Government IT News For VARs 2-11-15: Proposed Budget Would Boost IT Spending
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
In news this week, federal IT funding could get a boost from the 2016 budget, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) favors general privacy regulations for the Internet of Things (IoT). Also, the REAL ID Act catches up with state practices; the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is facing a backlash from its new “Fact Sheet,” and Tony Scott is named the new U.S. CIO.
Obama Budget Would Increase Federal IT Funding To $86.4 Billion
Fed Tech Magazine reports that under President Barack Obama’s new budget, federal IT spending would increase from $84.2 billion in 2015 to $86.4 billion in fiscal 2016. Among the budget lines are $37.3 billion in Department of Defense (DoD) IT funding, an increase of $1 billion from fiscal 2015. Civilian agencies would also see an increase of approximately 2.5 percent, rising from $47.9 billion to $49.1 billion by 2016. The budget also includes a 10 percent increase in cybersecurity funding, which translates to $14 billion to expand the nation’s cyber defenses, and $105 million to create an institutionalize digital service delivery teams at CFO Act agencies.
FTC Puts Off Specific IoT Legislation, But Favors General Privacy And Security Standards
The eCommerce Times reports that the FTC has advised against implementing specific legislation regulating the Internet of Things, but members of the agency’s staff have expressed support for more generalized legislation regarding security and privacy measures. According to the FTC report, “The pervasiveness of information collection and use that the IoT makes possible reinforces the need for baseline privacy standards.”
REAL ID Act Catches Up With States
According to Government Technology, nine states are currently in noncompliance with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s REAL ID act efforts. Twenty states are in compliance, and an additional 21 are operating with exemptions from Homeland Security. The REAL ID act was adopted in 2005 as an effort to curb the proliferation of false driver’s licenses and identification cards through the imposition of detailed security requirements on state-issued cards. Idaho is one of the nine “non-compliant” states, which means that their state-issued cards can no longer be used to gain access to certain federal facilities, a restriction that will be widened to include all secure federal facilities in October, and extended to commercial airline flights in 2016.
FCC Fact Sheet On Net Neutrality Draws Fire
The FCC released a four-page fact sheet last week outlining Chairman Tom Wheeler’s plans in regards to net neutrality, which he argues will prevent content discrimination on the Internet. However, the eCommerce Times reports, the efforts have raised fire from several sources, including TechFreedom president Berin Szoka, who argues, “Net neutrality has always been a justification for the real agenda, which is getting the FCC larger authority.”
White House Appoints Tony Scott New United States CIO
The White House announced the appointment of Tony Scott, former CIO of VMWare as the new United States CIO. According to a blog post announcing the appointment, under Scott’s leadership, the administration will continue to work to transform the way that the federal government manages IT. Scott will manage three broad objectives in the federal IT portfolio: driving value in IT investments, delivering world-class digital services, and protecting IT assets and information.
For more news and insights, visit BSMinfo’s Government IT Resource Center.