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DOD States Position on Drones From Chinese Tech Company DJI
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DOD States Position on Drones From Chinese Tech Company DJI

The Department of Defense (DOD) issued a statement saying drones manufactured by China-based Da Jiang Innovations pose a national security threat and that a report that those systems were approved for purchase and use by U.S. government agencies was inaccurate. 

“A recent report indicated that certain models of DJI systems had been found to be approved for procurement and operations for US government departments and agencies,” DOD said in a statement published Friday.

“This report was inaccurate and uncoordinated, and its unauthorized release is currently under review by the department,” the department noted.

The Pentagon prohibited the use and procurement of all commercial off-the-shelf drones due to cyber issues in 2018. A year later, Congress passed a measure banning the use of drones and components produced in China.

The department said U.S. Special Operations Command has bought commercial off-the-shelf drones in accordance with Section 848 of the fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act and Executive Order 13981.

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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AT&T, Air Force Association Launch Caregiver Cyber Education Program; Nick Greene Quoted
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AT&T, Air Force Association Launch Caregiver Cyber Education Program; Nick Greene Quoted

An Air Force Association program office has partnered with AT&T to develop a cybersecurity training and certification program for individuals who are willing to teach senior citizens about online safety practices.

The Tech Caregiver course, which falls under AFA's CyberGenerations initiative, is designed to train volunteers in various topics such as password security importance, internet scams and social media etiquette, the association said Thursday.

CyberGenerations is part of the CyberPatriot program, the association's flagship nationwide competition that educates students in science, technology, engineering and math, and promotes future cyber defenders.

"As the world becomes increasingly dependent on technology, we must consider the importance of protecting and empowering those who may not possess the cyber skills to protect and empower themselves," said Nick Greene, CyberPatriot program coordinator.

The current CyberGenerations program can be conducted through a workshop for small or big groups, or via a self-paced guide that individuals can complete.

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Army Launches Online Portal for Small Biz Contracting Opportunities; Matthew Willis Quoted
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Army Launches Online Portal for Small Biz Contracting Opportunities; Matthew Willis Quoted

The U.S. Army has unveiled an online platform that gives vendors access to information about the military branch’s open contracting opportunities that are reserved for small businesses.

The service said Wednesday it launched the website following the integration of its Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs into a single funding vehicle.

Companies can use the site’s interactive page to explore open topics regarding current and projected warfighting technology requirements.

“We designed the space with the small-business owner in mind to have one place where companies can access resources to help them submit proposals, read about SBIR awardees and their innovations, and connect with us if they have any questions,” said Matthew Willis, the Army’s director of prize competitions and Applied SBIR Program.

The site also provides official links to the social media accounts for the SBIR/STTR Program and seeks to keep industry updated through a news and announcement section.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics & Technology and the Army Futures Command manages the SBIR/STTR Program.

Army Launches Online Portal for Small Biz Contracting Opportunities; Matthew Willis Quoted

On Aug. 12th, the Potomac Officers Club will host its 6th Annual Army Forum, featuring GovCon and government executives who will discuss the service branch’s technology programs. Visit the POC Events page to register for this virtual forum and view other upcoming events.

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Senate Armed Services Panel OKs $740B Defense Budget for Fiscal 2022; Sen. Jack Reed Quoted
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Senate Armed Services Panel OKs $740B Defense Budget for Fiscal 2022; Sen. Jack Reed Quoted

The Senate Armed Services Committee voted 23-3 Wednesday to move the fiscal year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act to the Senate floor for consideration.

Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., chairman of the Senate panel, said in a statement published Thursday the FY 2022 NDAA seeks to help the U.S. counter evolving threats and make investments in readiness efforts and “authorizes funding levels and sets policies to equip, supply, and train U.S. forces now and in the future.”

“It provides for military families while strengthening America’s industrial base and the workers who contribute to our national security,” Reed added.

The bill would authorize $740.3 billion in FY 2022 funds for the Department of Defense and a 2.7 percent increase in pay for U.S. troops and civilian workforce at DOD, according to an executive summary of the measure.

The measure includes an increase of more than $1 billion in funds for science and technology initiatives and research in artificial intelligence, 5G, microelectronics, biotechnology and advanced materials and seeks to provide the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) with $500 million in additional funding to advance research in quantum computing and other areas.

The proposed legislation would authorize $268.4 million in additional funding to support cybersecurity efforts across DOD.

Breaking Defense reported the Senate committee added $25 billion to the defense spending bill, reflecting a 3 percent increase from the White House’s proposed defense budget of $715 billion for FY 2022.

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Guy Cavallo Named Full-Time OPM CIO
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Guy Cavallo Named Full-Time OPM CIO

Guy Cavallo, who has been serving as acting chief information officer at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) since March, has been named OPM’s permanent CIO, Nextgov reported Thursday.

He joined OPM in September as principal deputy CIO and transitioned to the role of acting CIO after the Biden administration appointed Clare Martorana as federal CIO in March 2021.

Cavallo will continue to advance the use of technology-focused services in support of government employees and retirees. He unveiled a cloud initiative this spring as part of OPM’s modernization efforts, according to his latest bio shared with the publication.

Prior to OPM, he was deputy CIO at the Small Business Administration (SBA). He joined SBA in 2017 and led information technology modernization efforts at the agency.

