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Gen. Glen VanHerck: DOD Tests Collaborative Communications in Connectivity-Limited Places
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Gen. Glen VanHerck: DOD Tests Collaborative Communications in Connectivity-Limited Places

Gen. Glen VanHerck, commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and Northern Command, told reporters that his group tested the performance of a collaborative communications system in environments where connectivity is limited.

Global Information Dominance Experiment 3 (GIDE 3) ran from July 8 to 15 to test how combatant commands can collaboratively boost domain awareness and support decision making through artificial intelligence and sensors, DOD News reported Wednesday.

The Department of Defense (DOD) demonstrated this collaborative application between 11 combatant commands and other DOD components during the experiment.

GIDE 3 also aimed to trial how DOD can augment decision-making across both tactical and strategic levels, VanHerck noted.

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US, UK, Australia Agencies List Common Vulnerabilities in Joint Advisory; CISA’s Eric Goldstein Quoted
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US, UK, Australia Agencies List Common Vulnerabilities in Joint Advisory; CISA’s Eric Goldstein Quoted

Cybersecurity agencies from the U.S., the U.K. and Australia have released a joint advisory detailing the 30 most exploited vulnerabilities in 2020 and 2021.

The FBI, one of the agencies, said Wednesday that malicious actors mostly targeted remote work, virtual private networks and cloud-based technologies, with many cyber weaknesses left unpatched.

The Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency (CISA), Australian Cyber Security Centre and U.K. National Cyber Security Center, together with the FBI, provided organizations the vendors, products, and common vulnerabilities and exposures that need urgent patching.

The group also listed resource materials and various government and industry partners that could help in mitigating and remediating cyber weaknesses. The joint advisory comes weeks after CISA launched new tools for securing government-issued smartphones and other mobile devices.

"Organizations that apply the best practices of cybersecurity, such as patching, can reduce their risk to cyber actors exploiting known vulnerabilities in their networks," said Eric Goldstein, executive assistant director for cybersecurity at CISA.

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James Beutel: 5G May Help Air Force Unlock Modern Data Applications
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James Beutel: 5G May Help Air Force Unlock Modern Data Applications

James Beutel, deputy chief technology officer of the Department of the Air Force, said 5G has the potential to serve as a gateway for a range of “futuristic” data-centric applications including artificial intelligence, Federal News Network reported Wednesday.

He said at the Verizon-sponsored Federal Insights discussion that 5G could allow for head-up displays, virtual reality and other applications with the potential to speed up data transmissions.

“You talk about how much of force multiplier that is when one person can see that much data at one time and be able to share it and talk to with leaders in real-time,” he said.

Beutel said 5G could also address the complex data processing needs of AI in support of critical decision-making. The deputy CTO said the Air Force expects to have 5G technology implemented across all bases.

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Inmarsat Unveiled Plans for ORCHESTRA to Integrate GEO, LEO, Terrestrial 5G Into One Solution; CEO Rajeev Suri Quoted
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Inmarsat Unveiled Plans for ORCHESTRA to Integrate GEO, LEO, Terrestrial 5G Into One Solution; CEO Rajeev Suri Quoted

Inmarsat, a world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, announced on Thursday that the company has unveiled its plans for ORCHESTRA to bring together the existing geosynchronous (GEO) satellites with low earth orbit satellites (LEO) as well as terrestrial 5G into one integrated high-performance solution.

“By combining the distinct qualities of GEO, LEO and 5G into a single network, we will deliver a service that is far greater than the sum of its parts. Our customers will benefit from dramatically expanded high throughput services around the world,” said Rajeev Suri, CEO of Inmarsat.

ORCHESTRA will open up a host of new and previously unattainable possibilities, including close-shore navigation for autonomous vessels, next-generation emergency safety services for maritime crews, secure and tactical private networks for governments and direct-to-cloud connections for airlines.

