The National Security Agency (NSA) has launched a partnership with the National Cryptologic Foundation to encourage the public and private sector to collaborate on cybersecurity and national security. NCF marks its silver founding anniversary in 2021.

The said effort will be made through the agency's external engagement strategy and the foundation's continued initiatives to expand public sector awareness, NSA said Friday.

The agency cited a need to increase cybersecurity awareness across academia, government, private industry and the general public.

The partnership also aims to develop nationwide education programs for boosting talent pipelines in cyber, science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields to meet workforce demands. A platform for facilitating cybersecurity discussions and technical exchanges is also planned to address gaps in the cyber landscape.

In addition, NSA and NCF look to inform the public about the value of cryptology to the U.S. and how it contributed to the protection and preservation of national security and the American culture.

If you're interested in cybersecurity then check out GovCon Wire's Defense Cybersecurity Forum coming up on May 12th. Click here to learn more.

William Nelson, director of the U.S. Army’s assured positioning, navigation and timing cross-functional team, said the branch seeks to accelerate experimentation and prototyping work on space-based sensors using a recently approved capability guide, C4ISRNET reported Saturday.

He noted that the Tactical Space Layer Abbreviated Capability Development Document will serve as a guide in efforts to shape technology requirements and create a path to transition the project to a program of record.

The Army is exploring methods to utilize sensors at different altitudes in a push to reduce the time it takes to gather and transmit satellite data to a weapon system, Nelson added.

The service cleared TSL A-CDD on April 20 to help inform the future application of commercial and government satellites in conjunction with military systems. Army organizations that supported the creation of the document include:

• Long-Range Precision Fires CFT
• Army Space and Missile Defense Command
• Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors
• Project Manager for Positioning, Navigation and Timing
• Intelligence Center of Excellence
• Fires Center of Excellence
• Army G-2

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has issued its annual statistical transparency report on the U.S. intelligence community’s use of national security surveillance authorities. The report offers information on the government’s use of National Security Letters and authorities under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, ODNI said Friday.

“The Intelligence Community remains committed to providing the public with information about how we apply important national security authorities,” said Ben Huebner, chief of the office of civil liberties, privacy and transparency at ODNI.

“The information in today’s report will help foster continued public dialogue regarding how the Intelligence Community protects national security, our privacy, and our liberty,” added Huebner.

The eight annual statistical transparency report also offers insight into the oversight framework -including oversight performed by independent legislative and judicial entities – that protects the privacy and civil liberties of U.S. persons and non-U.S. persons whose information is collected in accordance with national security authorities.

Titles I and III and Sections 703 and 704 of FISA resulted in 524 “probable cause” court orders with an estimated total target of 451 in the calendar year 2020, according to the report.

The total number of National Security Letters issued in 2020 reached 9,682, while requests for information hit a total of 24,225 in the previous calendar year.

Members of the U.S. Marine Corps have augmented their simulation-based training with an approach based on online gaming.

Marine aviators from the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing connected with each other from different simulators during the Cope Javelin exercise, which took place last month in Cherry Point, North Carolina, USMC said Thursday.

Participants accomplished the simulated mission and cross-communicated with one another without having to use actual aircraft. The integrated approach saved Marine Air Control Group 28 a large number of training resources such as fuel and maintenance work.

“Cope Javelin will ideally lay the foundation for the MAW to utilize both simulated and virtual training methods to increase overall combat readiness," said Capt. Tony Megliorino, MACG-28's lead planner for Cope Javelin.

The U.S. Army's new Texas-based Software Factory is accelerating software development through the power of cloud computing, C4ISRnet reported Thursday.

Capt. James Cho, the facility's platform product manager, said cloud technology allows users to harness more computing power as demanded. Leaders from across the military have expressed interest in using cloud computing to speed up software deliveries and maximize cost efficiency, the report noted.

The Department of Defense wants to use the cloud as a software production suite that grants developers access to needed tools and resources for cybersecurity and quality assurance testing.

Cho said the technology lessens the workload required to scale software applications and have them deployed service-wide.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will establish a new office dedicated to applying data across DHS operations, FedScoop reported Thursday.

DHS's future Office of the Chief Data Officer (CDO)will oversee the department's data activities in eight areas including cybersecurity, law enforcement and immigration.

The department determined the need to create a CDO office during DHS's COVID-19 vaccination campaign, which required a large amount of data collection and management work.

“Data must be interoperable and easily shareable by default, and the work we’re doing standing up our CDO office will help us get there,” Eric Hysen, the department's new CIO, said at the IT Modernization Summit.

Carlene Ileto, acting DHS CDO, is working to organize a team of executives who will work in alignment with the future office's focus areas.

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), today announced that Steven A. Gitlin, chief marketing officer and vice president of investor relations, will present at the 2021 Virtual Wells Fargo Industrials Conference on Wednesday, May 5 at 11:40 a.m. PT / 2:40 p.m. ET.

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