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OMB’s New FISMA Reporting Guidance Includes Zero Trust, CDM Program Review
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OMB’s New FISMA Reporting Guidance Includes Zero Trust, CDM Program Review

The Office of Management and Budget has released fiscal year 2021-2022 guidance to help agencies comply with the requirements of the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 and the recent cybersecurity executive order.

OMB outlined several tenets to guide performance management reform under FISMA and one of those is the transition to a zero-trust architecture, the office said in a memo published Monday.

The guidance states that agencies should implement zero trust-related security goals by the end of FY 2024 organized around the pillars of identity, devices, networks, applications and workloads and data. Other tenets listed are ground truth testing, observable security outcomes and automation.

The document calls on agencies to use the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s standard incident response playbook to help improve the ability of CISA and other agencies to evaluate the risk of vulnerabilities and carry out incident response efforts.

OMB noted that CISA will review the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation program and integrate lessons learned to come up with a strategy to continue to improve CDM for FY 2022.

“This strategy will articulate challenges and opportunities for improving delivery, data quality, and support for automation,” the document reads.

To facilitate automated reporting, CISA will work with OMB and the National Institute of Standards and Technology by April to create a “strategy to continue to evolve machine-readable data standards for cybersecurity performance and compliance data through CDM.”

OMB also outlined the annual and quarterly FISMA reporting deadlines for FY 2021 and FY 2022, including those for annual and quarterly CIO metrics and senior agency officials for privacy metrics. 

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House Lawmakers Request More Info on VA’s Plans to Comply With DATA Act Requirements
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House Lawmakers Request More Info on VA’s Plans to Comply With DATA Act Requirements

Reps. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs’ oversight and investigations subcommittee and Tracey Mann, R-Kan., ranking member of the House subpanel, have asked the Department of Veterans Affairs to come up with a detailed timeline on how it plans to comply with the requirements of the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014.

VA should provide more information before it fully implements a potential $2.98 billion project that seeks to field a single platform to replace the department’s aging financial and acquisition systems, the lawmakers wrote in a Dec. 3rd letter to Jon Rychalski, VA’s assistant secretary for management and chief financial officer.

VA’s Financial Management Business Transformation program is expected to conclude in February 2028.

Pappas and Mann made the request after an audit by VA’s office of inspector general showed that the department failed to execute necessary improvements to meet DATA Act requirements.

“The age and decentralized nature of VA financial management systems do not enable a timely, complete, and accurate transmission of VA spending data to the Department of Treasury for presentation on USASpending.gov,” the letter reads.

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Air Force to Host Industry Event on Rotary Pilot Training
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Air Force to Host Industry Event on Rotary Pilot Training

The 19th Air Force and Air Education and Training Command (AETC) plan to host an event to inform government and industry parties about the U.S. Air Force’s rotary training priorities. 

The Introductory Flight Training – Rotary kick-off meeting aims to identify industry opportunities that can augment USAF’s pilot training programs, AETC said Friday in a SAM.gov notice. The event will take place on Dec. 15 at Randolph Air Force Base.

USAF anticipates releasing a request for information regarding IFT-R, which seeks to inform and currently does not provide solicitations or contract awards.

Interested parties may sign up for the event through Dec. 9. Parties unable to attend may still register to receive a copy of IFT-R presentation materials.

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Senate Leadership Eyes Linking Debt Limit to NDAA
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Senate Leadership Eyes Linking Debt Limit to NDAA

An attempt to increase the debt ceiling by Dec. 15 and tie the language to an annual defense policy bill could enable Senate leadership to immediately address two items in Congress’ to-do list, but the option is facing bipartisan pushback in both upper and lower chambers, The Hill reported Sunday.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., have warned that the National Defense Authorization Act with the debt limit hike language faces the risk of being rejected in the lower chamber.

“We’ve told the Senate that. That’s the reality. Those are the numbers,” said Hoyer, who confirmed that Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have been discussing the option.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the NDAA has been delayed in the Senate by a number of proposed measures and one of those is an amendment over the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline system that links Russia to Germany. 

Another amendment bogging down the NDAA is the incorporation of a language from the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which would prohibit products made by Uyghur Muslims through forced labor from reaching the U.S. market.

According to congressional aides, the House and Senate Armed Services Committees started working on a compromise NDAA and that the lower chamber could vote on the measure early next week.

