IntelliDyne brings you a weekly digest of some of the latest news and insights about COVID-19, how federal agencies and IT officials are dealing with the pandemic, and best practices in order to bolster security and privacy in teleworking environments and encourage improved communications.
____________________
Under COVID-19, Are Federal Agencies Ready for an Acceleration of AI in Health Care?
Artificial intelligence is becoming more prevalent in the healthcare sector, including at federal government agencies. The application of AI under the influence of COVID-19 has accelerated, such as in efforts to develop a vaccine, coronavirus screening efforts, and AI-driven diagnostics under review by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
This Nextgov article recommends methods to increase the likelihood of success with these efforts, including developing strategic plans related to AI, phase AI solutions from the simpler to the more complex (such as with Robotic Process Automation or RPA), and developing iterative, agile approaches.
____________________
DHS Reports on Recent Efforts to Respond to COVID-19
On May 4, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security released an extensive report on the Department’s response to the coronavirus. The introduction to the report stated: “As we begin moving toward reopening the country, the Department and its components remain steadfast in their commitment to protect the safety of the American people.”
The report examined a wide range of areas, including Interagency Collaboration, Customs and Border Protection, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and more. Of particular note to the technology sector, CISA announced the Situation Reporting System which provides a “secure web-enabled means of reporting denied movement situations for critical infrastructure workers.” The agency also announced a dedicated telework product line intended to advise and support businesses and organizations with the surge in telework due to the coronavirus pandemic. Read more.
____________________
Updates to IT Infrastructure and the Response to COVID-19
On the CompTIA Public Sector & Advocacy Blog, Sarah Matz examines the role of IT modernization in the response to the coronavirus pandemic. For Matz, the increased reliance on government IT systems by the public and the ability of government to provide information and services via technology raises an important point: “the critical need for government modernization and investment in IT infrastructure.” Read more.
____________________
“Big Company, Big Government, Big Brother? Privacy after Covid-19”
In this article, James Andrew Lewis (director of the Technology Policy Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies) comments on the possible impact of the coronavirus pandemic on privacy. He discusses the shift from an Industrial Era “natural privacy” to what he calls an increasingly “artificial privacy” or “post-privacy” environment in countries and regions around the world. Issues discussed include the “Uncertainty and Redefinition” of privacy, legislating privacy, and a “new rules-based approach to privacy and data protection [that] lies somewhere between the United States’ commercial minimalism and European regulatory overreach.” Read more.
____________________
Related Posts
IntelliDyne’s Weekly COVID-19 Tech Digest Vol. 2
IntelliDyne’s Weekly COVID-19 Tech Digest Vol. 1
IntelliDyne Team Leads Creation of COVID-19 Mobile App for Frontline Healthcare Workers
Onsite to Offsite: How IntelliDyne Prepared One Client for Remote Work
IntelliDyne Aids Client in the Timely Dissemination of COVID-19 Information