Technically News - 10/14

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.

NC Government Center Seeks Better IT Management

How do you stop government IT waste? For North Carolina, their new Innovation Center is the answer. The building is a state-of-the-art IT playground for public sector workers to learn about and experiment with new IT technologies. Vendors show their wares and personally show users how they work. It’s a big leap from the usual PowerPoint slide sales pitch, and one the state hopes will eliminate “it doesn’t work” excuses. Read more on Merced Sun-Star. Also, check out OpenSource.com’s interview with Raleigh’s CIO about “Open Raleigh.”

Cybersecurity Help Wanes Due to Government Shutdown

We reported last week that the government shutdown was creating a huge cybersecurity risk. Today, we’d like to explore another aspect of that weakness: reduced help. Thanks to the shutdown, government-sponsored cybersecurity training - in the forms of work groups, conferences, and classes - is shuttered for the time being. The irony of it being National Cybersecurity Awareness Month is not lost on us. USA Today has the scoop.

Should CIOs Be Worried About the Federal Shutdown?

Last week, and we promise this will be the last government shutdown cybersecurity article, we reported that Federal Government CIO Steven VanRoekel said that now is the time for hackers to attack the government’s networks. Forbes has an article with recommendations for CIOs during these difficult times. Among the suggestions: Know your most critical investments, services, and resources, and communicate early and often. Read more here.

Infrastructure Cybersecurity: Carrots and Sticks

Henry Kenyon over at Information Week thinks he knows a good place to start the revitalized infrastructure cybersecurity debate: preexisting anti-terror legislation. He points out risks inherent in President Obama’s executive order E.O. 13636 (the incentivized carrot method) and points toward a safer application of the legislation, with penalties (where the stick comes in), based on the SAFETY act. Read his thoughts here.

How Analytics is Making NYC’s Streets and Buildings Safer

Later this week, we’ll talk with San Mateo’s Open Data Manager about the kind of work he and his team are doing in their county with data. Today, we’re reporting on New York City’s massive investment in their data infrastructure. They recently created the DataBridge: a platform that allows for cross-departmental data analysis from 40 agencies. They hope this will create more efficiencies and increased safety. GCN has the article.