Technically News - 9/16

Technically News scans thousands of industry articles to present you with a weekly source of IT news, information, and ideas that impact the public sector.

Symantec to Start Revoking Customer’s SSL Certificates by October 1

The Certification Authority/Browser Forum and NIST have set a December 31 deadline for stopping the use of 1024-bit certificates which are vulnerable to hackers in today’s computing power era. Symantec has set their own deadline for October 1 for their customers in an effort to keep them as secure and compliant as possible. Read more on CSO Online.

Oracle Launches Cloud Services Built for Government Agencies

Oracle recently announced their Oracle Government Cloud offering, “a comprehensive, flexible and cost effective suite of cloud applications and solutions that extends Oracle’s cloud presence with a secure offering built specifically for government.” Agencies will be able to use these solutions to streamline processes including project management, HR, and finances. Akamai was also named one of the six cloud providers granted provisional authority by Oracle. Read more on GCN.

Red Hat CIO Takes an Open-Source Approach to Security & BYOD

How does the CIO of one of the largest open-source companies in the world tackle cybersecurity and BYOD without compromising on its values? Lee Congdon, CIO of Red Hat answered those questions and more in a recent interview with eWeek. His recommendation? Use a commercial open source solution because you get protection and someone to call if there’s a problem.

Are Federal IT Initiatives Strangling Agency Networks?

“Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.” While Newton was talking physics, government IT officials are thinking the future. Federal decrees have called for agencies to undergo massive changes to five key areas: big data, cloud computing, data center consolidation, mobility, and cybersecurity. However, those changes will create bottlenecks in today’s network. Expect to see network infrastructure the topic of future debates. MertiTalk did the study and Gov Health IT has the story.

13 Cloud Computing Stats for CIOs

StateTech has put together 13 cloud stats that all government CIOs should know. Among them are:  84% of CIOs cut application costs by moving to the cloud and CIOs say they expect savings of 21% due to moving apps to the cloud. Read all the stats at State Tech Magazine.

Cybersecurity Legislation: What’s Next?

NIST has almost completed its final cybersecurity draft framework, which will complete a February executive order. However, that’s only one more step in an ongoing trek toward a safer digital age for agencies and citizens. GovInfoSecurity wants to look toward the coming cybersecurity battles by listing the areas they think need attention. Read their look into the future here.