News and Updates

NIST Publishes NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework

Aug 22, 2017 |

Categorizing and Describing Cybersecurity Work for the Nation The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) is pleased to announce the release of Special Publication 800-181, the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework. This publication serves as a fundamental reference to support a workforce capable of meeting an organization’s cybersecurity needs. It provides organizations with a common, consistent Read »

NIST Crafts Next-Generation Safeguards for Information Systems and the Internet of Things

Aug 22, 2017 |

Information systems—from communications platforms to internet-connected devices—require both security and privacy safeguards to work successfully and protect users in our increasingly complex and interconnected world. Toward these ends, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued a new draft revision of its widely used Special Publication (SP) 800-53, Security and Privacy Controls for Information Read »

Shedding Light on Underserved Users through Research

Aug 17, 2017 |

How user interviews helped spotlight the needs of a previously forgotten group. We may not like to admit it, but, most web services or sites have users that (for whatever reason) just aren’t well understood—and in turn, not well served. Conducting user interviews and making sure you get good participation from those groups can help Read »

2016/2017 Mobile Analysis: Mobile Device Trends on Government Websites

Aug 14, 2017 |

We’d like to thank each agency and sub-agency for their partnership and participation in the Digital Analytics Program (DAP). The data below represents a view from over 4,500+ executive branch websites and the analysis we conducted wouldn’t be possible without you. Since the introduction of the iPhone a decade ago, smartphone and tablet usage has Read »

The Data Briefing: Federal Government Pioneers in Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality Training

Aug 9, 2017 |

When I was in the private sector, around the year 2000, I worked for an information technology (IT) consulting company as a project manager and developer. On one project, I provided support for early mobile devices given to medical students. I worked in a small office around the corner from the cardio-respiratory simulator (CRS). The Read »

By the Numbers: Why Video Is Effective

Aug 7, 2017 |

At HIV.gov, we’re often asked if videos are effective tools for communicating HIV prevention and treatment information. Our experience, the work of our partners, and current research continue to support the use of video for informing and empowering individuals. Read »

Check out Data.gov’s New Metrics Page

Aug 4, 2017 |

Data.gov recently updated its Metrics page to provide greater detail and transparency to the progress of the Data.gov catalog. Data.gov is primarily a metadata catalog, providing information about, and links to, open datasets made available by federal agencies and participating non-federal sources such as state, county, and city Read »

The Cutting EDGE: New Virtual Training Prepares First Responders for Active Shooter Incidents

Aug 3, 2017 |

Amidst the chaos of an active shooter event, preparedness is key to a seamless, swift and effective response—and a new video game funded by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory just might do the trick. Read »

Have You Critiqued Your Critique Process?

Jul 31, 2017 |

DEMO Whenever I hear someone complain about the process of a design critique, I’m always a bit surprised. Blame it on the fact Read »

The Data Briefing: Ten Years of Digital Transformation—Lessons Learned

Jul 26, 2017 |

Since 2007, a major consulting firm has conducted an annual survey on organizations’ “Digital IQ.” In the ten years of organizations grappling with digital transformation, what has been learned? Read »

The Data Briefing: Ten Years of Digital Transformation—Lessons Learned

Making World War I Relevant Today: Are WWI Propaganda Posters the Original Meme?

Jul 5, 2017 |

Merriam-Webster officially defines a meme as “an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture.” But these days, most of us think of memes as those viral posts online that convey a message using a photo with text. They range from funny to serious to offensive, and everything in Read »

Vets.gov: A Modern Software Development Environment in Government

Jul 3, 2017 | ,

When people think of government software, they often think of COBOL and PowerBuilder 5, with manual software deploys every three to six months on a fixed number of machines in a government-run data center. This perception is sometimes justified, but sometimes entirely wrong. Regardless, the perception makes many developers reluctant to work for the government Read »

VA Innovators Network Program: Ahead of the Curve in Healthcare Innovation

Jun 30, 2017 |

VA Innovators Network Program Selected as FedHealth IT Innovation Award Winner This month, FedHealth IT announced that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Innovators Network Program was selected as a 2017 recipient of the FedHealthIT Innovation Award. FedHealth IT recognized 25 Federal Health Read »

Webinar Recap: Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN) June Meeting

Jun 30, 2017 |

This month’s Plain Language of Community Practice meeting featured Katherine Spivey’s presentation, Plain Language Spectrum: Every Step Counts! In this highly useful DigitalGov University (DGU) webinar, she explains how you can move forward with plain language even when you don’t have permission to edit copy, followed by a half hour Q & A session. Many Read »

‘Cybersecuring’ the Internet of Things

Jun 29, 2017 |

I recently had the chance to talk with the legendary Vint Cerf, one of the founding fathers of the internet. We had a wide-ranging discussion about the past, present and future of the internet, network security and what it would take to successfully, safely and reliably merge the digital and physical worlds, a concept known Read »

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