GOVTek Monthly Newsletter: Issue 80, April 2011

Research & Publications

The Federal Cloud Security Challenge - A View from the Front Lines
Cloud computing delivers hosted services over the Internet, providing shared resources, software, and information to an organization "on demand." This type of a computing model makes sense because it shifts the management burden from the information technology (IT) organization, providing faster, cheaper, more efficient, and greener systems in the process. Given the government's focus on eliminating waste, providing a more effective way of conducting its business, and offering better service to the citizen, a cloud computing model can deliver substantial results.

Think Your Anti-Virus Software Is Working? Think Again.
We've been so bombarded by computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses and other malware that we've become acclimated to their presence. We subscribe to an anti-virus (AV) offering and hope for the best. Trouble is, AV hasn't been keeping up. Studies show that even though most organizations use AV, more and more are succumbing to attacks. It's time to shift from the status quo to a new, more effective endpoint security approach, called intelligent whitelisting, which affords greater protection, productivity, and efficiency.

Endace Exhibiting at DoDIIS
For the first time Endace will be exhibiting at the upcoming DoDIIS show in Detroit on the 1th to the 5th May 2011 where we will be demonstrating our world-leading network monitoring and recording systems. If you are planning on attending DoDIIS, please do stop by booth 225 to meet the Endace team.

HRSA Awards Prime Contract to eGlobalTech
eGlobalTech announced today that it has been awarded a prime contract with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to support an enterprise-wide Call Center Study. The objective of this effort is to document the Administration's current call center environment and to design a target solution that leverages best practices, eliminates redundancy, and provides a common technology platform that can be reused across HRSA's bureaus and offices.

NASCIO Supports Public Release of Federal IT Dashboard and TechStat Software
The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) supports today's announcement that the software behind the federal IT Dashboard and TechStat Toolkit, two initiatives aimed at improving IT transparency and accountability, will be publicly released. CIOs of 38 states and territories expressed an interest in evaluating the tools for state government use.

Lumension Ponemon Endpoint Risk Study Reveals Growing Application Risk and Increasingly Sophisticated Malware are Adding to Endpoint Costs
A constantly shifting IT risk environment, led by increasingly sophisticated malware attack vectors that focus on exploiting third-party and web-based application vulnerabilities, has left traditional endpoint security approaches behind. This, coupled with ever more powerful, portable, and connected computing platforms has resulted in organizations feeling less secure today than they did one year ago, according to the State of Endpoint Risk, a new Ponemon Institute study commissioned by Lumension.

Digital Mail for the Federal Government: Modernizing Communications, Saving the Environment
Mail is ubiquitous. Despite advances in technology and the long-forecasted demise of first class mail, it remains a vital tool for every business function. From signed statements and contracts to the delivery of files and records, mail plays a major role in the federal government and that role is not diminishing. The term "mail," however, has expanded drastically as the modes of communications have changed to include faxes, text messages, emails, and web correspondence. The challenge now is how to manage all of that information, and how to do it more efficiently and effectively.

UID Suppliers Alliance Elects 2011 Leaders
The UID Supplier Alliance, a committee representing developers of unique identification (UID) and other automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) solutions, has elected a 2011 chairperson and vice chairperson to continue the Alliance's mission of raising awareness and adoption of UID requirements.

Open Government
Road maps are done, web sites launched, and 300,000 data sets released, but there's much more to do. Here's our 10-point plan for what must be done next.

Unruly USB: Devices Expose Networks to Malware
It's pretty easy for organizations to get so wrapped up about what goes out on USB drives that they forget to protect against what comes in their environments via USB. And with attacks inflicting increasingly greater damage following uncontrolled connection, it's time that organizations got serious about this threat.

NASCIO Applauds White House Memo on Administrative Flexibility for the States
The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) today released a statement applauding the directives to federal agencies in a February 28, 2011, White House memo. The memo called upon federal agencies to "identify administrative, regulatory, and legislative barriers in Federally funded programs that currently prevent states, localities and tribes, from efficiently using tax dollars to achieve the best results for their constituents."

Greater Visibility into 3rd Party Application Risk and Malware Threats is Achievable with Newly Launched Lumension Endpoint Intelligence Center
To provide IT administrators with improved visibility into their increasingly vulnerable endpoints, Lumension, a global leader in operational endpoint security, today announced the launch of theLumension Endpoint Intelligence Center, (E.I.C.). To address the rising need to identify and validate known applications, E.I.C. consolidates malware, vulnerability, patch, and application information with relational cloud based intelligence and empowers IT administrators to stay ahead of emerging threats and application risk.

