Testimony: DHS intelligence units need better links

The Transportation Security Administration's intelligence office needs to improve its IT links with other intelligence units within the Homeland Security Department, a senior TSA official said at a congressional hearing Wednesday.

DiPentima: Integrators must roll with changes

Standardization, consolidation and outsourcing have reduced demand for traditional government systems integration while providing new areas of opportunity, Renato DiPentima, SRA International's chief executive, said today at the Washington Technology Top 100 conference for federal contractors.

FBI faces uphill struggle with IT oversight: GAO

The jury is still out on whether FBI is effectively managing its IT procurements, the Government Accountability Office stated in a newly released letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Safety Act rule to speed liability protection

The just-published final rule for the Homeland Security Department's Safety Act implementation sets up a speedier process for federal contractors to win liability protections made possible under the act.

Testimony: DHS wants tighter northern border

The United States wants to implement biometric border-crossing identification cards by 2008 to protect the nation against possible attacks by terrorists based in Canada.

H-1B expansion draws support

The Senate's recent expansion of the controversial H-1B visa program is shaping up as one of the big political mosh pits of the IT world.

Homeland watch: In brief

Along the Secure Border Initiative's speed to deployment, people are talking about a Q&A published by the Homeland Security Department in May that suggests contractors are worried about the expense of moving large numbers of employees to remote border regions to set up the system.

Teams vie for SBINet

With billions of dollars, major corporate reputations and thousands of contracting jobs at stake, the Secure Border Initiative Network is off to a running start.

Texas strings border with surveillance cameras

The state of Texas will spend $5 million to place hundreds of video cameras along its border with Mexico that will broadcast surveillance footage on the Internet to help prevent crime and illegal border crossings.

Ericsson joins race for SBINet

Ericsson Inc. is the fourth major contractor to submit a proposal this week to build the anticipated $2 billion Secure Border Initiative Network for the Homeland Security Department.

Coy to lead L-3's homeland security group

L-3 Communications Corp. of New York City today named Craig P. Coy as president of its new Homeland Security Group overseeing solutions for port, border and airport security and related areas.

Boeing fields SBINet team

Boeing Integrated Defense Systems will team with DRS Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group, Kollsman Inc., L-3 Government Services Inc., Perot Systems Corp. and Unisys Global Public Sector.

SBI Net bids move forward

Two of the nation's largest federal contractors announced today that they have submitted separate proposals to build the Secure Border Initiative Network for the Homeland Security Department.

NARA: Better approach needed for records

The federal government needs to apply a more integrated approach to declassifying records, a new report from the National Archives and Records Administration recommends.

CACI inks DISA workflow management deal

CACI International Inc. won a $42 million prime contract from the Defense Information Systems Agency to support its federal contractor workflow management IT system.

TSA to build Registered Traveler info network

A centralized information network will be created to aggregate, store and distribute data to all entities participating in Registered Traveler, according to a new business model for the program released by the Transportation Security Administration.

Souped-up grant programs target port security

As Congress prepares to approve increased funding for port security grants, contractors said the money is likely to pay for more comprehensive surveillance, domain awareness and information-sharing IT systems which, in many cases, systems integrators are installing.

When in Rome ?

When asked to offer his finger or palm for a biometric vein scan, Claudio Casuccio balks. "That's looking inside your body," Casuccio said. "It is very invasive, in my opinion." His view underscores the cultural differences that can arise as companies take their biometric solutions around the globe.

Group knocks DHS advisory panel's stance on RFID for human identification

An internal advisory group within the Homeland Security Department is making incorrect generalizations about radio frequency identification technology and has offered no scientific evidence to back up its claims, according to an IT industry trade group.

Northrop Grumman unveils SBI-Net team

Led by Northrop Grumman Corp., six of the nation's largest federal prime contractors have formed a team to pursue the Homeland Security Department's upcoming $2 billion Secure Border Initiative Network contract.