Report: Obama to name cybersecurity czar this week President Obama later this week will formally appoint a cyber czar to coordinate a national strategy for securing cyber space, the Washington Post reported today.
Obama administration said to consider military cybercommand The Obama administration is considering a new military cybercommand for protecting U.S. Department of Defense networks and developing offensive cyberwarfare capabilities, says a report in The Wall Street Journal.
Obama taps Bush aide Melissa Hathaway to review federal cybersecurity efforts Melissa Hathaway, a Bush administration official who is credited with helping to develop a multibillion-dollar classified initiative aimed at better securing federal systems and critical-infrastructure networks against online threats, has been named by President Barack Obama to lead a 60-day review of the government's cybersecurity efforts.
Tech groups praise Obama's pick for federal CTO Tech vendors and trade groups are praising President Barack Obama's appointment of Aneesh Chopra as the U.S. government's chief technology officer, saying that the former secretary of technology for Virginia has strong experience using IT to make government more responsive to citizens.
Obama's Web 2.0 'town hall' draws 92,000 users In an experimental online town meeting, President Barack Obama answered questions posted on the WhiteHouse.gov Web site by more than 90,000 citizens.
Obama 'Open for Questions' from anyone online President Barack Obama and his tech team are experimenting with a new way to let ordinary citizens vote on or even pose questions to be answered at his online town hall meeting about the economy.
New federal CIO Vivek Kundra wants a Web 2.0 government The U.S. government's first CIO, Vivek Kundra, introduced himself today as someone who will act aggressively to change the federal government's use of IT by adopting consumer technology and ensuring that government data is open and accessible.
White House changes course, appoints its first federal CIO President Barack Obama has appointed the District of Columbia's chief technology officer, Vivek Kundra, as the federal government's first CIO. The decision to appoint a CIO is an apparent move by the White House to give it more control over the $80 billion that federal agencies spend annually on technology.
Obama's plans for health care IT: Too much money too soon? President Obama's plan to inject $25 billion into the health care industry could create a technological divide between large and small health care organizations, say doctors and professionals. And they worry that his efforts to create a national electronic health records (EHR) system could affect the quality of health care in the U.S.
Is Obama's handheld really a BlackBerry, or something else? Following confirmation that President Obama would keep his BlackBerry, he surprised White House press corps yesterday with a quick visit where he pulled a device from his coat pocket that looked like no other BlackBerry seen before. Could it be the Sectera Edge?
Obama plan says cyber infrastructure is 'strategic' The Obama administration has published a high-level plan to protect U.S. computer networks, saying it considers cyber infrastructure "a strategic asset" and will appoint a cyber adviser who will report directly to the president.
Bloggers wonder: Is Obama's BlackBerry super-encrypted? With President Obama planning to keep his BlackBerry, bloggers are debating whether it has some kind of high-level encryption. Even if it does, a security expert said the concept wouldn't work well in the real world.
Obama makes quick move to update whitehouse.gov Inauguration day historically is known as being all about a peaceful passage of power. But a change of administration wasn't the only change happening as President Barack Obama took the oath of office.
Obama's national health records system will be costly, daunting President-elect Barack Obama has said that a national electronic health records system will be a priority in his first term, not just for streamlining workflow at hospitals and physician offices but to cut costs and improve the quality of health care.
Obama plans to keep his BlackBerry President-elect Barack Obama told CNN today he planned to "hang onto" his beloved BlackBerry, but he did not explain how he would overcome legal and security concerns.
Silverlight tapped to stream Obama's inauguration Microsoft Corp.'s Silverlight technology has been chosen to stream President-elect Barack Obama's swearing-in ceremony live on the Presidential Inaugural Committee's Web site, the company said on Friday.
Live streaming video during inaugural will tax Internet As Barack Obama raises his hand to be sworn in as the 44th U.S. president on Tuesday, could the millions worldwide watching the historic event on the Internet be left out?
Obama's likely FCC choice has a heart for start-ups Julius Genachowski, who is expected to be President-elect Barack Obama's choice to head the Federal Communications Commission, has a Washington insider's resume and a Silicon Valley attitude.
Hackers hijack Obama's, Britney's Twitter accounts Hackers hijacked the Twitter accounts of more than 30 celebrities and organizations, including President-elect Barack Obama, Britney Spears and Fox News, early on Monday, the company confirmed today.
Obama transforms Web-based politics President-elect Barack Obama showed other politicians how to harness the power of the Web in 2008, bringing political campaigns kicking and screaming into the 21st century.
Ad hoc story of America emerges from Change.gov posts More than 3,500 comments posted at President-elect Barack Obama's Change.gov Web site have been merged into a single document, creating a downloadable portrait of a nation in crisis that runs for more than 700 pages and nearly 500,000 words.
