Archive
Talking the talk: Cyber security cited as a top priority, but 25 percent of world’s banks still victimized in 2011
Talking the talk: Cyber security cited as a top priority, but 25 percent of world’s banks still victimized in 2011
Source: Deloitte
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited’s (DTTL) 8th global financial services industry security survey once again confirms information security is a top priority for financial services industry organizations globally. And despite the challenges of balancing the cost of improved security initiatives with perceived risk of sophisticated threats and emerging technologies, organizations say that have become more proactive in implementing innovative security measures and creating greater awareness within their business, which is hopefully good news for the 25 percent of financial institutions that suffered a breach in 2011.
Here’s a quick glance at the additional top three findings in this year’s survey:
- Increased coordinated activity among security and business groups: almost two thirds of respondents believe that their information security function and business are engaged; most organizations are using a Security Operation Center (SOC) model to monitor traffic and data and actively respond to incidents and breaches.
- Growing adoption of new technologies and security innovation: as the use of social media increases, 37 percent of respondents are revising organizational policies and 33 percent are educating users on social networking to address the security risks.
- Policing cyber threats and due diligence with data assets: almost half of the organizations surveyed (49 percent) claim to actively manage their vulnerabilities, with 82 percent also actively researching new threats to proactively protect their environment from emerging threats.
CBO — Options for Modernizing Military Weather Satellites: Working Paper 2012-11
Options for Modernizing Military Weather Satellites: Working Paper 2012-11
Source: Congressional Budget Office
Over the next several years, the Department of Defense (DoD) will launch the last of its weather satellites, which it uses to plan military operations and generate weather forecasts. Long-running efforts to develop replacements for those satellites encountered schedule and cost difficulties, and in December 2011, the Congress directed DoD to cancel its latest program and to prepare for a follow-on program. DoD’s plans now call for a new development effort, but it has not yet determined the capabilities it wants in that satellite. In this paper, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) examines three different satellite design concepts that DoD might consider and compares the cost and capability of those designs. The paper also discusses alternative approaches that DoD might take, such as fielding single instruments on several small satellites instead of several instruments on a single satellite and foregoing a new generation of military weather satellites altogether and instead relying on other sources for weather data.
Testimony — Update on FAA’s Progress and Challenges in Advancing the Next Generation Air Transportation Syste m
Update on FAA’s Progress and Challenges in Advancing the Next Generation Air Transportation System (PDF)
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General (Testimony Before the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Aviation , United States House of Representatives)
FAA has made progress in improving air traffic management at congested airports in major cities—one of the task force’s most critical recommendations. For example, FAA has completed studies to identify recommended changes for seven metroplex locations and is performing airspace and procedures design work at six of them. However, industry representatives are concerned that the effort may not deliver all desired benefits and that FAA has not yet integrated metroplex with other related initiatives, such as better managing surface operations. Additionally, FAA has not fully resolved key organizational, policy, and training barriers to implementing NextGen capabilities in the near term. Central to realizing benefits from the task force recommendations and other NextGen initiatives is the successful deployment of ERAM—a multibillion dollar program for processing flight data. However, extensive software-related problems have significantly delayed ERAM’s nationwide deployment, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in increased costs. FAA is taking steps to address our concerns about a number of ERAM programmatic and contract management issues, such as modifying its contract to better track costs, but considerable risks remain to complete the effort within the Agency’s revised cost and schedule parameters. FAA faces similar cost and schedule risks with its NextGen transformational programs, as the Agency has not approved total cost, schedule, or performance baselines for any of the programs or developed an integrated master schedule for managing and executing NextGen.
Project Linking Multi-Agency Surveys Produces New Findings on R&D by Multinational Companies
Project Linking Multi-Agency Surveys Produces New Findings on R&D by Multinational Companies
Source: National Science Foundation
Newly developed information from the Research and Development Data Link Project—a joint project of the National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Census Bureau (Census), and Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)—reveals new insights on the U.S. R&D activities of multinational companies (MNCs), such as the character of R&D work performed by these companies (basic research, applied research, and development). Additional new details on the R&D performed by MNCs, such as state location and technology focus, will be available in detailed statistical tables available in the forthcoming report International Investment and R&D Data Link: 2004–07 (see “Data Availability” for more information).
