The Government Accountability Office and the DHS Inspector General are raising warning flags on several big-ticket IT projects at the Homeland Security Department.
The past year has seen unprecedented consolidation in the IT security field, especially in the antivirus business, where big companies have gobbled up innovative small companies.
The Transportation Security Administration has addressed fully only one of the 10 areas of congressional interest related to development of its Secure Flight airline passenger screening system.
The prospect of people carrying many different biometric identification smart cards, each recognized by a single workplace or venue, doesn't seem so smart.<p> That's why the federal government is nudging ? some say pushing ? the biometrics industry toward greater interoperability, to make the cards scannable by multiple systems.
The Bush administration's dramatic boost in IT spending at the Homeland Security department may be a signal that the sprawling, two-year-old department is ready to consolidate some of its major programs and systems.
Congress is considering giving the Homeland Security Department secretary authority to loosen privacy regulations with an eye to creating a national identification card, a move the DHS privacy chief opposes.
The General Services Administration is combing the Federal Supply Service's IT schedule for smart-card vendors whose products and services meet a new governmentwide standard.
The State Department and the Government Printing Office in the next few weeks will decide which and how many companies will provide electronic passports for U.S. citizens.
The Air Force is getting a head start on implementing Microsoft security patches through a program that lets the department get beta versions of software.
L-3 Communications Integrated Systems has won a $16 million contract from the Missile Defense Agency to support MDA's airborne sensor mission operations program.
NCI Information Systems has won a multiyear, $35 million contract from the National Security Agency to provide knowledge management solutions and expertise.
The department will receive beta patches before they are officially released to test the programs in environments, configurations and against applications.
An independent task force recommends the countries create a common North American security perimeter by 2010 with a common biometric border pass to expedite passage through customs, immigration and airport security.
Language Analysis Systems Inc. and the Customs and Border Protection agency have entered into a sole-source contract for software to help analyze names of suspected terrorists.
The State Department and the Government Printing Office are in the final stages of determining which and how many companies will provide electronic passports for Americans.
Security systems integrator ATC International Holdings Inc. has set up a government systems division to serve the company's federal, state and local clients in the U.S. and foreign government clients.