Web-savvy politicos: Obama's vision for e-government will take work Obama successfully used Web 2.0 tools to solicit donations and feedback from his supporters during the campaign. But it's still unclear how well those methods will translate into electronic government initiatives, according to speakers at a seminar in Washington on technology and participatory government.
FAQ: Why Obama may give up his BlackBerry while he's in the White House Could Barack Obama ever expect to continue using his BlackBerry once he officially becomes president? According to experts on security, mobile phones and presidential communications, the answer is no. This FAQ covers the reasons the President-elect will probably hand over his BlackBerry.
5 must-do cybersecurity steps for Obama As President-elect Barack Obama looks for ways to deal with a shattered economy and an ongoing war on terrorism, security experts are urging him to pay attention to something that has a big impact on both: The nation's growing -- and fragile -- cyberinfrastructure.
Obama's Change.gov site embraces Creative Commons, adds forum President-elect Barack Obama's transition team is embracing what some have called a Google-enabled government by loosening copyright licensing on its Change.gov Web site and by launching a feature that allows citizens to contribute to policy discussions.
Obama's choice for DHS could flame tech visa battle The person thought to the leading choice to be secretary of the DHS, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, has been a strong advocate of increasing H-1B visas -- a stance that could come up during confirmation.
Verizon employees accessed Obama's mobile record Verizon Wireless has suspended several employees who accessed account information for a flip phone formerly used by President-elect Barack Obama, the company said Thursday.
Obama administration to inherit tough cybersecurity challenges As President Bush prepares to leave office, the task of upgrading the security of federal information systems to deal with new cyberthreats continues to be very much a work in progress.
Thousands flock to site collecting ideas for Obama's CTO Barack Obama hasn't even appointed a chief technology officer yet, but thousands of people are using a new Web site to suggest and vote on ideas they think his CTO should work on.
With Obama win, Google emerges as a D.C. player Oh, to be Google Inc. right now. Its CEO, Eric Schmidt, is advising President-elect Barack Obama on economic policy. And who can forget the debate in Congress over Net neutrality and Google's battle with the telecoms?
Al Gore sees transformative power of Web in politics Barack Obama had a lot going for him already in this year's election, but his creative use of the Internet played a huge role in making him president-elect, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore says.
Google-enabled government starts with Obama's CTO President-elect Barack Obama's plan to build a Google-enabled government began modestly this week with the new Change.gov Web site, which includes the means to apply for a job in the new administration.
Cash, cups, clicks: Techies back Obama On the last day to register to vote in next month's election in Silicon Valley's Santa Clara County, Barack Obama has a clear edge and a really big backer: Google Inc. CEO Eric Schmidt.
Obama camp offers iPhone app Barack Obama's campaign team has released an application specifically for iPhone users to help supporters of the candidate connect with others and get involved, stay up to date on breaking issues and track local campaign events.
Obama campaign unveils online tool to help canvass neighbors Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign rolled out a new online voter-contact tool aimed at providing supporters with a virtual peek into the campaign's voter-registration database.
You may have noticed that there’s been a lot of talk by politicians about offshore outsourcing. But when you get to it there isn’t one political leader – Democrat or Republican – who has done a thing about it except former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland.
Microsoft and Google employees are big-time donors to the Obama campaign, with Microsoft employees and associated groups donating $443,748 so far, and Google employees and associated groups donating $357,382. That's two of the top five employers donating to Obama. By way of contrast, the accumlated donations of no tech companies show up on the top of the Romney campaign.
There is a group spending millions of dollars on TV advertisements blaming President Barack Obama for adding “$4 billion in new debt every day.” These shrill ads do not mention GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney, they’re just against Obama.
The television advertisements are running like crazy in 10 battleground states. CrossroadsGPS, the group behind themeffort, claims to have $25 million to spend.
Obama's White House proposals to beef up people's privacy protection have been embraced by Google, Apple, Microsoft, and the like. But, in IT Blogwatch, bloggers aren't so sure that everything in the garden is rosy. Not to mention: Everett Hiller gets all the A-list party guests...
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) wants you to stop using your phone while driving. Completely. Not even with a Borg-style, hands-free earpiece. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers weigh the pros and cons. Not to mention: Make your own Star Wars Snowflake decorations...
A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) mucky-muck has 'fessed up about computer and networking gear being preloaded with malware, and other security nasties by foreigners. When asked about the rumors, Greg Schaffer, Acting Deputy Undersecretary of the DHS's National Protection and Programs Directorate, paused and admitted both DHS and White House have known about the problem for a while. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers wonder if the sky is falling. Not to mention: Error'd: High-level Usage...
Updated: Osama bin Laden is dead -- yeah, you knew that already, but did you know that Twitter broke the story first? Is this a body-blow to the mainstream media, or a mindless search for a technology angle from Monday-morning bloggers? In IT Blogwatch, we search for the truth. Not to mention Facebook and China - The Joy of Tech...
Updated: Osama bin Laden is dead