The project matched records of U.S.-located companies that performed R&D, from the NSF–Census Survey of Industrial Research and Development (SIRD), to records of U.S. affiliates of foreign MNCs, from BEA’s Foreign Direct Investment in the United States (FDIUS) survey. Separately, it matched these SIRD data to records of parent companies of U.S. MNCs from BEA’s U.S. Direct Investment Abroad (USDIA) survey for a given data year. The project covered 2004 to 2007, the last year SIRD was conducted.[2] (See “Definitions” for explanation of terms and “Data Notes” for the methodology).
Report: African-Americans Still Vital and Growing in the U.S
Report: African-Americans Still Vital and Growing in the U.S
Source: Nielsen
As the largest racial minority group in the United States, the influence of African-Americans on the nation’s culture is pervasive. With a collective buying power estimated to reach $1.1 trillion by 2015, Black consumers remain at the forefront of social trends and media consumption, according to the new African-Americans: Still Vital, Still Growing 2012 Report—the second installment to The State of the African-American Consumer Report released last year, a collaboration with Nielsen and the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA).
Nielsen has identified several factors that make the African-American consumer segment so uniquely diverse. Dynamic influencing factors–such as technology, social media and online connectivity– enable the Black consumer segment to leverage its collective power and influence. This segment, with its tremendous potential, holds a wealth of opportunities for businesses and advertisers, which makes understanding the Black consumer a critical need.
Visions and Voyages for Planetary Science 2013 – 2022
Visions and Voyages for Planetary Science 2013 – 2022
Source: NASA and the National Science Foundation
In recent years, planetary science has seen a tremendous growth in new knowledge. Deposits of water ice exist at the Moon’s poles. Discoveries on the surface of Mars point to an early warm wet climate, and perhaps conditions under which life could have emerged. Liquid methane rain falls on Saturn’s moon Titan, creating rivers, lakes, and geologic landscapes with uncanny resemblances to Earth’s. Comets impact Jupiter, producing Earth-sized scars in the planet’s atmosphere. Saturn’s poles exhibit bizarre geometric cloud patterns and changes; its rings show processes that may help us understand the nature of planetary accretion. Venus may be volcanically active. Jupiter’s icy moons harbor oceans below their ice shells: conceivably Europa’s ocean could support life. Saturn’s tiny moon Enceladus has enough geothermal energy to drive plumes of ice and vapor from its south pole. Dust from comets shows the nature of the primitive materials from which the planets and life arose. And hundreds of new planets discovered around nearby stars have begun to reveal how our solar system fits into a vast collection of others.
This report was requested by NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF) to review the status of planetary science in the United States and to develop a comprehensive strategy that will continue these advances in the coming decade. Drawing on extensive interactions with the broad planetary science community, the report presents a decadal program of science and exploration with the potential to yield revolutionary new discoveries. The program will achieve long-standing scientific goals with a suite of new missions across the solar system. It will provide fundamental new scientific knowledge, engage a broad segment of the planetary science community, and have wide appeal for the general public whose support enables the program.