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Lloyd Austin: US Seeks to Address China Challenge Through Integrated Deterrence
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Lloyd Austin: US Seeks to Address China Challenge Through Integrated Deterrence

Lloyd Austin, secretary of the Department of Defense and a 2021 Wash100 Award winner, said China is a “pacing challenge” for the U.S. military and the U.S. aims to counter that challenge through integrated deterrence or defense strategy that includes the elements of partnership and innovation, DOD News reported Saturday.

“First, we’re building on a lesson that I learned over four decades in uniform: In war and in peace, we’re always stronger when we work together with our friends. That defines our approach to the China challenge,” Austin said Saturday during a forum.

He said such an approach would involve performing more exercises with partners and allies, encouraging European allies to help advance security in the Indo-Pacific and assisting allies in developing security capabilities.

Austin also highlighted the importance of innovation in integrated deterrence.

“Integrated deterrence requires us to weave together cutting-edge technology, operational concepts and state-of-the-art capabilities to seamlessly dissuade aggression in any form, domain or theater,” he said. “That means that innovation lies at the heart of American security.”

He cited the need to address the “valley of death” to facilitate the delivery of new capabilities to warfighters and mentioned DOD’s efforts to advance the Small Business Innovation Research program to encourage companies to conduct research and meet the Pentagon’s tech requirements.

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CNAS Report: White House Should Craft Roadmap for US Leadership in 6G
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CNAS Report: White House Should Craft Roadmap for US Leadership in 6G

A new report by the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) says the White House and Congress should carry out a series of measures to protect U.S. competitiveness in 6G, the sixth generation of wireless technology.

The report calls on the White House to create a strategic roadmap outlining a vision for U.S. leadership in 6G, provide additional research funding for 6G technologies, use existing capabilities for testing, experimentation and verification of such technologies and open more experimental spectrum licenses to advance research and development efforts, CNAS said Thursday.

The executive branch should also create a spectrum working group focused on 6G and foster the development of new use cases by using the U.S. government’s purchasing power.

The document recommends that Congress designate the Department of Commerce as a member of the Intelligence Community to enhance information sharing on policy development related to foreign technology, enact R&D funding to address challenges facing rural 6G development and initiate immigration reform to retain and attract foreign talent in the field of science and technology.

Authors of the CNAS report said the National Science Foundation should expand the Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research Program and form an equivalent of the Resilient & Intelligent NextG Systems program for startups. 

They also called on Congress to establish a technology partnership office at the State Department and work with the White House to create a 6G security fund and promote the development of open and interoperable tech platforms.

The report was written by Martijn Rasser, a senior fellow and director of the Technology and National Security Program at CNAS; Ainikki Riikonen, a research associate for the program; and Henry Wu, a former intern for the program.

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SAIC Announces Four Percent Revenue Growth in Third Quarter 2022 Fiscal Year Results; CEO Nazzic Keene Quoted
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SAIC Announces Four Percent Revenue Growth in Third Quarter 2022 Fiscal Year Results; CEO Nazzic Keene Quoted

Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) announced its third quarter results for the company’s 2022 fiscal year on Monday. The company has reported that it increased its overall revenue to $1.9 billion, which represents a 4.4 percent revenue growth and includes 2.1 percent growth as well after excluding acquired revenues. 

“Our strong results and sustained growth reflect the continued progress we are making in aligning SAIC with areas of increasing customer demand,” said SAIC CEO Nazzic Keene, who is also a four-time Wash100 Award recipient. We continue to see attractive opportunities to profitably grow our business.”

In addition, SAIC also reported its diluted earnings per share also increased to $1.22 and its adjusted diluted earnings increased to $1.85. The specific revenues for SAIC were also increased to $80 million when compared to last year’s third-quarter results. 

The increase was due to the acquisition of Halfaker and Associates back in July as well as the accelerated growth of new and existing contract awards. 

Other contract wins for SAIC included a $1.1 billion contract from the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) to test and deliver the U.S. Navy’s MK 48 MOD 7 torpedo afterbody tailcones (AB/TC) and MK29 Mod 0 Warshot fuel tanks. 

SAIC also secured a $200 million contract extension with the Department of State to continue providing engineering and design services, security, and operation and maintenance services for critical IT infrastructure. 

“Our focus remains on positioning our portfolio and empowering our talented workforce to meet the needs of our customer, today and in the future,” Keene added.

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Peraton CEO Stu Shea: U.S. Must Incorporate Human Security to Address National Security Concerns
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Peraton CEO Stu Shea: U.S. Must Incorporate Human Security to Address National Security Concerns

Stu Shea, chairman, president and CEO of Peraton, who is also a five-time Wash100 Award recipient, provided a feature for DefenseNews detailing the impact that the pandemic has had on U.S. national security efforts and how government contractors should respond to the current set of challenges that continue to influence the nation’s systemic issues surrounding cyber attacks, supply chain management and other issues.

