According to gb.tc Baltimore is a national leader in Civic Hacking. Civic hackers are everyday people (designers, entrepreneurs, engineers, technologists, civil servants… anybody) who are willing to collaborate with others to address challenges relevant to our neighborhoods, cities, states, and country. In Baltimore, civic hackers are already working to open the city’s legal code, help the...Read More

The U.S. Senate has overwhelmingly, and with strong bipartisan support, passed the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 (the Act) by a vote of 69-27. The bill would allow a state to require certain remote sellers to collect sales and use tax on sales made to customers in the state. States that are members of the...Read More

In what is being billed as the first effort to apply the traditional rules of war to state-sponsored hacking, a think tank has released a treatise on the legal parameters of cyberwar. In discussions that are often advisory because of the cutting-edge topic, The Tallinn Manual (named after the Estonian city in which the treatise...Read More

According to The Hill.com, “The White House is poised to release an executive order aimed at thwarting cyberattacks against critical infrastructure on Wednesday, two people familiar with the matter told The Hill. The highly anticipated directive from President Obama is expected to be released at a briefing Wednesday morning at the U.S. Department of Commerce, where...Read More

BALTIMORE, MD (FEBRUARY 11, 2013) — Today during her State of the City Address, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake proposed a bold set of major reforms as part of the City’s first Ten-Year Financial Plan to confront serious financial challenges facing the City over the next decade. The tough reforms, including proposed changes to City employee pensions and...Read More

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is requesting comments on the final public draft of Security and Privacy Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organizations, Special Publication (SP)800-53, Revision 4. The document, two years in the making, is the latest revision to a document that is considered the principal catalog of security safeguards and...Read More

Military Child Custody is gaining national attention.  This paper addresses Rep. Mike Turner’s (Ohio) proposed amendments to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), 50 U.S. Code Appx. 501 et seq. which would federalize child custody cases in which the custodian is in military service. Also included are copies of Turner’s bill; statements of opposition by...Read More

Ever wondered how to register for government contracting?  Federal, state and local governments offer businesses the opportunity to sell billions of dollars worth of products and services. Many government agencies require that some percentage of their procurements be set aside for small businesses. Once you have classified your company based on the established size standards, you...Read More

SBA Small Business?      You may take it for granted that your company is a “small business.” The distinction is important if you wish to register for government contracting as a small business. Once you register as a government contractor, you must adhere to industry size standards established by the U.S. Small Business Administration....Read More