New From the GAO
New GAO Reports and Testimony
Source: Government Accountability Office
+ Reports
1. Military Disability System: Improved Monitoring Needed to Better Track and Manage Performance. GAO-12-676, August 28.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-676
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/647592.pdf
2. Medicare Special Needs Plans: CMS Should Improve Information Available about Dual-Eligible Plans’ Performance. GAO-12-864, September 13.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-864
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648292.pdf
3. Waivers Related to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Block Grant. GAO-12-1028R, September 19.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-1028R
4. Homeland Security: DHS Requires More Disciplined Investment Management to Help Meet Mission Needs. GAO-12-833, September 18.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-833
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648489.pdf
5. Human Capital: Complete Information and More Analyses Needed to Enhance DOD’s Civilian Senior Leader Strategic Workforce Plan. GAO-12-990R, September 19.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-990R
6. Next Generation Enterprise Network: Navy Implementing Revised Approach, but Improvement Needed in Mitigating Risks. GAO-12-956, September 19.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-956
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648567.pdf
7. Suspension and Debarment: DOD Has Active Referral Processes, but Action Needed to Promote Transparency. GAO-12-932, September 19.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-932
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648578.pdf
+ Testimony
1. Human Capital Management: Effectively Implementing Reforms and Closing Critical Skills Gaps Are Key to Addressing Federal Workforce Challenges, by Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States, before the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia, House Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. GAO-12-1023T, September 19.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-1023T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648593.pdf
Facebook Surveillance of Former Romantic Partners: Associations with PostBreakup Recovery and Personal Growth
Source: Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking
Previous research has found that continuing offline contact with an ex-romantic partner following a breakup may disrupt emotional recovery. The present study examined whether continuing online contact with an ex-partner through remaining Facebook friends and/or engaging in surveillance of the ex-partner’s Facebook page inhibited postbreakup adjustment and growth above and beyond offline contact. Analysis of the data provided by 464 participants revealed that Facebook surveillance was associated with greater current distress over the breakup, more negative feelings, sexual desire, and longing for the ex-partner, and lower personal growth. Participants who remained Facebook friends with the ex-partner, relative to those who did not remain Facebook friends, reported less negative feelings, sexual desire, and longing for the former partner, but lower personal growth. All of these results emerged after controlling for offline contact, personality traits, and characteristics of the former relationship and breakup that tend to predict postbreakup adjustment. Overall, these findings suggest that exposure to an ex-partner through Facebook may obstruct the process of healing and moving on from a past relationship.
See: Can post-breakup Facebook surveillance delay emotional recovery? (EurekAlert!)
New From the GAO
New GAO Reports
Source: Government Accountability Office
+ Reports
1. Information Technology: Census Bureau Needs to Implement Key Management Practices. GAO-12-915, September 18.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-915
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648505.pdf
2. Information Sharing: DHS Has Demonstrated Leadership and Progress, but Additional Actions Could Help Sustain and Strengthen Efforts. GAO-12-809, September 18.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-809
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648476.pdf
3. Treasury Continues to Implement Its Oversight System for Addressing TARP Conflicts of Interest. GAO-12-984R, September 18.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-984R
4. Information Security: Better Implementation of Controls for Mobile Devices Should Be Encouraged. GAO-12-757, September 18.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-757
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648520.pdf
5. Veterans’ Health Care Budget: Better Labeling of Services and More Detailed Information Could Improve the Congressional Budget Justification. GAO-12-908, September 18.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-908
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648481.pdf
+ Reissue
1. Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Measuring Progress and Addressing Potential Privacy Concerns Would Facilitate Integration into the National Airspace System. GAO-12-981, September 14.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-981
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648349.pdf
CRS — Pilotless Drones: Background and Considerations for Congress Regarding Unmanned Aircraft Operations in the National Airspace System
Source: Congressional Research Service (via Federation of American Scientists)
Growing interest in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), particularly for homeland security and law enforcement applications, has spurred considerable debate over how to accommodate these unmanned aircraft and keep them safely separated from other air traffic. Additionally, the use of these pilotless aircraft, popularly referred to as drones, for aerial surveillance and law enforcement purposes has raised specific concerns regarding privacy and Fourth Amendment rights and potential intrusiveness. These issues have come to the forefront in policy debate in response to provisions in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-95) that require the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to begin integrating unmanned aircraft into the national airspace system by the end of FY2015.
