Government agencies continue to struggle with cyber security; NASA looks to Jupiter’s moon for signs of water and life, and the Army tests out Wi-Fi in the field.  These are the stories we’re keeping an eye on this week at Federal Technology Insider.

Department of Defense Insider Threat Program Questioned

A lack of consistency across component agencies of the Department of Defense on insider threat containment policies has landed the Pentagon in hot water with the GAO.  A lack of guidance for component agencies from the DOD was cited as one of the primary reasons that the agency, overall, is failing to comply with the National Insider Threat Policy that was issued in 2012 by President Obama as part of the administration’s overhaul of government cybersecurity.

NASA Chooses Tools to Chart the Jupiter’s Moon

NASA recently announced the selection of nine tools that will be used to chart the surface of Jupiter’s moon, Europa, and bring us one step closer to answering the BIG question: are we alone?  NASA’s scientists opted to focus on Europa because it could hold up to twice as much water as Earth and, therefore, be able to sustain life.

Army Tests Out Wi-Fi in the Field

Modern warfare requires an Internet connection, even on the frontlines of battle.  Yet the thousand of feet of cable and hundreds of pounds of equipment required to make a field post operational, makes the unit vulnerable to attack and cumbersome if the need to retreat arises.  After demonstrating the capabilities of a Wi-Fi solution during recent exercises at Fort Bliss, Texas, the Army is now ready to take the solution from prototype to full deployment.  This is just the first of several projects to make the Army more tech-savvy and nimble in the field.

OPM Issues Guidance for Federal Employees and Retirees Potentially Affected by Cyber Hack

Starting today, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will be sending emails to federal workers and retirees whose personally identifiable information was likely compromised during the recent hack of OPM databases.  This article from the Washington Post contains some good practical tips, written in plain English to help federal government employees manage their own