8 ms·

“IRS awards multimillion-dollar fraud-prevention contract to Equifax” The no-bid contract was issued last week, as the company continued facing fallout from it

by uptown 9y ago

“IRS awards multimillion-dollar fraud-prevention contract to Equifax” The no-bid contract was issued last week, as the company continued facing fallout from its massive security breach. http://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/03/equifax-irs-fraud-protection-contract-243419 http://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/03/equifax-irs-fraud-p...

aresant 9y ago
The solution to stopping stupidity like this is to take a 12 month tour of duty at the US Digital Service: https://www.usds.gov/join#tours-of-duty https://www.usds.gov/join#tours-of-duty Yes the bureaucrats, lobbyists, and special interests will continue fucking everything up. But the USDS is set up so that at least competent technologists can throw up some objective defense vs. the government officials who really think Equifax is a viable solution aka "Nobody ever got fired buying an IBM."
- kelnos 9y ago
  Yes and no. USDS doesn't exactly have domain over all US gov't IT decisions, and aren't even involved or have any influence over a lot of things. Not to mention that the idea of taking a massive pay cut and having to move to DC holds no appeal to me.
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
  - loeg 9y ago
    I'm also turned off by the idea of switching jobs just to switch again in one year. Even if the pay cut and DC were palatable.
- make3 9y ago
  I can't imagine being a subordinate to Jared fucking Kushner for a full year
  - pimlottc 9y ago
    USDS is not subordinate to Jared Kushner. We work with the Office of American Innovation on projects that align with our values, but ultimately we decide what projects to engage on. Which is pretty unique within the government.
    - CalRobert 9y ago
      When Mr. Kushner issues a dictat that you are no longer to work on <potentially embarrassing issue for the administration>, you'll get a test of who ultimately decides what projects to engage on.
      - dsfyu404ed 9y ago
        So? I think the todo list more than long enough to keep USDS busy for four or eight years even if you strike all the potentially politically sensitive things from it.
    - alistairSH 9y ago
      From the top of the USDS website: An official website of the Executive Office of the President
- cookiecaper 9y ago
  That seems like an exercise in futility. These are, at their core, political/management issues. Getting coders involved and misleading them into believing their code will do something to counteract the incentives that cause such behavior is just going to lead to a lot of very frustrated coders.
  - dragonwriter 9y ago
    Right, the solution isn't to take a 1-year term at USDS, it's to go beyond coding to IT management while not losing respect for the people working the technology, building political connections, and getting appointed to positions like Department CIO for a government department. And that's not the solution so much as getting into position to really make an impact on the problem. And, yeah, it's not easy. Solving big institutional problems isn't. OTOH, a term at USDS may give you an opportunity to work around the fringes of the problem and grasp it's grand outline better. And the scale of government is such that a small improvement can be a big deal.
- smsm42 9y ago
  "You must be willing to move to Washington, DC". Oh well. Ever heard of videochat? I mean what exactly are they doing there that requires physical presence at DC?
  - pimlottc 9y ago
    Going where the work is. Actually showing up at an agency and sitting down face to face with people that could use help buys a lot of credibility, especially in the public sector.
  - recursive 9y ago
    Telecommuting employees are always harder to reach than the ones in the office. And yes, I've heard of video chat.
- artursapek 9y ago
  Wow, I haven't heard of USDS before! But I recently used a website they apparently built (uscis.gov) and remember being very impressed with it. It surpassed my expectations for a government website by far: sane password policy, material design, easy to use navigation, well designed application flow... Encouraging to see people with modern best practices in mind working for the government.
- twunde 9y ago