While drones have been used extensively by the military and small radio-controlled model aircraft have been around for more than 50 years, advances in more complex vehicle controls and imaging sensor capabilities are spurring public sector and commercial interest in unmanned aircraft for a variety of purposes, including law enforcement, homeland security, aerial imaging, and scientific research. FAA currently approves public entities (such as federal agencies, public universities, and local police departments) to operate UAVs on a case-by-case basis, but growing interest is making this approach increasingly untenable. Moreover, commercial users are seeking authorization to fly drones, but so far FAA has only allowed test and demonstration flights by manufacturers. FAA faces a number of challenges to address anticipated growth in demand for civilian UAV operations and develop regulations governing the certification and operation of unmanned aircraft systems in domestic airspace.
Congress has generally supported efforts to integrate unmanned aircraft into the national airspace system and foster growth in the unmanned aircraft industry. It enacted extensive provisions in P.L. 112-95 that are designed to streamline and accelerate the operation of unmanned aircraft in domestic airspace by both public entities and commercial operators. Notably, that law requires FAA to issue regulations pertaining to the operation of small UAVs (weighing less than 55 pounds) and requires FAA to create and implement a plan to begin the integration of unmanned aircraft into the national airspace system by the end of FY2015. Toward that goal, the act requires FAA to establish six test ranges throughout the United States to study unmanned aircraft integration technical issues.
The act establishes an ambitious timeline for FAA to grapple with and resolve a number of complex issues regarding the safety and security of unmanned aircraft operations. Furthermore, aircraft operators have expressed specific concerns that drone operations should not result in airspace restrictions or other measures that could limit accessibility to the national airspace system.
In addition to these various challenges, the privacy implications and potential intrusiveness of drone operations have emerged as a significant issue before Congress. Civil liberties and privacy groups have cautioned that voluntary industry measures, including a code of conduct to, among other things, respect privacy, are inadequate to assure that drones will not be misused in ways that could infringe upon the privacy of individuals and intrude upon their daily activities. Moreover, FAA’s authority over specific uses of civilian unmanned aircraft appears limited so long as safety and national security are not compromised, raising additional concerns that future drone operations could lead to complaints and lawsuits over noise, intrusiveness, and interference with the use and enjoyment of public or private property.
New From the GAO
New GAO Reports and Testimonies
Source: Government Accountability Office
+ Reports
1. Spent Nuclear Fuel: Accumulating Quantities at Commercial Reactors Present Storage and Other Challenges. GAO-12-797, August 15.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-797
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/600/593746.pdf
2. Federal Real Property: Strategic Partnerships and Local Coordination Could Help Agencies Better Utilize Space. GAO-12-779, July 25.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-779
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/600/593002.pdf
3. Electronic Government Act: Agencies Have Implemented Most Provisions, but Key Areas of Attention Remain. GAO-12-782, September 12.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-782
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648181.pdf
4. Recovery Act: Broadband Programs Are Ongoing, and Agencies’ Efforts Would Benefit from Improved Data Quality. GAO-12-937, September 14.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-937
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648356.pdf
5. The Distribution of Federal Economic Development Grants to Communities with High Rates of Poverty and Unemployment. GAO-12-938R, September 14.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-938R
6. Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Measuring Progress and Addressing Potential Privacy Concerns Would Facilitate Integration into the National Airspace System. GAO-12-981, September 14.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-981
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648349.pdf
7. Medicare Savings Programs: Implementation of Requirements Aimed at Increasing Enrollment. GAO-12-871, September 14.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-871
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648369.pdf
8. Disaster Relief: Reimbursements to the American Red Cross for Certain 2008 Disaster Assistance. GAO-12-877, September 14.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-877
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648340.pdf
9. Disaster Assistance: USDA and SBA Could Do More to Help Aquaculture and Nursery Producers. GAO-12-844, September 11.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-844
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648075.pdf
+ Testimonies
1. SSA Disability Programs: Progress and Challenges Related to Modernizing, by Dan Bertoni, director, education, workforce, and income security issues, before the Subcommittee on Social Security, House Ways and Means Committee. GAO-12-891T, September 14.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-891T
2. Human Capital: The Department of Health and Human Service’s and Environmental Protection Agency’s Use of Special Pay Rates for Consultants and Scientists, by Robert Goldenkoff, director, strategic issues, and Robert Cramer, managing associate general counsel, before the Subcommittee on Health, House Committee on Energy and Commerce. GAO-12-1035T, September 14.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-1035T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648328.pdf
DoD Instruction: DoD Internet Services and Internet-Based Capabilities
DoD Instruction: DoD Internet Services and Internet-Based Capabilities (PDF)
Source: U.S. Department of Defense (via Federation of American Scientists)
1. PURPOSE. This Instruction, in accordance with the authority in DoD Directive (DoDD) 5144.1 (Reference (a)) and DoD Instruction (DoDI) 5025.01 (Reference (b)) and the requirements of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum M-05-04 (Reference (c)):
a. Incorporates and cancels Deputy Secretary of Defense (DepSecDef) Memorandum (Reference (d)), and Directive-Type Memorandum (DTM) 09-026 (Reference (e)).
b. Establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and provides instructions for:
(1) Establishing, operating, and maintaining DoD Internet services on unclassified networks to collect, disseminate, store, and otherwise process unclassified DoD information.
(2) Use of Internet-based capabilities (IbC) to collect, disseminate, store, and otherwise process unclassified DoD information.
New Army Guide to Open-Source Intelligence
Open-Source Intelligence (PDF)
Source: U.S. Army (via Federation of American Scientists)
ATP 2-22.9 establishes a common understanding, foundational concepts, and methods of use for Army opensource intelligence (OSINT). ATP 2-22.9 highlights the characterization of OSINT as an intelligence discipline, its interrelationship with other intelligence disciplines, and its applicability to unified land operations.
This Army techniques publication—
- Provides fundamental principles and terminology for Army units that conduct OSINT exploitation.
- Discusses tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP) for Army units that conduct OSINT exploitation.
- Provides a catalyst for renewing and emphasizing Army awareness of the value of publicly available information and open sources.
- Establishes a common understanding of OSINT.
- Develops systematic approaches to plan, prepare, collect, and produce intelligence from publicly available information from open sources.
New From the GAO
New GAO Reports and Testimonies
Source: Government Accountability Office
+ Reports
1. Biosurveillance: DHS Should Reevaluate Mission Need and Alternatives before Proceeding with BioWatch Generation-3 Acquisition. GAO-12-810, September 10.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-810
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648025.pdf
2. Securities Investor Protection Corporation: Customer Outcomes in the Madoff Liquidation Proceeding. GAO-12-991, September 13.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-991
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648238.pdf
3. Public Financial Management: Improvements Needed in USAID’s and Treasury’s Monitoring and Evaluation Efforts. GAO-12-920, September 13.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-920
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648222.pdf
4. Slot-Controlled Airports: FAA’s Rules Could Be Improved to Enhance Competition and Use of Available Capacity. GAO-12-902, September 13.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-902
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648218.pdf
5. Trade Adjustment Assistance: Commerce Program Has Helped Manufacturing and Services Firms, but Measures, Data, and Funding Formula Could Improve. GAO-12-930, September 13.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-930
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648212.pdf
Related Product
Trade Adjustment Assistance: Results of GAO’s Survey of Participant Firms in the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms Program (GAO-12-935SP, September 2012), an E-supplement to GAO-12-930. GAO-12-935SP, September 13.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-935SP
6. World Food Program: Stronger Controls Needed in High-Risk Areas. GAO-12-790, September 13.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-790
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648242.pdf
7. Industrial Base: U.S. Tactical Wheeled Vehicle Manufacturers Face Period of Uncertainty as DOD Purchases Decline and Foreign Sales Potential Remains Unknown. GAO-12-859, September 13.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-859
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648266.pdf
8. Community Banks and Credit Unions: Impact of the Dodd-Frank Act Depends Largely on Future Rule Makings. GAO-12-881, September 13.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-881
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648209.pdf
9. Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996: Status of Treasury’s Centralized Efforts to Collect Delinquent Federal Nontax Debt. GAO-12-870R, September 13.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-870R
10. Financial Stability: New Council and Research Office Should Strengthen the Accountability and Transparency of Their Decisions. GAO-12-886, September 11.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-886
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648065.pdf
+ Testimonies
1. Spectrum Management: Federal Government’s Use of Spectrum and Preliminary Information on Spectrum Sharing, by Mark L. Goldstein, director, physical infrastructure issues, before the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, House Committee on Energy and Commerce. GAO-12-1018T, September 13.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-1018T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648205.pdf
