September 14th, 2005

Once more, DARPA calls robots to a Grand Challenge

Posted by ZDNet @ September 14, 2005 @ 3:42 PM

Categories: Government technology

Tags: Security, Robot, Mr., DARPA, ZDNet

It has been almost 18 months since the Pentagon’s research arm, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, first attracted a motley array of autonomous vehicles with a prize of $1 million for the first to complete a 142-mile desert course from Barstow, Calif., to Las Vegas. The most successful robot, developed by a Carnegie Mellon University team, managed all of seven miles.

That’s John Markoff writing in the New York Times about the return of the great robot race in the desert. The next race takes place Oct. 8 and carries a $2 million prize. But, says Markoff, this year the race is likely to be completed, as robotics have taken a great leap - or step - forward.

"Computers are starting to sprout legs and move around in the environment," said Andy Rubin, a Silicon Valley technologist and a financial backer of this year’s Stanford Racing Team, which produced Stanley. Mr. Rubin, who tinkers with robots himself, was the co-founder of Danger Inc., which created the Sidekick hand-held.

"The military are interested in more potent weapons, and by itself that’s a bad answer," said [Sebastian] Thrun, a roboticist and director of the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. His broader goal is to advance robotics as a science and explore applications ranging from aids for the elderly to basic advances in intelligent computerized systems.

Several years ago, when Mr. Thrun was a professor at Carnegie Mellon and Mr. Montemerlo was a graduate student, they helped develop a prototype of a mobile robotic companion for the home that used natural-language voice commands and was able to provide useful information taken from the Internet like weather and television schedules.

There are a myriad of other possible applications for their software, which can reason about the immediate environment; distinguish sky from ground, road and trees; and make lightning-quick decisions.

Military Technology White Papers

• Government/Military Communications Solutions Via Satellite - Gilat
• Government/Military Communication Solutions Via Satellite - Gilat
• Sustaining the Military Enterprise: Architecture for a Lean Transformation - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• DGA Benefits From Implementing Enterprise Application Integration - IBM
• Logistics in Government: RFID Keeps Rolling - Supply Chain Systems
• Statement of Direction: Security Evaluations - Oracle
• Projected Government Needs in Human Language Technology and the Role of Researchers in Meeting Them - Naval Research Laboratory
• Computer Security Criteria: Security Evaluations and Assessment - Oracle
• National Security - U.S. Department of Commerce
• New Opportunities in Supply Chain and Logistics - Manugistics

September 14th, 2005

Congress calls for emergency comm upgrades

Posted by ZDNet @ September 14, 2005 @ 2:35 PM

Categories: Disaster recovery, Government technology, Mobile/wireless

Tags: Hewlett-Packard Co., Reed Hundt, U.S. Congress, ZDNet

While some in Congress are pushing for massive funding - $5 billion a year - to upgrade equipment for first responders, some experts are pushing for something more: a national wireless data network, with dedicated frequencies, that first repsonders could plug into after an emergency, Associated Press reports.

Such a system wouldn’t be immune to damage but could be quickly repaired, says one of its advocates, Reed Hundt, who chaired the Federal Communications Commission from 1993-97.

“You drive the new antenna in on the back of a truck or you carry them in on choppers if they’re knocked out or drowned and you can get your network back up in hours,” he said in an interview.

Hundt says he’s suggested such a project, but the White House has ignored it. The Department of Homeland Security did not return phone calls seeking comment on the issue.

Emergency Communications White Papers

• Rapidly Deployable Broadband Wireless Communications for Emergency Management - Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• HP: Crisis Communications - Hewlett-Packard
• National Security and Emergency Preparedness Plan - AT&T
• Investing in Innovation: MCI Helps Government Connect - e.Republic
• HP: First Responders - Hewlett-Packard
• Department of Communications and Information Technology: Center for Geospatial Information Services - Three Year Operational Plan FY2004-2007 - City of Virginia Beach
• Project SAFECOM: Key Cross-Agency Emergency Communications Effort Requires Stronger Collaboration - Government Accountability Office
• Communications Interoperability: A Critical Link in Emergency Response - Motorola
• Wireless IP - Internet Without Wires - National Communications System
• Avaya Communications Continuity Solutions for Government: Increasing the Effectiveness of Your Organization and Its Mission - Avaya

September 14th, 2005

March 2006 deadline looms for implementing enterprise architecture

Posted by ZDNet @ September 14, 2005 @ 1:57 PM

Categories: Government technology, IT Management

Tags: Agency, Enterprise Architecture, ZDNet

Writing in Federal Times, Karlu Rambhala of Avineon notes that OMB will start assessing agencies’ enterprise architectures starting in October. They’ll be done by March 2006. Here are the points they’ll be judging. Does the architecture:

• Enable change management?
• Enable integration and standardization regarding interoperability, data, business logic and interface?
• Support the technological aspects of system components, operating platforms, performance and security?

