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Quantum Acquires Square Box Systems to Expand Data Portfolio; Jamie Lerner Quoted
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Quantum Acquires Square Box Systems to Expand Data Portfolio; Jamie Lerner Quoted

Quantum has acquired Square Box Systems, a specialist in data cataloging, user collaboration, and digital asset management software, Quantum reported on Monday. 

"This acquisition will not only help our customers make better business decisions based on their data, but it represents another key step in Quantum's transformation by adding data enrichment technology to our portfolio,” said Jamie Lerner, president and CEO at Quantum. 

Quantum’s acquisition of Square Box Systems will expand the company’s portfolio that classifies, manages and protects data across its lifecycle by adding technology advancements to further enrich video, digital images and other forms of unstructured data. 

The purchase will also strengthen Quantum's ability to provide software solutions to help companies expand business value within data, both on-premises and in the cloud.

"There is huge untapped value contained in video, digital images, and other valuable file data… We are also adding a growing, profitable software business unit with strong gross margins that is in the late stages of transitioning to a cloud-based SaaS business,” Lerner added. 

Square Box Systems' CatDV is an agile media management and workflow automation software platform that helps organizations with large volumes of media and metadata to organize, communicate and collaborate more effectively. 

CatDV has integrated artificial intelligence and machine learning technology to simplify cataloging and analysis of digital assets, including video, images, audio files and PDFs. The company’s solution also enables advanced search across local and cloud repositories and provides access control across the full data lifecycle for secure sharing and data governance.

"Joining forces with Quantum makes CatDV much stronger: becoming part of a larger organization with its visionary leadership team, whilst gaining access to an amazing pool of talent, gives CatDV more opportunity to better serve our existing and future customers,” Dave Clack, former CEO of Square Box Systems and general manager, Cloud Software and Analytics at Quantum said. 

Quantum expects the initial financial impact of the transaction to be accretive to current business operations and additional guidance will be provided with Quantum's release of its fiscal Q3 FY2021 financial results.  

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DISA Releases Final Solicitation for $11B DES IT Consolidation Contract
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DISA Releases Final Solicitation for $11B DES IT Consolidation Contract

The final solicitation for the $11.7 billion Defense Enclaves Services (DES) IT consolidation contract has been released, FedScoop reported on Monday. The contract from the Defense Information Services Agency (DISA) will be a single-award contract to consolidate the networks of 22 non-warfighting agencies in the Department of Defense (DoD). 

The project falls under the scope of the Fourth Estate Network Optimization (4ENO) initiative. DISA will be the single service provider to the agencies, once a contractor develops networks, help desks and other technical components of the IT systems.

The final solicitation includes answers to a variety of questions from contractors submitted in the draft phase of the proposal and appendixes with technical details about agency IT systems that the awardee would need to consolidate.

The scope of the contract includes network operations and management, infrastructure, transition, cybersecurity, technical refresh support and engineering and innovation services for a SSP network environment with all fourth estate agency users. DES will also support Defense Agency and Field Activities mission partners’ legacy operations and sustainment requirements as separate task orders.

“The network will consist of Non-classified Internet Protocol Router Network (NIPRNet) and Secure Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet) domains, and will use the DISA DoDNet as the technical baseline for standardization between agencies upon transition,” the request for proposal (RFP) reads. 

DISA expects to complete the migration and sustainment of Phase I agencies by fiscal year 2025 and migration of Phase II agencies by FY 2026 under the DES indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract. 

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CISA, FBI, MS-ISAC Release Advisory on Cyber Threats Targeting K-12 Distance Learning
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CISA, FBI, MS-ISAC Release Advisory on Cyber Threats Targeting K-12 Distance Learning

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), FBI and Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) have issued a joint advisory on cyber threats that target remote learning operations in the kindergarten through twelfth-grade category.

The joint cybersecurity advisory released Thursday states that there have been continued reports of ransomware attacks on K-12 institutions and students as of December 2020. FBI, CISA and MS-ISAC expect the attacks to continue through the 2020-2021 academic year.

Fifty-seven percent of MS-ISAC’s reported incidents represent K-12 schools in the August to September period, according to the advisory.

CISA, FBI and MS-ISAC noted that distributed denial-of-service attacks and video conference disruptions are among the cyber attacks reported over the past months. Identified risks and vulnerabilities include social engineering influence, open and exposed ports, student data breaches and end-of-life software.

The agencies also identified the most prevalent ransomware variants including AKO, Ryuk, Nefilim, Sodinokibi/REvil and Maze. The ZeuS and Shlayer malware variants were also common in impacted Microsoft Windows and Mac operating systems, respectively.