FY11 Best of NIEM Awards Nomination Now Open

A grassroots initiative, NIEM was born as a best practice developed by a handful of state and local practitioners. Today, we have adoption across all 50 states and are on the verge of international adoption. Our broad community has some great NIEM success stories because of the hard work of all of you.

Intelligent Whitelisting: An Introduction to More Effective and Efficient Endpoint Security

The volume and sophistication of malware is skyrocketing, and traditional anti-virus approaches are struggling to keep up. It's time to rethink how we protect our endpoints. Instead of trying to build a better anti-virus "mousetrap," without any shift in the underlying management model for vetting change in endpoint environments, security professionals should investigate more innovative approaches to endpoint security that can automate trusted change policies.

eGlobalTech President Included in Distinguished Registry

Sonya K. Jain, President of eGlobalTech, has been recognized by Cambridge Who's Who for demonstrating dedication, leadership and excellence in business and IT consulting.

Meeting FDCCI Guidelines to Achieve a Better, More- Streamlined IT Infrastructure

The Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative (FDCCI), established on February 26, 2010 by a memorandum from federal CIO Vivek Kundra,1 seeks to decrease the number of data centers in use by the federal government to reduce costs and achieve more efficient government operations. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) leads the effort through the Chief Information Officers (CIO) Council, which has assisted agencies in identifying their existing data center assets and in formulating detailed consolidation plans. While all agencies are encouraged to participate, the 24 CIO Council agencies are required to, but it will take a great deal of effort to accomplish what the FDCCI is attempting to achieve.

State CIOs Face Looming Retirements and Critical IT Skills Shortage Under Tight Budget Constraints

States continue to experience a shrinking state IT workforce, according to a new survey, "State IT Workforce: Under Pressure - A National Survey of the States," released today by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO). The survey is available for download on NASCIO's website, www.nascio.org/publications/.

Telework Week Pledges Filled Their Tanks with $2.7 Million in Commuting Savings; Demonstrated a Nationwide Impact

Telework Exchange, a public-private partnership focused on demonstrating the tangible value of telework, today announced the results of National Telework Week, an effort that encouraged employees to telework during the week of February 14-18, 2011. Underwritten by Cisco, the post-Telework Week report, "Filling the Tank with Telework: The 2011 National Telework Week Impact," finds that during this week, 39,694 employees teleworked and collectively saved $2.7 million in commuting costs, and gained back more than 148,000 hours by not commuting.

eGlobalTech Wins $100 Million BPA at HHS

eGlobalTech announced today that it has been awarded a prime contract with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide Enterprise Architecture (EA) and IT strategy support. This contract is a five year single award Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) with a total ceiling of $100 million.

Lumension Intelligent Whitelisting Early Adopter Program Lays the Foundation for Market Momentum

Lumension, a global leader in operational endpoint security, today announced the launch of its Lumension Early Adopter Program (L.E.A.P) for the Intelligent Whitelisting software solution. As malware continues to grow in volume and sophistication, it is vital that organizations employ the proper measures to protect end-user data and endpoints, especially as evidence grows that relying on antivirus as a standalone security defense is wholly ineffective. Lumension Intelligent Whitelisting delivers a more dynamic, operational application whitelisting solution by integrating both blacklisting and whitelisting technologies, along with patch management, resulting in more effective endpoint security solution that won't negatively impact organizational productivity.

NASCIO and Attorneys General Negotiate Model Facebook Agreement for State Government Use

After lengthy discussion involving members of the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) Social Media Legal Workgroup and the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), Facebook has revised the standard terms of service to be provided to state and local governments through its "Pages" agreement. The revised terms resolve a series of legal issues identified by states in Facebook's standard terms of service and are available for immediate use.