“This is the future of connectivity and Inmarsat is perfectly positioned to bring it to the world with its proven technology expertise, right base of customers and partners, and financial strength,” Suri added.

“ORCHESTRA ensures Inmarsat is well-positioned to deliver long-term, profitable growth by delivering new services to existing customers, targeting near-adjacent market segments, and maintaining a strong competitive position.”

Inmarsat Unveiled Plans for ORCHESTRA to Integrate GEO, LEO, Terrestrial 5G Into One Solution; CEO Rajeev Suri Quoted

About Inmarsat

Inmarsat is the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications. It owns and operates the world’s most diverse global portfolio of mobile telecommunications satellite networks, and holds a multi-layered, global spectrum portfolio, covering L-band, Ka-band and S-band, enabling unparalleled breadth and diversity in the solutions it provides.

Inmarsat’s long-established global distribution network includes not only the world’s leading channel partners but also its own strong direct retail capabilities, enabling end to end customer service assurance.

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4 Agencies Show Improvement in Letter Grades on 12th FITARA Scorecard
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4 Agencies Show Improvement in Letter Grades on 12th FITARA Scorecard

The 12th iteration of the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) scorecard shows that four agencies saw improvement in their letter grades and those are the General Services Administration (GSA), the departments of the Interior and State and the Social Services Administration (SSA), Nextgov reported Wednesday.

GSA is the only agency that received an A+ rating in the scorecard.

In December, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee introduced a new metric to the FITARA 11.0 scorecard to evaluate agencies’ efforts to transition to GSA’s Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions vehicle for telecommunications services. 

During that time, the scorecard shows that eight agencies received an A grade in the category. In the 12th FITARA scorecard, two more agencies got A scores in the EIS category.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) saw its rating fall from a C- to a D- grade. DOJ showed a decline in letter grades in three categories: use of the Modernizing Government Technology Act, agency chief information officer authority improvements and data center optimization initiative.

According to the report, 18 of the 24 agencies received grades similar to the previous scorecard.

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JAIC Announces Responsible AI Procurement Pilot; Alka Patel Quoted
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JAIC Announces Responsible AI Procurement Pilot; Alka Patel Quoted

The Department of Defense’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) has announced plans to pilot a procurement process aimed at aligning the acquisition of AI systems with DOD’s AI ethics principles.

“The development of a tactical responsible AI procurement process is essential for creating the necessary safeguards aligned with our AI Ethics Principles and further implement against the responsible AI tenets set forth by the Deputy Secretary of Defense,” Alka Patel, chief of Responsible AI at JAIC, said in a statement published Tuesday.

JAIC said it expects the Responsible AI Procurement pilot to help inform the development of clear guidance to ensure that AI systems are designed, built, used and deployed in a responsible manner. Responsible AI Institute, a nonprofit organization, will support the pilot program.

JAIC will develop and pilot fundamental procurement protocols through the Tradewind Initiative, which aims to develop novel processes, infrastructure and guidelines to facilitate the assessment and procurement of AI capabilities within DOD. The center partners with the Indiana Innovation Institute on the initiative.

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Isabel Guzman: Federal Govt Exceeds FY 2020 Small Biz Contracting Goal With $13B Increase
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Isabel Guzman: Federal Govt Exceeds FY 2020 Small Biz Contracting Goal With $13B Increase

Fiscal year 2020 saw $145.7 billion in federal contracts awarded to small businesses, reflecting 26.01 percent of prime contracting dollars and a $13 billion increase from the previous year’s record, according to a Small Business Administration report.

SBA gave the federal government an overall rating of “A” on its annual scorecard for surpassing the 23 percent prime contracting goal, the agency said Thursday. Eight federal agencies achieved an “A+” for small business contracting efforts during FY 2020.

SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman said that entrepreneurs nationwide “used their trademark ingenuity, grit and determination to do a record amount of contracts” with the government despite a challenging year for the business sector.