The interagency group recommends users to take steps such as software patching, multifactor authentication, network segmentation and regular password changes.

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NASA, ESA Select SpaceX Crew-3 Mission Astronauts
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NASA, ESA Select SpaceX Crew-3 Mission Astronauts

NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) have named three astronauts to serve as crew members for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), which is expected to launch in the fall of 2021. NASA’s Raja Chari and Tom Marshburn will serve as commander and pilot, respectively. ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer will serve as a mission specialist. 

A fourth crew member will be added at a later date, following a review by NASA and its international partners. This will be the third crew rotation mission of SpaceX’s human space transportation system and its fourth flight with astronauts to the space station through NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. 

NASA’s contract with SpaceX is for six total crew missions to the orbiting laboratory. The goal of the program is to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective crew access to the space station and low-Earth orbit in partnership with American aerospace industry. 

Marshburn became an astronaut in 2004. Prior to serving in the astronaut corps, he served as flight surgeon at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston and later became medical operations lead for the International Space Station (ISS). Marshburn previously served as a crew member of STS-127 in 2009 and Expedition 34/35, which concluded in 2013.

Before becoming an astronaut, Maurer held a number of engineering and research roles, both in a university setting and at ESA. In 2016, Maurer spent 16 days on an undersea mission as part of a NASA’s Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) space analog.

Chari became a NASA astronaut in 2017. He is a colonel in the U.S. Air Force and brings extensive experience as a test pilot. He has more than 2,500 hours of flight time. Additionally, Chari was selected earlier this month as a member of the Artemis Team. 

NASA has named the 18 astronauts that will serve as part of the Artemis Team, who will be responsible for helping the agency prepare for Artemis deep-space missions including the planned moon landing in 2024.

The astronauts, which were selected based on eligibility for initial moon missions, will help NASA and its industry partners develop hardware requirements, crew training activities and technologies such as the human landing system.

The team will also engage with the public in support of the Artemis program and future NASA missions.

“We are incredibly grateful for the president and vice president’s support of the Artemis program, as well as the bipartisan support for all of NASA’s science, aeronautics research, technology development, and human exploration goals,” said NASA administrator and 2019 Wash100 Award recipient Jim Bridenstine.

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SpaceX Launches Radio Satellite Aboard Falcon 9; Karen St. Germain Quoted
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SpaceX Launches Radio Satellite Aboard Falcon 9; Karen St. Germain Quoted

SpaceX has launched the SXM-7 satellite for SiriusXM, a satellite radio company, aboard the Falcon 9 on Dec. 13, Space News reported on Monday. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 12:30 p.m. EST. 

The rocket’s upper stage deployed the SXM-7 satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit 31 minutes after liftoff, and the first stage successfully landed on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. That stage made its seventh flight, having previously launched the Demo-1 commercial crew test flight, the Radarsat Constellation Mission and four sets of Starlink satellites.

SXM-7 is one of two new digital audio radio service satellites that SiriusXM ordered from Maxar Technologies in 2016. The satellite weighs close to 15.4 thousand pounds at launch, and will generate more than 20 kilowatts of power. Additionally, SXM-7 will deploy a large antenna that will broadcast programming for SiriusXM subscribers. 

The satellite is intended to replace XM-3, a satellite launched in 2005 and operating at 85 degrees west in geostationary orbit. A second satellite, SXM-8, will launch in 2021 to replace XM-4 at 115 degrees west.

The launch is the 24th orbital mission in 2020 for SpaceX, the most launches the company has performed in a single year. One more Falcon 9 launch is scheduled for this year, carrying a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) on a mission designated NROL-108. That launch is scheduled for no earlier than Dec. 17.

The launch follows SpaceX’s launch of a satellite designed to monitor sea levels across the globe under a U.S.-U.K. partnership in Nov. 2020. The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base Saturday on a mission to collect sea level data, support ship navigation and inform weather forecasts. 

“The changing Earth processes are affecting sea level globally, but the impact on local communities varies widely,” said Karen St. Germain, who leads NASA's Earth Science Division. She added that the spacecraft will help NASA further understand Earth's planetary changes with regard to sea level and the corresponding impact on coastal communities.

"These data, which can only be obtained by measurements from space, will bring a wide range of benefits to people around the globe, from safer ocean travel to more precise prediction of hurricane paths, from greater understanding of sea level rise to more accurate seasonal weather forecasts, and so much more," noted Alain Ratier, director-general of the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites.

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AECOM Wins Road Upgrade Support Contract From NSW Transport Agency
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AECOM Wins Road Upgrade Support Contract From NSW Transport Agency

AECOM has won a contract from the transportation agency of New South Wales, Australia, to provide design services for the Elizabeth Drive upgrade project.