Dr. Suzanne Acar, Senior Information Architect (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Deedee Akeo, Chief Architect, Business Transformation Agency (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Dr. Peter Alterman, Senior Advisor for Strategic Initiatives, NIH (Security Council)

Kirit Amin, Chief Information Officer, Bureau of Consular Affairs, State (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Frank Bauer, Vice President for Government Training and Professional Development, Graduate School (Workforce & Leadership Council)

Benjamin Bergersen, CIO, OIG, Commerce (CXO Council)

Andrew Blumenthal, Chief Technology Officer, ATF, Justice (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Dr. W. Stan Boddie, PMP, CISSP, Professor of Systems & Technology Management, i-College, NDU (Workforce & Leadership Council)

Thomas Boyce, PMP, Deputy Chief Information Officer & Director, Office of Information Services, NRC (CXO Council)

Gayle Bracy, Director, Office of Enterprise Solutions, Treasury
(Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Robert F. Brese, Deputy CIO, Energy (CXO Council)
Dr. Barry Brown, Deputy Director, Enterprise Systems Engineer, Customs and Border Patrol, DHS (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Devon Bryan, Director, Cybersecurity Operations, IRS (Security Council)

Jonathan Cantor, Executive Director for Privacy and Disclosure, SSA (Security Council)

Marian Cody, Chief Information Security Officer, HUD (Security Council)

Colleen Coggins, CIO, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Transportation (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Ray Coleman, CISO, Natural Resources Conservation Service (Security Council)

Doreen Cox, Chief Architect, Director, Enterprise Architecture Branch, Office of Information Technology, Customs & Border Protection, DHS (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Patricia Craighill, Special Advisor to the Chief, Warfighting Integration, NEXTGEN/JPDO, Assistant Director of Defense, SAF/XC - NEXTGEN,U.S. Air Force (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Elisa Cruz, Chief Information Security Officer, FEMA (Security Council)

Linda Cureton, Chief Information Officer, NASA (CXO Council)

Jirka Danek, CTO & CISO, Information Technology Services Branch, Public Works Government Services Canada (CXO Council)

Kevin Deeley, Chief Information Security Officer, Justice (Security Council)

Bob Dilonardo, Chief Information Officer, Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, DHS (CXO Council)

Brian Doerk, PMP, Project Manager, U.S. Coast Guard (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Steve Elky, Chief Information Security Officer, Library of Congress (Security Council)

Rich Ferguson, Chief Information Officer, Federal Labor Relations Authority (CXO Council)

Frederic Foley, Chief Architect and Director of Enterprise Architecture, U.S. Coast Guard (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Mary Forbes, Chief Enterprise Architect, HHS (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Ylanda Ford, Director, Enterprise Architecture, OCIO, HUD (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Christopher Fornecker, Chief Technology Officer, Integrated Acquisition Environment, GSA (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Sharon Fratta-Hill, Ph.D., VP of Academic Programs and Distance Education, Graduate School (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Christopher Garcia, Director, Cyber Security and Incident Response Center, FAA (Security Council)

Charles Gepford, Deputy CIO, IHS (CXO Council)

AJ Germek, Assistant Deputy Special Inspector General, CIO for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, SIGTARP, Treasury (CXO Council)

Ned Goldberg, Chief Information Security Officer, FDIC (Security Council)

Peter Gouldmann, Security Architect & Knowledge Officer, Office of Information Assurance, US Department of State (Security Council)

Marc Groman, Chief Privacy Officer, Federal Trade Commission (Security Council)

Ira Grossman, Chief Enterprise Architect, FEMA (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Chris Hardy, Director, e-Learning and Technology Center, DAU (Workforce & Leadership Council)

Brad Harshman, Chief Enterprise Architect, National Nuclear Security Administration, Energy (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Jerry Horton, Chief Information Officer, US Agency for International Development USAID (CXO Council)

Patrick Howard, Chief Information Security Officer, NRC (Security Council)

Marlene Howze, Chief Architect/Enterprise Architecture Program Manager, Labor (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

James Johnson, Chief Information Officer, Congressional Budget Office (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Richard Klemmer, Chief Enterprise Architect, NTIA, Commerce (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Kevin Lawson, Branch Chief, Applications Development Branch, IT Division, TSA (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Phillip Loranger, Deputy Chief Information Security Officer, Education (Security Council)

Lt. Gen. William T. Lord, Chief of Warfighting Integration & CIO, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Air Force (CXO Council)

Tan Luong, Chief Enterprise Architect, IT Department, US Mint (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Roger Mahach, Chief Information Security & Privacy Officer, OCC, Treasury (Security Council)

