Only 18% of Software Apps Pass Security Tests

Over the past 18 months, almost 10,000 software applications from the government and private sector were submitted to Veracode’s online security testing platform for independent security auditing and 8 out of 10 failed to achieve an acceptable level of security on their first try. Veracode reached this conclusion by automatically checking submitted apps for overRead… Read more »

Big Data Fights Crime: The FBI’s Next Generation Identification

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been in the Big Data business since 1999 when it launched the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS), the world’s largest biometric database on individuals. IAFIS contains over 55 million sets of fingerprints and is used by law enforcement agencies nationwide for criminal investigations and civil background checks. ToRead… Read more »

Tales Exaggerate Congressional Pay and Pensions

As long as I can remember, there has been a vague general rumbling that members of Congress collect exorbitant salaries and outrageous pensions and other benefits. The rumblings have changed form over the years, from idle gossip to organized viral email campaigns, but the substance remains. Despite efforts to spread the truth, many Americans stillRead… Read more »

Free PMP Exam Sample Question

The following PMP® exam sample question is taken from the Free PMP Exam Simulator at http://free.pm-exam-simulator.com – The answer is at the very bottom: —————————— Sensitivity Analysis has strong similarities to which of the following?A.) Probability DistributionsB.) Risk IdentificationC.) Design of ExperimentsD.) Statistical Sampling ——————————Hint: Sensitivity Analysis is a risk analysis technique not a riskRead… Read more »

The Cybersecurity “Wake Up Call” and the Snooze Button

While Alex has dealt rather masterfully with the consequences of the trumped-up Russian SCADA hacking incident, I’d like to point to a different aspect of it: the cybersecurity “wake up call.” The Springfield incident was immediately called a “wake up call” for cybersecurity practitioners. Of course, we now know that it was not a cyberRead… Read more »

The Roku Player – What’s it Good for Anyways?

The Roku brings Streaming Video Directly to your Living Room On a whim, I recently picked up a Roku XD player from Woot.com. The Roku allows you to tap into a lot of the video going around on the “interwebs” and watch it on your HDTV of choice. The Roku is one of the devicesRead… Read more »

STATEMENT FROM AFGE PRESIDENT ON HOUSE GOP TAX PLAN

American Federation of Government Employees President John Gage today issued the following statement in response to the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act, introduced by House Speaker John Boehner: “Speaker Boehner has proposed paying for a one-year extension to payroll tax relief by raising taxes on middle class Americans who work for theRead… Read more »

Our Fickle Selves

It is always with a hint of mirth that I watch the quadrennial analysis of political pundits who seem befuddled by the electorate’s behavior. This year the attention falls squarely on the Republican primary voters who are shifting their preferences with the rise and fall of the personal predilections of the various presidential candidates (theRead… Read more »