//
Rob Joyce Appointed NSA Cybersecurity Director
Published on
Rob Joyce Appointed NSA Cybersecurity Director

Rob Joyce, special liaison officer for the National Security Agency (NSA) at the U.S. embassy in London, has been named as the next head of NSA's cybersecurity directorate.

He will succeed 2020 Wash100 Award recipient Anne Neuberger, who has served as the agency's cyber chief since May 2019 and will transition to a new role as deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology.

Joyce joined NSA in 1989 and previously served as senior adviser for cybersecurity strategy to the agency director, chief of its tailored access operations and deputy deputy director for the information assurance directorate.

His previous assignments included time as special assistant to the president and cybersecurity coordinator at the White House and as acting homeland security adviser.

//
Former FEMA Officer Deanne Criswell Gets Agency Administrator Nomination
Published on
Former FEMA Officer Deanne Criswell Gets Agency Administrator Nomination

Deanne Criswell, who worked at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from 2011 to 2017, was nominated by President-elect Joe Biden to serve as administrator of FEMA.

Criswell is the commissioner of the New York City Emergency Management Department, a position she has held since July 2019 and in which she coordinates NYC’s coronavirus pandemic response, the Biden transition team said Friday.

At FEMA, she served as federal coordinating officer and led the agency’s national incident management team during her career there. She previously worked as a firefighter for 21 years and as deputy fire chief at the Colorado Air National Guard.

Biden also chose David Cohen, former deputy director of the CIA and current head of WilmerHale’s business and financial integrity group, to assume the position he held at the agency from 2015 to 2017.

Shalanda Young, staff director and clerk for the House Appropriations Committee; and Jason Miller, the U.S. Trade Representative agency review lead for the transition team, received nominations to be deputy director at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the agency’s deputy director for management, respectively.

Janet McCabe, a professor of practice at Indiana University McKinney School of Law and former acting assistant for the Environmental Protection Agency’s air and radiation office, was nominated to the EPA deputy administrator position.

//
Will Roper: Prime Contractors Acquiring Smaller Companies Limit Industrial Base
Published on
Will Roper: Prime Contractors Acquiring Smaller Companies Limit Industrial Base

Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics and three-time Wash100 Award recipient, said prime contractors' acquisition of middle-tier companies has shrunk the industrial base, National Defense Magazine reported Thursday.

The Department of Defense (DoD) now sees the industrial base as more generalized than specialized, as major contractors secure awards for almost every program, Roper told reporters Thursday at a press event.

The assistant secretary noted that this trend lowers competition and may limit the U.S. Air Force's options for future solicitations. “As you build that generalization and the overhead required to mechanize it, you get the same inefficiency in companies that you see in the government,” he said.

//
NSA Releases Guidance on ‘DNS Over HTTPS’ Cybersecurity Approach
Published on
NSA Releases Guidance on ‘DNS Over HTTPS’ Cybersecurity Approach

The National Security Agency (NSA) has issued a guidance on the implementation, benefits and disadvantages of using a form of encrypted Domain Name System to fortify user privacy and authentication procedures.

NSA said in the guidance that DNS over Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Transport Layer Security (DoH) can help prevent DNS traffic breaches and system manipulation resulting from unauthorized access.

DoH uses external “resolvers” to support security functions for remote networks that don't have DNS security controls. The cybersecurity technique can also be used by enterprise networks through an externally hosted service or enterprise-based DNS server, the guidance states.

However, DoH can also result in issues such as breaches in upstream DNS traffic, configuration vulnerabilities in internal networks and a “false sense of security”, according to the notice.

NSA’s recommendations include blocking out all other unauthorized DoH resolvers, utilizing a virtual private network, leveraging DNS logs and validating Domain Name System Security Extensions.

//
CISA Establishes Cybersecurity Risk Mitigation Venture
Published on
CISA Establishes Cybersecurity Risk Mitigation Venture

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has launched a venture under its National Risk Management Center that will oversee cyber threat mitigation efforts in support of systems critical to economic and national security.