Randy Maples, CEA, Deputy Chief Information Officer - Management, FTC (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Ethel Matthews, Senior Advisor to Chief Information Officer, Security and Privacy, SBA (Security Council)

Chuck McGann, Director, Corporate Information Security, US Postal Service (Security Council)

Sean Paul McGurk, Director, National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center, DHS (Security Council)

Margaret Mech, Chief Information Security Officer, FTC (Security Council)

Noah Nason, Chief, IT Service Management Division, ATF (CXO Council)

Matt Newman, Professor of Systems Management, NDU (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Vaughn Noga, CTO & Director, Office of Technology Operations & Planning, EPA (CXO Council)

Walt Okon, Senior Enterprise Architect, DoD Enterprise Architecture & Standards Directorate, Defense (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Andrew Orndorff, Associate CIO for Information Assurance & Privacy, OCIO, Transportation (CXO Council)

Bajinder Paul, Chief Information Officer of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Treasury (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Richard Prentiss, Assistant Director, Enterprise Computing Center, IRS, Treasury (Security Council)

John Rogers, Chief, CIO & DPfM Division, USTRANSCOM (CXO Council)

Ken Rogers, Director, Enterprise Architecture & Strategic Planning, IRM/BPC/EAP, U.S. Department of State (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Larry Ruffin, Chief Information Security Officer, Interior (Security Council)

Timothy Ruland, Chief Information Security Officer, Census Bureau (Security Council)

Eddie Saffarinia, Assistant Inspector General for Information Technology, Interior (CXO Council)

Peter Sand, Director of Privacy Technology, DHS (Security Council)

Daniel Sands, Chief Information Security Officer, Director, Information Security and Awareness Office, OCIO, National Institutes of Health, HHS (Security Council)

Daud Santosa, Chief Technology Officer,National Business Center, Interior (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Derek Scarbrough, Chief Information Officer, Institute of Museum and Library Services (CXO Council)

Michael Schievelbein, FBMS Implementation Office, Lead Technologist, Office of the Secretary, Interior (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Tim Schmidt, Chief Technology Officer, Transportation (CXO Council)

Robert Seay, Acting Chief Enterprise Architect, GSA (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Donna K. Seymour, Deputy Assistant for Administration for the Under Secretary of the Navy, Navy (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Bobby Smart, Director of Policy & Resources, Chief Architect of the Air Force, Office of Information Dominance and CIO, Air Force (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Rene' E. Smeraglia, Chief Information Security Officer, US Mint (Security Council)

James Smith,Chief Enterprise Architect, Bureau of Consular Affairs, State (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

David Stender, Associate CIO for Cybersecurity, Chief Information Security Officer, IRS (Security Council)

John Sullivan, Enterprise Architecture Advisor, Office of Governmentwide Policy, GSA (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Peter Sullivan, Director, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Labor (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Eric Sweden, Chief Enterprise Architect, NASCIO (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Harry Tabak, Chief Enterprise Architect, NOAA National Weather Service (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)
Diana Takata, Acting Chief Architect, JPDO, Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

John Teeter, Deputy Chief Information Officer, HHS (CXO Council)

George Thomas, Enterprise Architect, HHS (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Dr. Paul A. Tibbits, MD, Deputy Chief Information Officer, Office of Enterprise Development, Veterans Affairs (CXO Council)

Wolf Tombe, Chief Technology Officer, Customs & Border Protection, DHS (CXO Council)

Dr. James Trinka, Director, Training and Technical Development, FAA (Workforce & Leadership Council)

Arleas Upton-Kea, Director, Division of Administration, FDIC (Workforce & Leadership Council)

Raghav Vajjhala, Chief Enterprise Architect & Director, Office of Enterprise Architecture, Treasury (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Michael Walsh, Deputy CIO, Transportation (CXO Council)

Brian Wilczynski, Director, Enterprise Architecture & Standards, Defense (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Dennis Wisnosky, Chief Architect, Chief Technical Officer, Business Mission Area, Office of the Deputy Chief Management Officer, Defense (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Paul Wormeli, Executive Director, Integrated Justice Information Systems Institute (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Dr. Robert "Rocky" Young, Associate Professor of Systems Management, NDU (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

David Zeppieri, Chief Information Officer, Overseas Private Investment Corporation (Enterprise Architecture & Infrastructure Council)

Welcome to GTRA

GOVTek Monthly Newsletter: Issue 80, April 2011