News

The Los Alamos National Laboratory has updated its Sequedex bioinformatics software that works to identify DNA sequences from viruses and other microorganisms to aid medical treatment, research and diagnosis functions. LANL said Monday that the new version classifies DNA fragments by recognizing patterns and linking them to their function and phylogeny based on a database of …

U.S. lawmakers have included a new proposed bill in the National Defense Authorization Act for 2015 that will give agency chief information officers greater authority over spending and contracting, Federal Times reported Wednesday. Aaron Boyd writes that the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act would enable CIOs to make decisions on IT-related …

Language in the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act would require the Pentagon to find an alternative to the Russian-built RD-180 rocket engine in five years, Defense News reported Wednesday. Aaron Mehta writes the NDAA provision would allow RD-180 use in U.S. military launches only “if needed for national security and …

The Defense Department and the Council of Governors discussed sequestration, fiscal initiatives and military consolidation plans at a conference call of representatives this week. Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby told reporters Tuesday that both parties agreed on the negative effects automatic spending cuts will have to agency and state interests, …

A new report from Cylance has described how Iran works to carry out attacks on critical infrastructures worldwide. Stuart McClure, CEO and president of Cylance, wrote in a blog post published Tuesday those attackers “are fortifying their hold on dozens of networks that if crippled would affect the lives of billions of people.” “Over two years ago …

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is exploring big data as a tool to mitigate the potential risk of new Ebola cases in the U.S. by monitoring travel from affected regions, FedScoop reported Tuesday. Billy Mitchell reports that CDC is using BioMosaic to forecast, track and disrupt the spread of disease in an effort to leverage data …

The U.S. Defense Department wants to engage industry, universities and the general public to identify methods for the agency to incorporate technology into future military strategies, DoD News reported Wednesday. Amaani Lyle writes the agency will accept public input to shape the agency’s long-range research development plan under the Defense …

The Commerce Department has formed a new enterprise security oversight center in a move to expand its role in leadership over the cybersecurity posture of the department’s bureaus, Federal News Radio reported Monday. Jared Serbu writes the department intends for the center to further the government’s continuous diagnostics and mitigation effort toward information sharing. Roger …

The Defense Department has released a report on its planned approaches to ensure information security as the Pentagon pushes increase adoption of commercial cloud for military systems, Federal News Radio reported Monday. Jason Miller writes that the “DoD Cloud Way Forward” guidance includes modified and separate requirements for non-national security systems, new impact levels, a …

The House and Senate Armed Services Committees have reached a compromise on a defense policy bill that would allocate $583 billion in fiscal 2015 funding for the Pentagon, Defense News reported Tuesday. John Bennett writes the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act includes a $350 million budget to operate and maintain …