The federal government’s debt has never been more of a hot-button issue than it is now. After threatened government shutdowns and continued wrangling over the deficit, the current political fight hinges on the debt ceiling, a provision of a nearly century-old law that allows Congress to set the allowable limit of public debt the federal [...]

For years, the concept of cybersecurity centered on protecting computer networks from malicious outsiders bent on sneaking past or breaking through firewalls and gaining access to sensitive systems. But recent events in government and the private sector have pointed to the specter of the insider threat, which can be as damaging as traditional threats and [...]

Forget about “doing more with less.” The Defense Department prefers to think of it as “doing more without more.” But, there’s more to the policy than just changing the way defense planners — including procurement chief Ashton Carter — think. In a world where managing the department’s bottom line is a DoD priority, the department [...]

When President Barack Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law shortly into his presidency two years ago, the administration and the media touted the “shovel-ready” projects the stimulus act would help to create? But, what about the lab-coat-ready projects? Along with the expansion of unemployment benefits and increased spending on healthcare and [...]

Despite all the talk of cloud computing in the federal sector and, more important, action on cloud computing, security questions have threatened to overwhelm the government’s “cloud-first” policy with question marks. While cloud has promised to “free” data, making it easier to use, share and collaborate, how feasible is cloud computing for federal agencies with [...]

The big news last week for the government-contracting community was the update Defense Secretary Robert Gates provided on the Pentagon efficiencies. But, along with his familiar refrain, voicing support for the $100 billion in cost savings, he also announced an additional $78 billion in budget cuts, including the cancellation of some weapons systems. “Not every [...]

So, it’s another year. You’re back in the office and, soon, a new Congress will get back to work too, taking up all the issues it left on the table before it broke for the holiday recess. And, while there are still a lot of issues to cover, Congress actually did its homework early for [...]

When federal Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra laid out the government’s plans for federal IT management reform last week, industry leaders took note. And many have reacted with optimism about the plans, which aim to give federal IT a boost and close the gaps between it and the private sector. The biggest hurdle will likely [...]

If the cooling (or downright frigid) temperatures are any indication, the holidays are approaching, which for many mean impending vacations from work or school. But, before you close the books just yet, ExecutiveGov takes you back to school on three key pieces of legislation dealing with the business of government contracting over the past 25 [...]

The National Reconnaissance Office, the agency responsible for designing, building and operating the nation’s reconnaissance satellites celebrates its 50th birthday this year. And, in addition to its renewed sense of mission for the 21st century, the agency also has a milestone under its belt — the launch of the largest spy satellite in reconnaissance history. [...]