Transport for NSW selected AECOM to design the concept and obtain environmental approvals for the modernization of Elizabeth Drive West and East sections, the company said Sunday.

“It is a complex project that must be delivered in harmony with several other infrastructure assets including the new M12 Motorway which runs alongside,” said James Rosenwax, AECOM’s regional managing director, New South Wales and ACT.

“We are delighted that our key client Transport has entrusted us to take on this pivotal project in the Western Sydney Aerotropolis… As the Western Parkland City grows, it is important that Elizabeth Drive can meet its future needs and provide safe and predictable travel time for employees, residents and industry,” Rosenwax added. 

AECOM’s projects will upgrade approximately 7.5 miles of Elizabeth Drive from a two-lane road to a dual carriageway, four lane road with a central median, provision for a future third lane in each direction and dedicated infrastructure for pedestrians, cycling and buses along the corridor.

The project will provide local access to the new Nancy-Bird Walton international airport, support the Elizabeth Enterprise Precinct and cater to the predicted growth in population, freight movements and manufacturing in and around the Aerotropolis. 

With the contract, AECOM will add to its long and extensive history of designing infrastructure and providing consultancy services in and around the Western Sydney Aerotropolis.

“As the Western Sydney Parkland City grows, we will see an expansion of industrial and commercial precincts, which will ultimately lead to a need to increase capacity on Elizabeth Drive,” the spokesperson said.

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GSA Promotes John Radziszewski to IT Vendor Mgmt Office Director
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GSA Promotes John Radziszewski to IT Vendor Mgmt Office Director

John Radziszewski, formerly information technology products director at the General Services Administration, has assumed the role of director at the agency's IT Vendor Management Office, G2Xchange FedCiv reported Friday.

As director of the GSA IT Vendor Management Office, Radziszewski lead efforts to assist customer agencies with market research, help them address procurement goals and monitor the performance of vendors.

He joined the agency in 2015 as an industry expert analyst and later managed its software category division.

His private sector career includes time as president of Axiom Business Group, an executive vice president at QinetiQ North America and director of command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission systems at Northrop Grumman.

Radziszewski also served in the U.S. Coast Guard for 23 years.

ITVMO is made-up of professionals who have previous experience in the IT, acquisition and project management areas.

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Report: Russia-Linked Hackers Suspected of Compromising Commerce, Treasury Email Systems
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Report: Russia-Linked Hackers Suspected of Compromising Commerce, Treasury Email Systems

The White House acknowledged that hackers believed to have ties to a Russian intelligence agency breached email systems used by federal agencies, including the departments of the Treasury and Commerce, The New York Times reported Sunday.

Several officials said threat actors also targeted agencies related to national security but it was not clear whether the breached networks contained highly classified data.

“The United States government is aware of these reports, and we are taking all necessary steps to identify and remedy any possible issues related to this situation,” John Ullyot, a spokesman for the National Security Council (NSC), said in a statement.

Reports of the cyber attack came days after the National Security Agency (NSA) released an advisory that Russian state-sponsored cyber actors were exploiting a vulnerability in a platform widely used in the government.

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Rep. Adam Smith: Incoming Admin Should Develop New National Defense Strategy
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Rep. Adam Smith: Incoming Admin Should Develop New National Defense Strategy

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), said he believes the incoming Biden administration should come up with a new National Defense Strategy to offer direction for further assessment of nuclear policy and budget-related issues, USNI News reported Friday.

Smith said the U.S. should have a “no-first-use policy” as part of the strategy since “nuclear weapons are a special case” as well as maintain “robust deterrence."

He noted there are the three questions that should be asked when establishing a robust and cost effective defense and those are identifying the goal, objective and tools needed.

Smith also mentioned the extension of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia, the inclusion of China in discussions over the treaty and the idea of rejoining the Iran nuclear agreement.

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Ted Kaouk on Federal Data Strategy 2021 Action Plan
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Ted Kaouk on Federal Data Strategy 2021 Action Plan

Ted Kaouk, chair of the Federal Chief Data Officers Council and CDO at the Department of Agriculture (USDA), said foundational actions over data governance, workforce and infrastructure will continue to play a role in the Federal Data Strategy 2021 action plan, FedScoop reported Friday.

“We are actually collaborating on the potential for things like a governmentwide hiring action on data scientists,” Kaouk said during a FedInsider webinar. “And so I think those are some of the opportunities that we’ll have individually and collectively.” 

The Federal Data Strategy provides agencies and their CDOs a 10-year roadmap and annual action plans to establish milestones. He noted that the 2020 Action Plan included “very aggressive actions and policies” for evaluating the infrastructure and workforce and establishing data governance boards.

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