In Washington, some things never change. There are and always will be vigorous debates about policies, programs and of course money. What does change are the names and faces of the people who make many of those decisions, and unless you’ve totally tuned out on the comings and goings in town, here’s a rundown of some things you should know.
Leahy Sets Cyber Privacy Agenda – NextGov
Sen. Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, on Tuesday unveiled an ambitious agenda for changing the country’s privacy laws to keep pace with the digital age.
Obama to hand Commerce Dept. authority over cybersecurity ID – CNET
President Obama is planning to hand the U.S. Commerce Department authority over a forthcoming cybersecurity effort to create an Internet ID for Americans, a White House official said here today.
The shooting of Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and many others on Saturday during a special event in Tucson is a tragedy. Yet, this tragedy was made worse by the irresponsible, faulty and unprofessional manner in which the media reported breaking information to the world. As of Saturday at 2:28 PM, Rep. Giffords was dead. By 4:16, doctors were optimistic about her survival. The Washington Post, NPR and BBC are to blame.
U.S.-Qatar pact aims to strengthen aviation screening – NextGov
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and the Qatar government have reached an accord on information sharing that includes coordinating cybersecurity and body scanning strategies to thwart al Qaeda, according to a letter of intent released on Tuesday.
Lawmakers say cybersecurity is a top priority in 2011 – NextGov
Cybersecurity will be a top priority for the Republican-led House in 2011, but it is unknown when Congress will act on legislation to revamp an outdated federal cyber law, say aides to incoming GOP leaders.
The end of the year is approaching, and it is time to look back and see what the major cyber events/issues have been in 2010. I tried to keep it manageable, but it was a busy year. So, here are my nominations for the most significant cyber issues.
DHS chief says cybersecurity is a civilian problem, not a war – NextGov
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Thursday asserted cybersecurity is a civilian domain, not a military battlefield or private sector jurisdiction, as some critics of federal cyber policy have argued.
I Spy: Controversial PatriotApp Lets Citizens Alert the Feds – Security News Daily
A safe and secure society is at the heart of the new PatriotApp for iPhones, and while it’s quickly gaining popularity, it’s also attracting scorn from people who disagree with the controversial law on which it is based.
Social Media in a Crisis: Why do Citizens Tweet? – Emergency Management Blog
In a recent post on the A.W.A.R.E. blog site, the author relayed an interesting experience turning to Twitter for information about an active fire which was visible from his D.C. office building. He describes a situation where, within minutes of seeing smoke, he and his work colleagues were able find real-time information and photos from citizens posted to Twitter.
Sponsored by:
