Transportation worker ID has hefty price tag

Industry executives anticipate that the cost of fully deploying the Transportation Workers Identification Credential will fall between $100 million to $150 million.

Report: U.S. takes top slot as global IT leader

After a one-year hiatus, the United States regained first place in worldwide IT readiness in 2005, according to an annual global IT progress report by the World Economic Forum.

What are you looking at?

Several of the largest IT systems integrators in the United States are taking on one of the biggest federal technology projects of the decade: creating Secure Border Initiative-Net, an electronic surveillance system that will cover the U.S. -Mexico border?all 2,000 miles of it.

Governors mobilize fusion centers for better security

At least 28 states and U.S. territories are planning to open intelligence fusion centers, according to a survey of homeland security directors compiled by the National Governors Association.

GAO: Agencies, resellers must heed privacy rules

Several federal departments?notably Homeland Security and Justice?regularly buy access to personal information databases that do not comply with federal rules for protecting privacy, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

DHS to screen firms for worker ID card project

The Homeland Security Department is seeking contractors for the fourth phase of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential, expected to enroll 850,000 port, dock, transit and other transportation workers.

Ericsson enters Secure Border competition as 'dark horse'

Swedish-owned Ericsson Inc. is making one of its first major forays into the U.S. homeland security government market by assembling a team to seek a prime contract for the anticipated $2 billion Secure Border Initiative-Net surveillance system.

DHS narrows competitive field for Secure Border Initiative

Three federal contractors confirmed today that they are among a small number of companies named by the Homeland Security Department as most qualified to bid for the prime contract for Secure Border Initiative-Net.

Chertoff: Shipping firms need to invest in tracking systems

Private shippers should invest in IT that can monitor the contents of their container shipments bound for U.S. ports in order to speed their security processing, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in a speech.

GAO finds most states offshore human services tech support

Most states offshore at least a portion of the IT work needed to operate federal human services programs for food stamps, child support enforcement, family assistance programs and unemployment insurance, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

Immigration reform law to spawn new tech programs

A comprehensive immigration bill approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday would create several major IT programs to register and verify employment status for foreigners seeking to be residents and workers in the United States.

Council to draw up cyberattack response

Setting up a national IT disaster response apparatus is one topic on the agenda of the IT Sector Coordinating Council as it drafts a sector-specific plan for protecting the nation's computer networks against a terrorist attack or other disaster.

Homeland Watch: In brief

Achieving interoperability by making first-responder radio systems compatible is a top priority for the Homeland Security Department, said George Foresman, undersecretary for preparedness.

GAO: Health and Human Services must close security gaps

The Health and Human Services Department displays significant weaknesses in security controls for its computer systems, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

RFID: Prepare to be carded

The recent extension of radio frequency identification testing at border crossings appears to have boosted the technology. But difficult decisions still lay ahead for the Homeland Security Department in integrating RFID applications and standards into a single document.

DHS delays Eagle awards until June

The Homeland Security Department has announced that contract awards for the Enterprise Acquisition Gateway for Leading Edge solutions IT procurement vehicle will be postponed three months.

Northrop Grumman races after health IT deals

Public health and homeland security are converging in the government IT market, and Northrop Grumman's Information Technology Civilian Agencies Group is pursuing opportunities in both areas.

FCC rolls out new homeland security bureau

The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously on March 17 to establish a new Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau.

NIST: Digital formats foil fingerprint matching

Standardized digital formats for fingerprint minutiae don't perform as well in matching fingerprints as do proprietary formats, according to the results of a large-scale test by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

IT infrastructure protection group appoints leadership

The Information Technology Sector Coordinating Council, a group charged with protecting IT infrastructure and hardening cybersecurity, has established its charter membership and executive leadership.