“Our national security today is not only dependent on our ability to effectively deter our adversaries, but also our ability to deliver robust citizen services, protect our financial systems and rapidly respond to an increasing volume of unconventional threats,” Stu Shea wrote. 

Stu Shea illustrated the disruption that COVID-19 had on global health as well as the economic, political and security areas. Shea argued that these problems are all inextricably linked and can no longer be viewed as independent issues and it’s time for the federal landscape and government contracts to take a more holistic approach to address our national security efforts. 

“Today’s threats often don’t fit neatly into traditional definitions of security. We must be nimble, agile and open-minded to respond to the challenge at hand,” Shea explained. “I hope to see more of our industry colleagues look at our collective national security universe holistically so that we can work together to solve the increasingly complex challenges confronting our customers.” 

Shea also advocated for U.S. national security efforts to incorporate human security on top of the latest emerging technology capabilities to protect U.S. borders and deploy its military forces to ensure the security and well-being of our citizens. 

He mentioned Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) as one of the key initiatives that will make a difference. Shea emphasized that a comprehensive set of capabilities is foundational to addressing the broad expanse of needs in this complex ecosystem of national security in 2022 and beyond.

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IDEMIA NSS Adds Sandra Joyner Williams, Marg Schulenberg, Mike Ronayne to VP Executive Team; CEO Andrew Boyd Quoted
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IDEMIA NSS Adds Sandra Joyner Williams, Marg Schulenberg, Mike Ronayne to VP Executive Team; CEO Andrew Boyd Quoted

IDEMIA National Security Solutions, a subsidiary of the Reston, Virginia-based biometric and identity security services company, has named three new executives to its leadership team.

Sandra Joyner Williams joins the company as vice president of its Department of Defense and Intelligence Community operations, Marg Schulenberg has been elevated to vice president of security and business operations and Mike Ronayne will serve as vice president of federal civilian operations, NSS said Monday.

Andrew Boyd, CEO of IDEMIA NSS, welcomed the “distinguished individuals” and said of the newly appointed executives, “They bring an extremely robust knowledge base to the organization and will play a critical role in our growing success and deployment of secure identity and biometrics solutions.”

Williams joins IDEMIA NSS from Parsons Corporation, where she served as senior director of business development as well as growth and strategy account executive. She also previously held senior capture management roles at GDIT. In her new role as VP of DOD and IC operations, Williams will leverage her more than two decades of public sector experience to advance the company’s market expansion goals.

Schulenberg has been promoted from her previous position with NSS as the facility security officer. She will now spearhead the management of security operations, quality certification, contract support and procurement as VP of security and business operations. Schulenberg has 20 years of experience across multi-contract portfolio management and CMMI certification achievement and maintenance.

A nearly eight-year IDEMIA NSS veteran, Ronayne has been elevated from his previous role of senior director of identity solutions, where he oversaw profit and loss, business development and contract negotiations. As VP of federal civilian operations, Ronayne will be responsible for conducting cross-functional research and overseeing product development in support of the company’s customers.

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NASA, NOAA Turn to Cloud to Transform Environmental Data Storage
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NASA, NOAA Turn to Cloud to Transform Environmental Data Storage

Federal agencies tasked with gathering and storing climate-related data are turning to cloud computing and artificial intelligence to store, analyze and preserve vast amounts of information about the potential effects of global warming, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.

NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are working with technology companies Google, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft to move their climate databases into the cloud to accommodate the rapid growth of information used in climate studies.

Robert Lee Hotz wrote in WSJ’s The Future of Everything series that the total volume of the U.S. environmental data archives is expected to grow from about 83 petabytes to more than 650 petabytes over the next decade. The growth will be driven by projects aimed at gathering data about the natural phenomena on Earth and its atmosphere, including NASA’s NISAR radar imaging satellite and the space agency’s Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission.

“This is a new era for Earth observation missions, and the huge amount of data they will generate requires a new era of data handling,” said Kevin Murphy, NASA’s chief science data officer.

Nancy Ritchie, archive branch chief at the National Centers for Environmental Information in Asheville, North Carolina, said NOAA expects to move all of its Earth science archives into the cloud by 2027. 

In addition to the cloud, scientists are looking at the potential application of artificial intelligence in attribution science.

“There is a lot of data sitting around and AI, I argue, is the cheapest way to unlock the insights from the data,” said Claire Monteleoni, a computer scientist at the University of Colorado specializing in climate data systems.

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