2. Biosurveillance: Observations on BioWatch Generation-3 and Other Federal Efforts, by William O. Jenkins, Jr., director, homeland security and justice, before the Subcommittees on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications and Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies, House Homeland Security Committee. GAO-12-994T, September 13.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-994T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648267.pdf
New From the GAO
New GAO Reports and Testimonies
Source: Government Accountability Office
+ Reports
1. Airport Noise Grants: FAA Needs to Better Ensure Project Eligibility and Improve Strategic Goal and Performance Measures. GAO-12-890, September 12.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-890
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648149.pdf
2. Asset Forfeiture Programs: Justice and Treasury Should Determine Costs and Benefits of Potential Consolidation. GAO-12-972, September 12.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-972
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648097.pdf
3. Aviation Safety: Additional FAA Efforts Could Enhance Safety Risk Management. GAO-12-898, September 12.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-898
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648111.pdf
4. Bureau of Prisons: Growing Inmate Crowding Negatively Affects Inmates, Staff, and Infrastructure. GAO-12-743, September 12.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-743
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648124.pdf
5. Critical Infrastructure: DHS Needs to Refocus Its Efforts to Lead the Government Facilities Sector. GAO-12-852, August 20.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-852
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/600/593580.pdf
6. Department of Homeland Security: Oversight and Coordination of Research and Development Should Be Strengthened. GAO-12-837, September 12.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-837
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648153.pdf
7. Federal Disaster Assistance: Improved Criteria Needed to Assess a Jurisdiction’s Capability to Respond and Recover on Its Own. GAO-12-838, September 12.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-838
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648163.pdf
8. Iraq and Afghanistan: Agencies Are Taking Steps to Improve Data on Contracting but Need to Standardize Reporting. GAO-12-977R, September 12.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-977R
9. Military Training: DOD Met Annual Reporting Requirements and Improved Its Sustainable Ranges Report. GAO-12-879R, September 12.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-879R
10. Millennium Challenge Corporation: Results of Transportation Infrastructure Projects in Seven Countries. GAO-12-631, September 12.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-631
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648093.pdf
11. Nonproliferation: Agencies Could Improve Information Sharing and End-Use Monitoring on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Exports. GAO-12-536, July 30.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-536
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/600/593132.pdf
+ Testimonies
1. Modernizing the Nuclear Security Enterprise: Observations on the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Oversight of Safety, Security, and Project Management, by Mark Gaffigan, managing director, natural resources and environment, before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, House Committee on Energy and Commerce. GAO-12-912T, September 12.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-912T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/600/592773.pdf
2. Next Generation Air Transportation System: FAA Faces Implementation Challenges, by Gerald L. Dillingham, Ph.D., director, physical infrastructure issues, before the Subcommittee on Aviation, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. GAO-12-1011T, September 12.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-1011T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648121.pdf
3. Operational Contract Support: Sustained DOD Leadership Needed to Better Prepare for Future Contingencies, by Timothy J. DiNapoli, acting director, acquisition and sourcing management, before the House Committee on Armed Services. GAO-12-1026T, September 12.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-1026T
Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648106.pdf
The Cross-Platform Report: How and Where Content is Watched
The Cross-Platform Report: How and Where Content is Watched
Source: Nielsen
According to the latest Nielsen Cross-Platform Report, Americans spend nearly 35 hours per week watching video across screens, and close to another five hours using the Internet on a computer. Consumers are not turning off their devices, and there is no doubt that they are faced with more choices in terms of how they watch video content. Shifts in the distribution of time spent across all screens and devices demonstrate that more consumers are taking advantage of their increased ability to determine what, how and where they view content.