   

• Mesh with the agency’s strategic goals?

Fortunately, this isn’t exactly untrod ground, he writes.

To accelerate compliance — and a higher level of performance — agencies can borrow from the playbook of commercial enterprises that have achieved success with standardization and interoperability. For example, best practices in architecture design and software development are achieved when design efforts are focused on sound processes, repeatability, clear documentation, appropriate feedback and excellence in project management. The Treasury Department’s Financial Management Service is one agency that has followed this model through its migration from legacy systems to more functional and reusable component-based systems, which offer a measure of success for integration requirements.

September 14th, 2005

Don't neglect intranets when securing servers

Posted by ZDNet @ September 14, 2005 @ 1:41 PM

Categories: Government technology, IT Management, Network security

Tags: Security, Agency, Server, Intranet, ZDNet

Peter McKay, president and CEO of Watchfire, a security software and services vendor, has a piece in the Federal Times reminding agencies not to neglect the intranet when working on security plans for external web sites. Peter writes: "Given their size and scope, [intranets] present challenges that are similar to those common in external sites. There has also been a tendency for intranets to become dumping grounds for obsolete and irrelevant content. The result can be unforeseen privacy and security risks, wasted employee productivity and unnecessary cost burdens."

Agencies should also evaluate precisely what sensitive and insecure content is available on their intranets. Intranets host many applications that house confidential information on employees, agencies and citizens. These sites need to be monitored regularly for vulnerabilities. It is also essential that agencies evaluate their intranet operations for regulatory compliance with relevant federal regulations.

• Conduct an inventory of internal Web properties to better understand the Web environment. Knowing how many sites and servers you have, the technologies in use, and the technology policies and standards your agency employs will create a more secure and productive intranet environment.

• Scan your intranet with an automated solution to identify vulnerable areas, including forms that may be inconsistent with internal privacy policies or may lead to information leaks.

• Understand what employee and citizen information is being collected and published on the Internet and intranet. The intranet is used to publish sensitive information, including human resources forms and employee health care information. Full knowledge of all online data-collection methods is critical to effectively managing Web privacy.

• Understand exactly who has access to this sensitive information. Proper technology and security controls will allow employees to see only the information required to do their jobs. Often, contractors are granted access without careful consideration for all the information they may have access to.

• Consider applicable security, privacy and accessibility legislation such as the 2002 Federal Information Security Management Act, the 2002 E-Government Act and the 1998 Rehabilitation Act amendments.

September 14th, 2005

Is RealID an unfunded mandate? Rep. says no

Posted by ZDNet @ September 14, 2005 @ 12:46 PM

Categories: Government technology, Privacy, Regulations, State & Local Govt

Tags: ZDNet

The RealID Act requires states to meet a set of requirements for state’s driver’s licenses. Governors and other state executives have complained that the law, which doesn’t specifically allocate funds to meet those requirements is an "unfunded mandate."

Last month, at the National Governors Association meeting, governors issued a press release stating their unhappiness with the federal government dictating requirements for driver’s licenses but providing no funds. "The Real ID Act contains unreasonable burdens and unfunded mandates that are unworkable and counterproductive to its goals," the governors’ said.

Yesterday, Government Computer News reported,  Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va), discarded  that characterization, saying, "States can do whatever they want,” Rep. Davis said. “It’s not an unfunded manadate in that sense. But if they want to use them as federal IDs, they must meet our standards."

He’s technically correct on that point. The law says: "Beginning 3 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, a Federal agency may not accept, for any official purpose, a driver’s license or identification card issued by a State to any person unless the State is meeting the requirements of this section."

But it’s ridiculous to think that a state government could simply not have driver’s licenses be acceptable by federal agencies. People in that state couldn’t get a passport for one thing. And the point is to make sure that ID meets minimal federal standards. If states refuse to do it, then the next step is a national ID card, but that would be politically unpopular.

The RealID Act is an unfunded mandate, and the money will have to come from higher driver fees or federal funds. 

September 14th, 2005

Govt. open source conference in October

Posted by ZDNet @ September 14, 2005 @ 11:48 AM

Categories: Conferences, Government technology, IT Management

Tags: Open Source, ZDNet

The Government Open Source Conference is taking place Oct. 13-14 in Portland. Here’s what the organizers say:

OSCON’s inaugural event is a response to the growing interest in the public sector to Open Source.  State and Local government managers are pressed to understand what OSS is, how is it used today, how one determines where its use is appropriate, what the risks and rewards may be.  GOSCON represents a significant opportunity to meet with industry experts - public and private - and gain a better understanding of what opportunities and challenges exist that are unique to the public sector.  Does your agency have an open source strategy in its IT Plan?  Does it even need one? 

 Speakers include:

Stuart Cohen of Open Source Developers Labs

Daniel D. Frye of IBM

Linda Hammel of Massachusett’s IT department

Scott Kveten of Orgeon State University

Registration is open.