secure. They didn’t have adequate response plans in place, didn’t provide adequate security training, and didn’t encrypt, back up or destroy electronic data.
“The state will face significant consequences if hackers are able to access an agency’s network or confidential data because of poor security controls,” the report warns. “A significant security breach could disrupt an agency’s mission-critical work, and their reputation would be sorely damaged. A breach also could require costly customer credit report monitoring and could create legal liabilities or financial penalties for the state.”
Read full story at Topeka Capital-Journal…
first published week of: 02/24/2020
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Aurora, Ill., Poised to Adopt a Comprehensive Smart City Infrastructure
by erin brereton
The city is pursuing a plan that could incorporate smart lighting, surveillance and other technologies into its operations.
In recent years, Aurora, Ill., has made a number of standard tech updates — refreshing the Cisco Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing technology that allows it to push higher bandwidths over long distances, for instance, and transitioning from its current version of Microsoft Office to Office 365.
Under the guidance of Aurora CIO Michael Pegues, the city may soon commit to a more significant undertaking: embarking on its journey as a smart city. Pending the city council’s approval, the city would establish a public-private partnership with vendors providing expertise and amenities, such as sensor installation, potentially touching on elements ranging from parking to public safety.
“We’re trying to create a managed services arrangement to manage the specific scope of the smart infrastructure,” Pegues says. “The public-private partnership would be a new entity and would work as a partner to manage, say, intelligent traffic signals.”
Read full story at StateTech…
first published week of: 06/22/2020
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Ban on Chinese Made Telecom Equipment Starts Soon
by tom temin
The ban on federal contractor use of certain Chinese made equipment is getting to be something of a nightmare. The ban starts in less than a month. The rule for how to facilitate the ban is barely out from the Federal Acquisition Regulation Council. With analysis, Miller and Chevalier partner Jason Workmaster joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
Interview transcript: Federal News Network…
first published week of: 07/27/2020
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Bangladesh to Bring Country Under GIS for Making 999 More Effective
by Daily Star Staff
The government has taken measures to bring the country under a Geographic Information System and to install the Internet of Things (IoT) to make the National Emergency Service-999 more effective.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said this at the parliament today in reply to a query from Jatiya Party MP Fakhrul Imam.
In a scripted answer, the minister said under the supervision of Bangladesh Police, the total map of the country will be brought under a GIS software.
“Through this, it would be possible to identify the emergency providing site quickly and accurately. As a result of the Geographic Information System (GIS) software, it would be possible to provide service under the National Emergency Service-999 specifically,” he said.
Read full story at Daily Starr…
first published week of: 02/17/2020
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Best Practices for Tech Transformation in Government
by Forrester Research
As governments around the world deal with the global pandemic and economic challenges, the need for digital transformation and exceptional government customer experience (CX) has never been greater.
The pandemic has exposed the importance of technology transformation as a fundamental pillar for reforming the overall workings of government. Governments across the globe more than ever rely on modern technology to manage their priorities like more citizen engagement, improved government productivity, and higher economic growth.
Moreover, technology transformation will enable governments to do more with fewer investments.
Technology transformation is about more than selecting, rolling out, and operating the latest technology. It's as much about process and service design, corporate culture, and regulation. Just making customer experience (CX) more digital does not necessarily improve CX. What makes CX better is making it easier, more compelling, and more effective. This means that:
first published week of: 10/19/2020