Free registration required to download full report.
Joint Optimization of Bid and Budget Allocation in Sponsored Search
Joint Optimization of Bid and Budget Allocation in Sponsored Search
Source: Microsoft Research
This paper is concerned with the joint allocation of bid price and campaign budget in sponsored search. In this application, an advertiser can create a number of campaigns and set a budget for each of them. In a campaign, he/she can further create several ad groups with bid keywords and bid prices. Data analysis shows that many advertisers are dealing with a very large number of campaigns, bid keywords, and bid prices at the same time, which poses a great challenge to the optimality of their campaign management. As a result, the budgets of some campaigns might be too low to achieve the desired performance goals while those of some other campaigns might be wasted; the bid prices for some keywords may be too low to win competitive auctions while those of some other keywords may be unnecessarily high. In this paper, we propose a novel algorithm to automatically address this issue. In particular, we model the problem as a constrained optimization problem, which maximizes the expected advertiser revenue subject to the constraints of the total budget of the advertiser and the ranges of bid price change. By solving this optimization problem, we can obtain an optimal budget allocation plan as well as an optimal bid price setting. Our simulation results based on the sponsored search log of a commercial search engine have shown that by employing the proposed method, we can effectively improve the performances of the advertisers while at the same time we also see an increase in the revenue of the search engine. In addition, the results indicate that this method is robust to the second-order effects caused by the bid fluctuations from other advertisers.
Fixity: Identity, Time and Durée on Facebook
Fixity: Identity, Time and Durée on Facebook
Source: Microsoft Research
The purpose of social network services (SNS) is to enable new ways of making contact and staying in touch. The finessed use of SNS can enable people to manage their social connections with fluidity; enabling change of social grouping and evolving identity. Key to this performance is that it is enacted through time. Certain aspects of SNS may of course create a fixing in identity and its performance, trapping people, for example, in a display of identity in the past that they have come to regret. In this paper, we shall report evidence that suggests that the temporal experiencing of Facebook with regard to this aspect of time and identity needs to be placed alongside another feature of the way the service is used. This leads people to feel as if they are always acting ‘in the now’ and that their history – as well as that of others they connect to – seems to disappear from view. We shall suggest that the performance of identity through time is thus constrained. Users seek but cannot find adequate ways of adjusting their identity by crafting past and future performances outside the envelope of identity in the present, in the ‘now’, the one facilitated and emphasized by Facebook design and use patterns.
Privacy and Data Management on Mobile Devices
Privacy and Data Management on Mobile Devices
Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project
More than half of mobile application users have uninstalled or avoided certain apps due to concerns about the way personal information is shared or collected by the app, according to a nationally representative telephone survey conducted by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project.
In all, 88% of U.S. adults now own cell phones, and 43% say they download cell phone applications or “apps” to their phones. Among app users, the survey found:
- 54% of app users have decided to not install a cell phone app when they discovered how much personal information they would need to share in order to use it
- 30% of app users have uninstalled an app that was already on their cell phone because they learned it was collecting personal information that they didn’t wish to share
Taken together, 57% of all app users have either uninstalled an app over concerns about having to share their personal information, or declined to install an app in the first place for similar reasons.
International Collaborations of Scientists and Engineers in the United States
International Collaborations of Scientists and Engineers in the United States
Source: National Science Foundation
International collaboration is a key aspect of the globalization of science and engineering (S&E). In 2006, according to the Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System (SESTAT), one in six scientists and engineers in the United States reported working with individuals in other countries (table 1).[2] International collaboration was more likely to occur among persons working in the for-profit sector, men, and those with higher levels of educational attainment. Individuals who earned postsecondary degrees both in the United States and abroad reported the highest levels of international collaboration.
