The Defense Department’s acquisition czar said as the U.S. prepares to draw down forces in Afghanistan, the need for a more capable and better equipped force is even more crucial. Ashton Carter, undersecretary of defense for acquisitions, technology and logistics, at a Defense Logistics Agency conference in Columbus, Ohio, said the agency had accomplished a [...]

Most federal agencies are unable to fully track the savings generated by closing data centers, federal IT decision-makers say, according to a new study by government-IT network MeriTalk and IT storage firm NetApp. The study, “Measure to Manage II: Consolidation Crash Course?” found that only 23 percent of agency IT officials said their IT departments [...]

Last month, the White House issued a proposed cybersecurity bill that would give the Department of Homeland Security greater authority to protect federal civilian computer networks. Even so, one of that agency’s top cyber officials said recently the cyber realm still lacks a cop on the beat. “The sheriff hasn’t actually showed up in cyberspace,” [...]

In the continuing deficit-cutting talks, surrounding if and how Congress will vote to authorize an increase in the debt ceiling, The Washington Post reported recently Republicans and Democrats may have eyed a slice of the budget pie they can agree needs to be cut: military spending. As the debt-limit drama comes down to the wire [...]

The Office of Management and Budget concluded in an annual report to Congress that regulations reviewed over the past decade show the benefits of regulations outweigh the costs. However, the report also found that only about 27 percent of the 66 new regulations enacted in 2010 actually calculated both benefits and costs. The report, in [...]

Soon-to-be Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has his work cut out for him. While current Secretary Robert M. Gates, who retires at the end of the week, has earned accolades for making a dent in many of the important issues facing the Defense Department, others remain. Gates said recently that when he was asked to stay [...]

Are you a technology professional trying to get a security clearance? If so, the odds are you’ll be playing less of the waiting game than many others. That’s because the government processes clearances for IT pros more quickly than for others, according to a new study by ClearanceJobs.com, Nextgov reports. According to that study, almost [...]

Six months into the federal IT reform process, the race — marathon is probably a more apt metaphor — has only begun. But it’s crucial agencies continue to make progress toward the end goal, said Mary Davie, assistant commissioner of the Office of Integrated Technology Services at the General Services Administration. “How we finish is [...]

DHS CHCO Jeff Neal, Photo: DHS.gov Department of Homeland Security Chief Human Capital Officer Jeff Neal announced he will retire in August, according to a Federal News Radio report. The 31-year-veteran of government service announced in a staff email he will step down Aug. 3. “I would not trade my experience for anything,” Neal wrote [...]

  Facing a $300 million cut in its IT budget, the Social Security Administration is undergoing a comprehensive reorganization according to an email from SSA Commissioner Michael J. Astrue to senior staff and obtained by various media outlets. “To maximize our efficiency during these lean budget times, I am implementing several functional and organizational realignments [...]