Bob Kolasky, assistant director for NRMC at CISA, wrote in a blog post published Thursday that the Systemic Cyber Risk Reduction Venture will utilize a National Critical Functions Risk Architecture which will serve as a “system of systems” designed to consistently provide insights on cyber risk management and potential threat impact. 

According to CISA, plans are also in place to develop cyber risk metrics and transition the agency's Information and Communications Technology Supply Chain Risk Management Task Force throughout the critical infrastructure sector.

NRMC plans to achieve an initial operating capability for the architecture this year. CISA additionally intends to fund national laboratories in support of other software assurance efforts, Kolasky said.

/
NASA Taps Poland to Build Instrument for Interstellar Research Program
Published on
NASA Taps Poland to Build Instrument for Interstellar Research Program

Poland's science ministry will build a new space mapping technology for NASA under an agreement between the two organizations and a larger effort to study the sun's heliosphere.

Poland will develop the Global Solar Wind Structure instrument that would gather data on hydrogen from solar wind and interstellar space, NASA said Thursday. GLOWS' function will support the U.S. space agency's Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) that aims to assess and map the sun's heliosphere.

IMAP also seeks to observe the interaction between the solar heliosphere and neighboring galaxies. David J. McComas, a Princeton University professor who serves as IMAP's principal investigator, will lead a party of 24 international institutions for the effort.

NASA launched IMAP as the fifth entry in the space agency's Solar Terrestrial Probes program managed within Goddard Space Flight Center.

/
Unmanned Vessel Demos Autonomous Performance for DoD, U.S. Navy; SCO Director Jay Dryer Quoted
Published on
Unmanned Vessel Demos Autonomous Performance for DoD, U.S. Navy; SCO Director Jay Dryer Quoted

The Department of Defense (DoD) demonstrated the autonomous performance of an experimental unmanned surface vessel at an exercise with U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, DoD News reported Wednesday. 

The Ghost Fleet Overlord USV took part in the Department of the Navy's (DON) Dawn Blitz exercise to demonstrate compliance with international standards made to prevent ship collisions.

The autonomous vessel also traversed over 4,700 nautical miles with almost completely autonomous performance on its way to the exercise on the west coast. DoD's Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) partnered with DON to develop Ghost Fleet Overlord.

"It represents what SCO does best: integrate mature technologies to accelerate service priorities and create new capabilities for our warfighters,'' SCO Director Jay Dryer said about the USV's demonstrated performance.

SCO will transfer a pair of Ghost Fleet Overlord prototypes to the Navy's Surface Development Squadron One before the current fiscal year ends.

/
GSA Intends to Leverage Digital Assets to Increase Operating Efficiency; David Shive Quoted
Published on
GSA Intends to Leverage Digital Assets to Increase Operating Efficiency; David Shive Quoted

The General Services Administration (GSA) will integrate its digital assets and tools it has created to ensure the agency operates as efficiently as possible by reengineering agency business processes, FedScoop reported on Thursday. David Shive, chief information officer of GSA, said that the agency will work to become a “true, end-to-end digital entity.”

GSA will continually improve systems and services throughout the acquisition life cycle to improve efficiency. “We’ve digitized the vast majority of the intellectual assets of GSA, but a lot of those are first gen,” Shive said. “They’re basically digital copies of existing paper processes.”

The agency recently established shared service product lines for cloud and identity and credentialing services, and will work to launch more services moving into the new year. The product lines will enable better system integration, which will improve security and data exchange, said Beth Killoran, deputy CIO at GSA.

GSA will also improve cybersecurity tools by augmenting them with artificial intelligence (AI) for predictive analytics. The agency will procure emerging technologies under its enterprise-wide Infrastructure Capabilities and IT Operations contract. The contract is designed to reduce operational costs for reinvestment and enable GSA to partner innovative contractors to support digital transformation.

