State Department News 
Top News
- DoD to pursue commercial alternative to VA's VistA
- FedRAMP achieves another cloud security milestone
- OMB reworking financial systems to focus on outcomes, not inputs
- PHOTOS: Meet the 2013 Service to America Medal Finalists
- Causey: Today, everybody's a Sooner
- Star witness to stay mum for House hearing on IRS
- OMB director taps VanRoekel to lead management team
- Lew taps government retiree pension fund
- SBA starting new lending program for veterans
- New Apple devices cleared to join DoD IT networks
- Army prioritizes access to data in fight over intelligence IT system
- DoD upends slow approval process for mobile devices
- Senior execs' bonuses under fire at agencies
State: Web 2.0 a disruptive force in diplomacy
WFED's Jason Miller reports.
Contracting may put feds in harm's way in Iraq
Mike Thibault, Co-Chairman of the Commission on Wartime Contracting, tells us about new findings on contracting in Iraq.
Web 2.0 helps digital diplomacy at the State Department
Learn all about how you might be able to make this work at your agency.
State retirees: Uncle Sam wants you back!
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is calling on retired diplomats to come back to work. Clinton says they're needed to help stabilize and rebuild conflict-torn countries. John Palguta from the Partnership for Public Service explains the rules of return to the diplomatic road.
Federal web managers introduce cool tools for your agency to use
Some of the federal government's top web managers and producers are seeing some new, cutting edge tools.
Fed web managers preview cool new tools
The 2010 Government Web and New Media Conference continues today at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown, D.C. Some of the federal government's top web managers and producers are getting a look at some new, cutting edge tools now being developed for federal websites by a new unit of the General Services Administration.
The State of social affairs changing
A new way to communicate and collaborate is coming soon to the State Department.
OMB shifts to real time cybersecurity monitoring
New White House guidance calls for agencies to submit data feeds to OMB's Cyberscope tool. Federal CIO Vivek Kundra hopes the information will give agencies a better idea of vulnerabilities and threats to computer networks. Agencies may have to shift money away from traditional reports to upgrade systems to meet new FISMA requirements.
Agencies classifying less information
NARA's new report to the President finds that fewer individuals are receiving classification authority. The document also says a majority of the information that is classified likely will stay secret for 10 years or less.
GAO: Cybersecurity weak at all federal agencies
Bill would make cybersecurity diplomatic priority, NSA on the Flash-Media Hunt, Senate stalls cyber commander to probe digital war
Uprising in Kyrgyzstan
In Washington, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said the U.S. deplored the violence and urged all to respect the rule of law.
The State Department has international posts
The State Department has international posts...and something called "Virtual Presence Posts." The program helps the Department work with key cities, regions, and countries without an American embassy or consulate building. The state department website says that most of their Virtual Presence Posts have their own online sites. That way, diplomats have a choice of travel, public outreach programs, media events, or online webchats to create a "virtual" presence to connect with local populations.
The State Department Office of eDiplomacy
The State Department Office of eDiplomacy is working to launch an internal networking site, tentatively called "StateBook", allowing employees to read open messages to and for each other. Office Director Richard Boly says the site will make it easy for State Department employees to identify other people's expertise - where they've worked before - helping them collaborate in a mobile workforce. StateBook is the latest program marking a change from a post-Cold War secrecy to a need to share information internally.
Terrorist killed in missile strike
Pakistani officials say a Filipino militant wanted by the United States was killed in an American drone strike earlier this month. Abdul Basit Usman was reportedly killed on Jan. 14 close to the Afghan border. The State Department's list of most-wanted terrorists identifies Usman as a bomb-making expert with links to the Philippines-based Abu Sayyaf militant group and the Southeast Asian Jemaah Islamiyah network.
Agencies are patching holes in national security
Multiple hearings focus on figuring out what led to the Dec. 25 attempted terrorist attack. FBI, DHS, State offer details on what changes each made in the last month.
Federal response to Haiti earthquake headed by USAID, Pentagon
The Federal government has jumped into action after yesterday's earthquake in Haiti. The lead agencies for Federal response are USAID, working through the State Department; and the Defense Department.
Agency cybersecurity reporting to get makeover
OMB has launched new tool to automate FISMA reporting. This data will help populate a new cybersecurity dashboard, federal CIO Vivek Kundra says. OMB also wants to collect more specific data around how much and where agencies are spending money on IT security.
Regs Nix New World
What would the New World look like if Christopher Columbus had been a federal worker rather than a private contractor? Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says things would probably be a lot quieter.
CIO Council taskforce to change security metrics
New group is developing performance measures that are based on outcomes. OMB has set a November deadline for a draft of the metrics that will be reviewed by government and industry. DHS says the governmentwide focus to improve cybersecurity is on standards, metrics and authentication.