  I actually went to a talk recently by USDS and 18F. Really enjoyed it and seriously considering going to one of them as my next job. A few clarifications: * USDS limits employees to two consecutive years. * 18F, it's sister agency, does support remote work. They're more like consultants and switch between different agencies project by project.
- erentz 9y ago
  I would be very interested in doing this. Unfortunately I just checked their pay scales and... well, they’re pretty bad. Which to be honest surprises me because I’ve followed some of what USDS/18F do and they have talented folks.
  - pimlottc 9y ago
    The pay is definitely below Bay Area standards, though it's quite good for government. Ultimately though the main draw is not the pay, it's the chance to use your tech skills to make a truly meaningful real-world impact on a large scale.
    - shitlord 9y ago
      > Ultimately though the main draw is not the pay, it's the chance to use your tech skills to make a truly meaningful real-world impact on a large scale. I, personally, wouldn't value that opportunity at $100k+. This is really Congress' fault for having such an awful pay system.
  - alistairSH 9y ago
    While I can easily find the GS scales, do any of you know how typical USDS or 18f positions map to the GS? Would a senior developer be a GS10 or GS15? GS15 would be competitive with DC software salaries (all benefits included). GS10, not so much.
    - alistairSH 9y ago
      Answered my own question (sort of)... similar positions listed on USAJobs were GS-13, or in a few cases listed with a salary of $70-$90k or so.
- tallanvor 9y ago
  Sorry, but signing up for a "tour of duty" at this time would basically mean working for and supporting Trump. My morals won't allow that, no matter how much good you think you can do there.
  - smt88 9y ago
    I understand people who land on both sides of this. On one hand, you don't want to do support Trump. On the other hand, you don't want incompetent or malicious people supporting him instead. If Trump's goal is to shrink and destroy the credibility of the federal government, which it seems to be, then there's a good argument for the latter.
  - PeachPlum 9y ago
    You mean "supporting America"
    - tallanvor 9y ago
      Nope. Working for some agencies could be considered supporting America, but the USDS is considered part of the Executive Office. 18F, which is part of the GSA, is something I could consider. But USDS is too close to Trump, Kushner, and the rest of Trump's swamp.
    - Spooky23 9y ago
      No. Serving at the pleasure of POTUS means Mr. Trump is your master, period.
iliketosleep 9y ago
That is uttlery insane!! I thought the best possible outcome for Equifax was to avoid getting sued into oblivion, but now that get a 7 million dollar contract with the IRS?! There are clearly two sets of rules - one for large companies where they can brazenly flaunt laws whilst going from strength to strength. And another set of rules for everyone else - where if you take a wrong step it's all over!
- ak217 9y ago
  $7 million is peanuts. People are being advised to perform credit freezes with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. For each credit freeze, you have to pay the credit agency $5-$10 depending on the state (only one state has forced them to do it for free; several states have no requirement to implement a credit freeze at all). The credit reporting agencies are raking in tens of millions of dollars in these fees because one of them was incompetent. That's basically racketeering. In case you think paying a company $10 not to disclose information it's gathered about you is a raw deal, TransUnion offers a different, free "credit monitoring" service (https://www.transunion.com/product/trueidentity-free-identity-protection https://www.transunion.com/product/trueidentity-free-identit...). It's free, there's no catch (their marketing copy), except that the terms of service include an arbitration agreement. So you give up your right to sue TransUnion or be in a class action.
  - throwaway613834 9y ago
    Do you know if we have to give them our mobile phone number? Do they verify it somehow?
  - extrapickles 9y ago
    Its even worse as freezing is useless as all of the info you need to lift the freeze is the same that was lost in the hack, provided you don't mind forging a few documents (see 0) and using the mail. [0]: https://help.equifax.com/s/article/ka137000000DRjGAAW/How-do-I-temporarily-lift-a-security-freeze-on-my-file-for-a-creditor https://help.equifax.com/s/article/ka137000000DRjGAAW/How-do...
- recursive 9y ago