The agency recently awarded NCI Information Systems a prime $807 million task order to support GSA’s Office of Digital Infrastructure Technologies (IDT) as a strategic partner to help transform GSA IT capabilities, drive digital modernization, provide a more flexible service delivery model and deliver continuous business value for agency customers.

“This award represents our total commitment to helping the government achieve modernization and digital transformation at scale,” said Paul Dillahay, president and CEO of NCI, and two-time Wash100 Award recipient. “Modernizing GSA’s legacy infrastructure, technology and workforce will accelerate operational processes and create more efficient ways to serve the agency’s internal customers.”

NCI will work under the Digital Innovation for GSA Infrastructure Technologies (DIGIT) task order to support GSA’s IT strategy and the adoption of AI, machine learning, automation and other emerging technologies with a best-in-class team assembled by NCI.

//
ODNI Issues Updated Attorney General Guidelines for Intell Activities; John Ratcliffe Quoted
Published on
ODNI Issues Updated Attorney General Guidelines for Intell Activities; John Ratcliffe Quoted

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has updated guidelines for facilitating intelligence operations in compliance with established U.S. personal information protections.

ODNI said Thursday the U.S. attorney general and DNI approved the new AG Guidelines which include updates on the lawful handling of information for intelligence purposes. The guidelines also prohibit ODNI personnel's involvement in U.S. organizations without disclosing their affiliation with ODNI.

The unclassified AG Guidelines come as part of a multiyear effort to ensure that the intelligence community is consistent in protecting constitutional rights while collecting information across disparate sources.

“We must continue to ensure that we always conduct our intelligence activities lawfully, appropriately integrate intelligence in support of national security, and protect the privacy and civil liberties of every American,”  said Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John Ratcliffe.

The AG Guidelines will officially replace the National Counterterrorism Center or CIA AG Guidelines once the former takes effect on March 23rd.

/
BAE Systems Wins $500M Contract to Upgrade CV90s
Published on
BAE Systems Wins $500M Contract to Upgrade CV90s

BAE Systems has been awarded a more than $500 million mid-life upgrade contract by the Dutch Defence Materiel Organization (DMO) to deliver new turrets to the Royal Netherlands Army’s fleet of 122 CV90s, with an option for an additional 19 vehicles, BAE Systems reported on Thursday.

“This is an important step to make sure that our Infantry Fighting Vehicles and our Army are well prepared for many years to come. This mid-life upgrade will also result in a lowering of the vehicles lifetime cost, at the same time as keeping our soldiers safe in the face of new threats,” said Col. Norbert Moerkens, the Royal Netherlands Army’s head of strategy and plans.

BAE Systems’ new CV90 turret will feature an improved design and functionality. The main weapon position has been changed to enhance vehicle balance and enable innovative ways to integrate weapons, which will increase lethality. It also offers ergonomic improvements to support crew.

The enhanced turret design was developed from continuous vehicle improvements and data analysis. The crews will also gain increased advantages, including the ability to choose intuitive and effective modes of operation as well as shorten the time to detection, identification, decision-making and engagement.

BAE Systems’ modernization will also integrate future-proof electronics by upgrading to the 4G digital backbone, with embedded and robust cybersecurity. The company’s upgrade will improve the vehicle’s capabilities and provide crews with greater protection and ergonomics for increased combat efficiency.

“We are committed to delivering the most modern and adaptable IFVs to meet our customers’ requirements and are extremely proud of the technological developments underway as part of this significant mid-life upgrade program,” said Tommy Gustafsson-Rask, managing director of BAE Systems Hägglunds.

Work is already underway to equip the Dutch CV9035 vehicles with several enhanced capabilities such as an Active Protection System (APS) and Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM), as well as a new Electro-Optic Aiming System (EOPS).

1 … 1,187 1,188 1,189 1,190 1,191 … 2,607