In what I believe is a world first, the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing has launched its new US$100 note, featuring Benjamin Franklin, via an online video in YouTube. Brought to my attention by Nicholas Gruen, the 82 second long production provides a clear view of all the security provisions included in the banknote….
A recent report from talent management companies Human Capital Institute and Saba indicates that a majority of US government agencies are using social media. The report estimates that 66% of US government agencies use social media tools, with 65% using more than one tool. A graph from the report (see below) indicates that the US…
In their strongest advisement yet, Microsoft Australia has issued a “strong recommendation” through its Government Affairs Blog that customers upgrade from the nine-year old Internet Explorer 6 web browser to Internet Explorer 8. This is because the security flaws now being discovered in Internet Explorer 6 are such that they leave organisations more vulnerable to…
Nextgov has published a very insightful piece on the US’s cyberwar endeavours, including their use of it as an offensive tool to locate and knock out the organisational capabilities of their enemies and even kill foes. The article, The cyberwar plan, not just a defensive game, also covers the Russian attacks on Estonia and Georgia…
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has given an astounding presentation, Gordon Brown: Wiring a web for global good, in opening TED Oxford. It firmly establishes his interest and commitment to the use of new technologies by government to aid in the solution of global and national issues. To quote from the synopsis, We’re at a unique…
Chris Anderson, the owner of Wired, recently wrote a very thought-provoking article about the need for organisations to consider how to operate within an abundance mindset rather than a scarcity-based one in his article, Tech Is Too Cheap to Meter: It’s Time to Manage for Abundance, Not Scarcity. Chris uses one example of how Wired…
Single sign-on is often seen as one of the Holy Grails of the internet – the ability to use a single logon to access all your secure online accounts and conduct transactions with whoever you choose. This is seen as a way to make life easier for citizens/customers, allowing them to move easily from provider…
Government often has a narrow path to walk when engaging online, some of the measures in place to protect the privacy and security of citizens and government officials can conflict with efforts to improve the transparency and openness of government processes. Hence this article from the New York Times, Government 2.0 Meets Catch 22. The…
As posted in the Online Community Consultation blog, Newcastle Council was recently stung by having hackers take over its online consultation community and redirect the site to an independent site containing adult content. As discussed in the post, Red faces in Newcastle, the lesson to be learnt is to ensure effective security is in place…
As reported in the Wired blog post, Hackers plundering Brazilian rain forest, a hacking ring controlled by logging companies has been alleged to allow harvesters to unlawfully access government logging databases and issue extra ‘transport permits’ to remove resources (trees) from the Amazon. This has been a challenge for Brazilian authorities, who have arrested 30…
This archive mirrors the original eGov AU blog — Craig’s professional commentary on AI, digital government and technology in public life, running since 2006.
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