by uptown 9y ago

aresant 9y ago

The solution to stopping stupidity like this is to take a 12 month tour of duty at the US Digital Service: https://www.usds.gov/join#tours-of-duty https://www.usds.gov/join#tours-of-duty Yes the bureaucrats, lobbyists, and special interests will continue fucking everything up. But the USDS is set up so that at least competent technologists can throw up some objective defense vs. the government officials who really think Equifax is a viable solution aka "Nobody ever got fired buying an IBM."

kelnos 9y ago
Yes and no. USDS doesn't exactly have domain over all US gov't IT decisions, and aren't even involved or have any influence over a lot of things. Not to mention that the idea of taking a massive pay cut and having to move to DC holds no appeal to me.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- loeg 9y ago
  I'm also turned off by the idea of switching jobs just to switch again in one year. Even if the pay cut and DC were palatable.
make3 9y ago
I can't imagine being a subordinate to Jared fucking Kushner for a full year
- pimlottc 9y ago
  USDS is not subordinate to Jared Kushner. We work with the Office of American Innovation on projects that align with our values, but ultimately we decide what projects to engage on. Which is pretty unique within the government.
  - CalRobert 9y ago
    When Mr. Kushner issues a dictat that you are no longer to work on <potentially embarrassing issue for the administration>, you'll get a test of who ultimately decides what projects to engage on.
    - dsfyu404ed 9y ago
      So? I think the todo list more than long enough to keep USDS busy for four or eight years even if you strike all the potentially politically sensitive things from it.
  - alistairSH 9y ago
    From the top of the USDS website: An official website of the Executive Office of the President
cookiecaper 9y ago
That seems like an exercise in futility. These are, at their core, political/management issues. Getting coders involved and misleading them into believing their code will do something to counteract the incentives that cause such behavior is just going to lead to a lot of very frustrated coders.
- dragonwriter 9y ago
  Right, the solution isn't to take a 1-year term at USDS, it's to go beyond coding to IT management while not losing respect for the people working the technology, building political connections, and getting appointed to positions like Department CIO for a government department. And that's not the solution so much as getting into position to really make an impact on the problem. And, yeah, it's not easy. Solving big institutional problems isn't. OTOH, a term at USDS may give you an opportunity to work around the fringes of the problem and grasp it's grand outline better. And the scale of government is such that a small improvement can be a big deal.
smsm42 9y ago
"You must be willing to move to Washington, DC". Oh well. Ever heard of videochat? I mean what exactly are they doing there that requires physical presence at DC?
- pimlottc 9y ago
  Going where the work is. Actually showing up at an agency and sitting down face to face with people that could use help buys a lot of credibility, especially in the public sector.
- recursive 9y ago
  Telecommuting employees are always harder to reach than the ones in the office. And yes, I've heard of video chat.
artursapek 9y ago
Wow, I haven't heard of USDS before! But I recently used a website they apparently built (uscis.gov) and remember being very impressed with it. It surpassed my expectations for a government website by far: sane password policy, material design, easy to use navigation, well designed application flow... Encouraging to see people with modern best practices in mind working for the government.
twunde 9y ago
I actually went to a talk recently by USDS and 18F. Really enjoyed it and seriously considering going to one of them as my next job. A few clarifications: * USDS limits employees to two consecutive years. * 18F, it's sister agency, does support remote work. They're more like consultants and switch between different agencies project by project.
erentz 9y ago
I would be very interested in doing this. Unfortunately I just checked their pay scales and... well, they’re pretty bad. Which to be honest surprises me because I’ve followed some of what USDS/18F do and they have talented folks.
- pimlottc 9y ago
  The pay is definitely below Bay Area standards, though it's quite good for government. Ultimately though the main draw is not the pay, it's the chance to use your tech skills to make a truly meaningful real-world impact on a large scale.
  - shitlord 9y ago
    > Ultimately though the main draw is not the pay, it's the chance to use your tech skills to make a truly meaningful real-world impact on a large scale. I, personally, wouldn't value that opportunity at $100k+. This is really Congress' fault for having such an awful pay system.
- alistairSH 9y ago
  While I can easily find the GS scales, do any of you know how typical USDS or 18f positions map to the GS? Would a senior developer be a GS10 or GS15? GS15 would be competitive with DC software salaries (all benefits included). GS10, not so much.
  - alistairSH 9y ago
    Answered my own question (sort of)... similar positions listed on USAJobs were GS-13, or in a few cases listed with a salary of $70-$90k or so.
tallanvor 9y ago
Sorry, but signing up for a "tour of duty" at this time would basically mean working for and supporting Trump. My morals won't allow that, no matter how much good you think you can do there.
- smt88 9y ago
  I understand people who land on both sides of this. On one hand, you don't want to do support Trump. On the other hand, you don't want incompetent or malicious people supporting him instead. If Trump's goal is to shrink and destroy the credibility of the federal government, which it seems to be, then there's a good argument for the latter.
- PeachPlum 9y ago
  You mean "supporting America"
  - tallanvor 9y ago
    Nope. Working for some agencies could be considered supporting America, but the USDS is considered part of the Executive Office. 18F, which is part of the GSA, is something I could consider. But USDS is too close to Trump, Kushner, and the rest of Trump's swamp.
  - Spooky23 9y ago
    No. Serving at the pleasure of POTUS means Mr. Trump is your master, period.

iliketosleep 9y ago

That is uttlery insane!! I thought the best possible outcome for Equifax was to avoid getting sued into oblivion, but now that get a 7 million dollar contract with the IRS?! There are clearly two sets of rules - one for large companies where they can brazenly flaunt laws whilst going from strength to strength. And another set of rules for everyone else - where if you take a wrong step it's all over!

ak217 9y ago
$7 million is peanuts. People are being advised to perform credit freezes with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. For each credit freeze, you have to pay the credit agency $5-$10 depending on the state (only one state has forced them to do it for free; several states have no requirement to implement a credit freeze at all). The credit reporting agencies are raking in tens of millions of dollars in these fees because one of them was incompetent. That's basically racketeering. In case you think paying a company $10 not to disclose information it's gathered about you is a raw deal, TransUnion offers a different, free "credit monitoring" service (https://www.transunion.com/product/trueidentity-free-identity-protection https://www.transunion.com/product/trueidentity-free-identit...). It's free, there's no catch (their marketing copy), except that the terms of service include an arbitration agreement. So you give up your right to sue TransUnion or be in a class action.
- throwaway613834 9y ago
  Do you know if we have to give them our mobile phone number? Do they verify it somehow?
- extrapickles 9y ago
  Its even worse as freezing is useless as all of the info you need to lift the freeze is the same that was lost in the hack, provided you don't mind forging a few documents (see 0) and using the mail. [0]: https://help.equifax.com/s/article/ka137000000DRjGAAW/How-do-I-temporarily-lift-a-security-freeze-on-my-file-for-a-creditor https://help.equifax.com/s/article/ka137000000DRjGAAW/How-do...
recursive 9y ago