Here’s to all the Fathers out there. I hope you all
had the fantastic day/weekend you deserved with your loved ones! On to the
headlines tailored for that #1 public sector tech dad (or mom, or single
person)...
Key Takeaway: NASCIO Releases FirstNet Survey Report
In case you missed it, NASCIO released its report on
state progress in the planning of the FirstNet nationwide public safety
broadband network. The report, the first to provide a comprehensive
overview of state progress, shows a multitude of approaches being taken by
state governments, along with significant progress when it comes to governance
and outreach. You can find the report here. There’s a wide range of
media coverage that you can check out, as well: here, here, and,
well--kind of all over.
Other Buzz:
NSTIC Funding Update
In the last WHAT, I
described the House’s effort to eliminate the National
Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC) program, a research and
development project to create technology to replace the not-so-secure
online username/password with a more secure proof of identity online. While the
House Commerce, Justice, Science and related agencies (CJS) Appropriations bill
would only provide $5.9 million of the requested $16.5 million for the National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) program, the Senate bill currently
supports the administration’s full request--ensuring that ongoing pilot
programs in at least three states can continue. The Senate plans to use the
next two weeks considering amendments to their CJS bill (S 2437), along with Transportation-HUD (S 2438) and Agriculture (S 2389). The goal is to move the three bills together to
garner enough support in the chamber. NASCIO will monitor the list
amendments for attempts to cut spending on NSTIC.
CJS FirstNet OIG
Language
Language in the House and
Senate CJS bills would both require FirstNet to transfer money from its general
funds to support the Department of Commerce's Inspector General for the
purposes of oversight and accountability of FirstNet. The Senate Committee
specifically supports a transfer of $1.4 million, which seems to be a huge
amount for one year of oversight. Congress transferring funds away from
FirstNet could also set a significant precedent for the future. The Senate
also requested FirstNet to provide a “report on the cost efficiencies of using
deployable and self-contained architectures that operate with and without
backhaul capabilities which include fiber, microwave, and satellite services in
FirstNet deployment”
GOP House Majority
Leader Drama Has Tech Implications
While not a story on the front pages
or on CNN, Representative Cantor’s primary loss, his subsequent stepping down
from his position as House Majority Leader, and the race to replace him, has
significant implications for the general technology Community, as Rep. Cantor
was considered an ally of the technology community writ large. That said,
his likely successor--Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)--has strong ties to the
technology community and considers himself “an unofficial
ambassador to Silicon Valley for House Republicans.”
Your
Weekly Techbytes:
Wyoming’s State Broadband Gets
Huge Speed Boost
Survey: Up to 70 Percent of
Government Staff Will Depart Within 5 Years
Building Next Generation Networks
The CIO Puzzle: ‘It’s Not that
Simple’
CIA Breaks its Social Media
Silence with a Joke
Cybercrime costs $575 billion a
year, $100 billion to US