Author Archive

Brian Robinson

Brian Robinson is a freelance technology writer for GCN.

Administration's wiretapping push could damage cloud security

If Internet service providers give the FBI backdoor access to online communications, the bad buys might benefit as well, notes blogger Brian Robinson.

6 IT lessons learned the hard way

Even the best government IT practitioners had to fail at some point to learn the lessons that propelled them to their eventual successes. Here are their stories.

DARPA aims for fiber-optic link between warfighters' minds, bodies

An award to Southern Methodist University will fund development of two-way, fiber-optic communication between prosthetic limbs and the wearer’s peripheral nerves, reports blogger Brian Robinson.

Military simulation training may lead recruits to view war as a game

Video games used to train recruits for war could also be masking the reality of the battlefield and creating a kind of detachment for those who become involved in the real thing.

Industry hopes fed computers go dark on Power IT Down Day

Given that the federal government accounts for around 1.5 percent of the total U.S. annual energy consumption, and is the largest single user, just a little savings could add up to a lot of green.

NSA stakes another claim to cybersecurity leadership

The recent appearance of an article about NSA in the Wall Street Journal could indicate that the spy agency is jockeying for position with DHS, writes blogger Brian Robinson.

Beware of that bug: It could be following you

The U.S. Army sees miniature unmanned aerial vehicles the size of insects as a big part of future battlefield operations and intelligence gathering.

'Encryption on a chip' raises hopes for better security

New technology could make it easier to encrypt data on smaller high-tech devices, writes blogger Brian Robinson.

Cloud computing and the disaster in waiting

Some industry watchers now warn that the IT industry's own Deepwater Horizon crisis is just around the corner, blogger Brian Robinson writes.

Military, intell agencies dismiss DARPA-led cyber range

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency may be getting squeezed out of the competition to build a test range for potential cyber security solutions.

Security concerns persist about microchips used in smart devices

The military's use of smart phones and similar products could force the U.S. to confront the geopolitics of microchip manufacturing, blogger Brian Robinson writes.

Feds may require cybersecurity credential for workforce

Reports are emerging about recommendations that the Commission on Cybersecurity for the 44th Presidency will make to the Obama administration that will require government and contractor employees involved in cybersecurity be formally certified.

Help wanted: Twitter looks to hire a 'government liaison'

The microblogging company looks to hire its first DC employee to be "the closest point of contact with a variety of important people and organizations looking to get the most out of Twitter."

Research and development game-changers for cybersecurity

The Obama administration is trying to take cybersecurity to the next level with an R&D program aimed at producing 'game-changing' technologies.

Cell-All smarter phone is DHS' version of the Tricorder

DHS is looking to the telecommunications side of mobile phones to help it develop the "Cell-All" smartphone that features a sensor capable of detecting deadly chemicals.

Cybersecurity roundup: Training, stalling, deterring, outlook

Blogger Brian Robinson provides a quick tour of the latest developments in cybersecurity, including the idea of incorporating cyberware into basic training.

Cybergeddon: Information security as a global concern

An upcoming international summit brings together cybersecurity experts from the around the world, including Howard Schmidt, to discuss ways to protect the world’s digital infrastructure.

Feds prepare RAMP for cloud

A new program could make it easier for agencies to get authorization to move to their IT operations to the cloud.

The Army's smart turn to battlefield apps

Smart phone technology is taking over the rest of the world, it seems, so why should the U.S. military be immune? The Army, at least, seems to be willing to see how far it can go, even on the front lines.

White House wants students' brainy broadband ideas

It's fine to solicit ideas from the crowd, but when you want something that’s really focused on solutions, you need to go directly to the brainy bunch.