The latest Small Business Federal Procurement Scorecard shows that the government topped its service-disabled veteran-owned small business and small disadvantaged business targets of 3 percent and 5 percent, respectively.

However, the SBA noted that despite the overall increase in the number of small business awards, the number of small businesses that secured prime contracts from the federal government decreased.

“Our goal this year, and every year, is to make sure that small businesses can be like the giants they are in our economy and to create conditions to guarantee their success,” Guzman said.

The Biden administration aims to increase the target small disadvantaged businesses contract awarding to 50 percent for the next five years, according to SBA.

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NAVWAR’s DevSecOps Pipeline to Serve as Digital Environment for Classified Mission Applications
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NAVWAR’s DevSecOps Pipeline to Serve as Digital Environment for Classified Mission Applications

Naval Information Warfare (NAVWAR) Systems Command has launched a cloud-based DevSecOps pipeline in an effort to help U.S. Navy personnel secure and manage data and applications.

The Overmatch Software Armory (OSA), a digital environment that complies with the Impact Level 6 requirements, utilizes methods to manage the security of the Navy’s software development cycle, the service said Wednesday.

Under IL6, the platform can take in classified information from the Department of Defense up to secret level. The Navy noted that this version of OSA has been included in the Naval Digital Marketplace, where users are supported with a classified environment for testing and tactical purposes.

Travis Methvin, cloud program manager in the Navy's Program Executive Office for Digital and Enterprise Services (PEO Digital), said the digital marketplace functions as the gateway for DevSecOps products and services. 

OSA has been integrated into several projects including the Risk Management Framework, a cybersecurity strategy for enterprise-level authorization of information technology tools, and the Project Overmatch, which uses artificial intelligence and machine learning systems for fleet modernization.

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GAO: Federal Government Needs Comprehensive Cybersecurity Strategy
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GAO: Federal Government Needs Comprehensive Cybersecurity Strategy

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has recommended that the federal government develop and implement a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy, mitigate supply chain risks and address weaknesses in its information security programs to strengthen cyber and information technology management efforts. 

GAO issued an update in March and highlighted the need for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and other federal agencies to fully implement key measures to improve IT management, according to a report published Wednesday.

OMB should sustain its leadership commitment to enhancing IT management and work with other agencies to address challenges related to IT modernization and workforce planning.

Other critical actions agencies should take are enhancing the authority of chief information officers, lowering the risk of wasteful spending and reducing duplicative IT contracts.

“Until OMB and federal agencies take critical actions to strengthen efforts to address these important high-risk areas, longstanding and pervasive weaknesses will likely continue to jeopardize the nation's cybersecurity and management of IT,” the GAO report reads.

Supply Chain Cybersecurity: Revelations and Innovations

ExecutiveBiz, sister site of GovConDaily and part of the Executive Mosaic digital media umbrella, will host a virtual event about securing the supply chain on Oct. 26. Visit ExecutiveBiz.com to sign up for the “Supply Chain Cybersecurity: Revelations and Innovations” event.

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Gen. James Dickinson: Spacecom has a More Operational Role In Space Defense
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Gen. James Dickinson: Spacecom has a More Operational Role In Space Defense

Gen. James Dickinson, who leads U.S. Space Command, said Spacecom has a more operational role than the U.S. Space Force in military activities.

He said at the McCrary Institute/Space Policy Institute's "Securing Space" event that the Space Force is in charge of planning, training and arming the U.S. military's space component, and Spacecom puts those preparations to use.

"Space-based capabilities enable virtually every element of our national power, including diplomacy, economics, finance and information," he said, noting that most U.S. citizens don't understand the importance of space assets.

Dickinson said Spacecom's mission is to prevent conflict from reaching space and, if unavoidable, engage in space combat.

Gen. James Dickinson: Spacecom has a More Operational Role In Space Defense

If you are interested in the Department of Defense's space goals, check out GovConWire’s Space Acquisition Forum on Sept. 14th. Register here.

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