Government IT – Page 5 – Computer Security Articles

President Donald Trump is due to sign an executive order Tuesday that gives each cabinet official more responsibility for the safety of data within his or her agency.

It will be accompanied by a government-wide review of cybersecurity by the Office of Management and Budget, looking at the technology in place that guards U.S. government systems from cyberattacks, according to a White House official.

The results of that review could lead to a government-wide upgrade of federal cybersecurity systems.

The U.S. government has been hit by hacks in the last few years. The State Department spent months trying to get rid of intruders in its unclassified network, and the Office of Personnel Management lost personal information about millions of government workers through a second hack.

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ComputerWorld Independent

Trump’s unsecure Android phone highlights common security dilemma

January 27, 2017 admin Android, Government IT, Security, smartphones

If President Donald Trump is still using his personal, unsecured Android smartphone, as reported, he is surely creating bucketsful of worry for White House communications security staff.

As CIOs and Chief Information Security Officers already know, any organization can install strong security technology into a network or a smartphone, only to be defeated if end users don’t use it or follow safe cyber practices.

“The most vulnerable parts of communications are the people, and if they aren’t taking precautions, problems exist,” said Chris Perry, chief operating officer for Secured Communications, a provider of encrypted VPNs for mobile devices used by governments and companies.

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ComputerWorld Independent

Report: Trump still uses his unsecured Android phone to tweet

January 26, 2017 admin Government IT, Mobile & Wireless, Security

President Trump is still tweeting from his old Android phone in the White House, even after being given a new, secure device just before his inauguration, according to a report in The New York Times.

That revelation stirred some strong negative reactions from three mobile security analysts contacted on Thursday. Two of those analysts said using the older Android device only for tweeting doesn’t necessarily pose a national security risk, but they questioned what else he might be doing with that Android device that could pose such risks.

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ComputerWorld Independent

Trump nominee suggests IRS cybersecurity and staffing boosts

January 25, 2017 admin Government IT, Security

Cybersecurity and staffing upgrades at the Internal Revenue Service appear to be in store, assuming Steven Mnuchin is confirmed as Treasury Secretary in the new Trump Administration.

Mnuchin, a former CIO and executive vice president for Goldman Sachs, told senators in a five-hour confirmation hearing on Thursday that he is “very concerned about the lack of first-rate technology at the IRS” as well as staff cuts in recent years. Mnuchin is expected to be confirmed, and would likely work with Trump to pick the next IRS director.

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