Cavallo previously served as executive director of IT operations at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). His industry career included time as a senior government strategist at Microsoft and chief tech strategist at Advanced Systems Design.

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Former Sandia Director Jill Hruby Confirmed as NNSA Administrator; Jennifer Granholm Quoted
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Former Sandia Director Jill Hruby Confirmed as NNSA Administrator; Jennifer Granholm Quoted

The Senate approved Jill Hruby, former director of Sandia National Laboratories, by a 79-16 vote to lead the National Nuclear Security Administration and serve as undersecretary for nuclear security at the Department of Energy.

“Jill is one of DOE’s very best success stories—rising through the ranks at Sandia National Labs to become the first woman to lead a national security lab, and now she’ll lead our efforts to maintain a safe and reliable nuclear deterrent and protect our national security,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a release Thursday.

Hruby started her career at SNL in 1983 as a technical staff member and conducted studies about thermal and fluid, solar energy and nuclear weapon systems.

She held the director position at the multimission laboratory from 2015 to 2017 while serving as president of Sandia Corp., which operated the facility between October 1993 and April 30, 2017.

Following her retirement from SNL, she worked as the first Sam Nunn Distinguished fellow at the Nuclear Threat Initiative and as a member of the Defense Science Board and the NNSA Defense Programs Advisory Committee.

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Senate Bill Would Require CISA to Help Companies With Industrial Control System Security
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Senate Bill Would Require CISA to Help Companies With Industrial Control System Security

A bipartisan group of four senators has introduced legislation that would mandate the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to provide companies technical assistance to identify and fix vulnerabilities in systems used to manage industrial operations.

CISA, a component agency within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), would be tasked with leading federal initiatives to help public and private sector organizations secure critical infrastructure networks under the DHS Industrial Control Systems Capabilities Enhancement Act.

Sens. Mark Rubio, R-Fla.; Gary Peters, D-Mich.; Rob Portman, R-Ohio; and Mark Warner, D-Va. and three-time Wash100 Award winner, are the bill's sponsors.

The bill would also require CISA to brief members of Congress about the agency's ability to protect operational technology and share cyber threat information with ICS users. The House of Representatives has unanimously approved a companion bill introduced by Rep. John Katko, R-N.Y.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are scrambling to pass stronger cybersecurity measures due to sophisticated threats aimed at the country's critical infrastructure assets, such as the ransomware attack that halted fuel pipeline transport encompassing more than 5,500 miles.

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Navy Plans Hypersonic Missile Tests With Zumwalt Ship; Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener Quoted
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Navy Plans Hypersonic Missile Tests With Zumwalt Ship; Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener Quoted

Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener, commander of Naval Surface Forces, said the U.S. Navy wants to perform on-ship tests of hypersonic missiles and other new weapon systems, National Defense Magazine reported Thursday.

Kitchener said the same day there are plans to test the Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic boost-glide missile's performance from the USS Zumwalt guided-missile destroyer.

The CPS missile is a non-nuclear weapon designed to strike targets at hypersonic speeds. Lockheed Martin develops the missile and has already run live-fire tests for the system. 

Kitchener added that the Navy plans to have Zumwalt-class destroyers also test other new systems. He said the Navy is currently interested in unmanned vessels and anti-surface warfare technologies.

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Cynthia Mendoza: DOD Needs to Modernize IT Systems With Basics-Based Approach
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Cynthia Mendoza: DOD Needs to Modernize IT Systems With Basics-Based Approach

Cynthia Mendoza, the Department of Defense’s deputy chief information officer for special access program information technology, said the military needs to modernize its IT systems to meet battlefield intelligence requirements, DOD News reported Thursday.

She said the department must follow the basic principles of understanding mission results, forming partnerships and applying lessons learned.

Mendoza noted that DOD must consider IT modernization partnerships with other stakeholders, including the public, aside from just the private sector, universities, Congress and international entities.

“We leverage lessons learned from our colleagues who are doing similar things,” she said. The deputy CIO also noted that using lessons learned would help the military avoid technological redundancies.

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Prometheus Federal Services, Atlas Research Awarded VA Contract to Optimize Women’s Healthcare; Susanne Larkins Quoted
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Prometheus Federal Services, Atlas Research Awarded VA Contract to Optimize Women’s Healthcare; Susanne Larkins Quoted

Titan Alpha, a joint venture between Prometheus Federal Services (PFS) and Atlas Research, was awarded a new task order to evaluate, analyze, and improve women’s healthcare across the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Healthcare Systems (HCSs) and for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Office of Women’s Health.

“Titan Alpha brings a wealth of experience in evidence-based quality improvement for women’s health, said Susanne Larkins, research principal for Atlas. “Our team is passionate about this opportunity to improve the quality of comprehensive care, services, and experiences for our nation’s women Veterans.”

Atlas Research partners with federal health organizations to drive mission-critical innovation and transformation. Atlas’ work positively impacts vulnerable populations, tests interventions to support special populations, and energizes communities to help address social determinants of health.

“VHA’s commitment to providing best-in-class health care for women Veterans is a mission we are proud to stand behind,” said Carl Fortune, principal for PFS. “We look forward to working with VHA leaders to develop and apply quality improvement interventions within VA HCSs.”

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