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Kyle Vogel Appointed CIO at Commerce OIG
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Kyle Vogel Appointed CIO at Commerce OIG

Kyle Vogel has been appointed chief information officer of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Inspector General, according to his LinkedIn post shared Sunday.

Kyle Vogel’s Career at a Glance 

Vogel spent the last 17 years of his career with the Naval Audit Service where he most recently served as the director of the Information Technology Department from 2014 to 2024. He joined in 2007 as a software development project manager.

The Certified Information Systems Security Professional also worked at Marine Corps Institute for three years as a senior webmaster and at Manpower & Reserve Affairs for almost six years as an administrative support.

The Commerce Department’s Office of Inspector General, or OIG, is responsible for detecting and deterring waste, fraud, and abuse. The office also seeks to enhance the department’s programs and operations.

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Cybersecurity Playbook Set for Infrastructure Project Grants
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Cybersecurity Playbook Set for Infrastructure Project Grants

Cybersecurity guardrails developed by the Office of the National Cyber Director and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have been issued for grant-funded infrastructure projects, the White House announced Tuesday. The guidance sets the tools and resources for incorporating cybersecurity into grant programs and building cyber resilience in infrastructure projects, the announcement said.

The 75-page guide, titled “Playbook for Strengthening Cybersecurity in Federal Grant Programs for Critical Infrastructure,” serves as a roadmap for both grant-issuing agencies and award recipients, as well as critical infrastructure owners and operators. 

Complementary to Investing in America Agenda

Issued as the Biden Administration is pursuing the Investing in America agenda focused on infrastructure development and rebuilding, the guidance fills the government’s obligation to build in cybersecurity by design, Harry Coker, White House national cyber director, said.

“As organizations seek to take advantage of historic infrastructure grants, it’s critical to ensure the security and resilience of this next generation of American infrastructure in every community across our nation,” remarked CISA Director Jen Easterly, a 2024 Wash100 awardee.

Cyber Plan Templates and Model Language

The playbook recommends cybersecurity steps throughout the management lifecycle of the grant programs, including assessment processes on project cyber risks and corresponding cybersecurity plans. In addition, the guide provides templates that grant awardees can use in developing cyber risk assessments and project cybersecurity plans.  

For grant program managers and sub-awarding entities, the guidance recommends the model language for their notices of funding opportunity and grant terms and conditions. The guide also provides the resources available to support grant awardees’ project execution, such as the CISA Cybersecurity Performance Goal Checklist Adapted for Grant Recipients.

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NTIA to Offer $450M Funding for Wireless & Open RAN Innovations
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NTIA to Offer $450M Funding for Wireless & Open RAN Innovations

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has announced funding opportunities of up to $450 million to promote software-based open radio access network, or open RAN, innovations.

The funding program will support the development of applications that could advance the adoption of open and interoperable wireless networks, NTIA said Tuesday. It aims to introduce new open RAN-enabled revenue streams and reduce the cost of equipment integration.

Advancing US Global Tech Leadership

The federal funding initiative is expected to advance wireless software innovations, create new opportunities for U.S. businesses and make them more competitive, according to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Wireless innovation is a key piece of America’s global technology leadership,” she noted.

Accelerating Adoption of Mobile Network Systems

This third round of funding opportunity from the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund seeks to design software that uses open RAN innovations to provide greater value for utilities, mining and manufacturing activities. It also wants to develop new capabilities that would reduce the cost and complexity of multi-vendor integration through automation.

By funding efforts to introduce software-enabled open RAN offerings, the program intends to accelerate the adoption of mobile network architecture that employs open, interoperable and standards-based equipment to encourage competition and innovation, NTIA noted.

The government will accept applications for the funding grants until March 17, 2025.

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NRO Completes Sixth Launch With NROL-149
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NRO Completes Sixth Launch With NROL-149

The National Reconnaissance Office launched the NROL-149 mission from the Space Launch Complex-4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Tuesday.

The government agency said Tuesday it partnered with the U.S. Space Force Space Launch Delta 30 and SpaceX for this latest mission. The NROL-149 was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

NRO’s 2024 Launches

NRO completed six launches supporting NRO’s proliferated architecture in 2024, including NROL-149. It was preceded by the launch of NROL-126 on Nov. 30. The agency launched eight total missions this year with the latest mission being NRO’s last launch for 2024.

The agency completed 10 missions in a span of 18 months starting in June 2023, with NROL-68 as the first to be launched during this period. These missions enabled NRO to deliver over 100 payloads on orbit. NRO intends to launch more missions through 2028.

NRO has been working with the military and civil sectors, the intelligence community and allied partners for over six decades, providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems. The agency intends to continue developing systems that will quickly deliver data to users.

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Air Force Unveils New Facility for Creating Space Vehicle Tech
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Air Force Unveils New Facility for Creating Space Vehicle Tech

The Air Force Research Laboratory has unveiled its new Radiation Tolerance Research on Electronics for Space and Strategic Systems facility—dubbed FORTRESS—during a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico.

Operating under the Space Vehicles Directorate, the $4.5 million facility features a laboratory for developing, testing and certifying various electronic technologies, AFRL said Tuesday. FORTRESS will enable the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Space Force to enhance the capabilities of existing and upcoming space vehicles.

Enabling National Security Space Missions

According to Col. Jeremy Raley, director of the Space Vehicles Directorate, the work performed at FORTRESS ensures that national security space missions are carried out with the required resilience and dependability. “The vast majority of U.S. spacecraft are enabled by electronics developed and tested here,” Raley noted.

Tech for Space Exploration

AFRL confirmed that components previously designed and produced by the FORTRESS team were deployed in spacecraft, such as the International Space Station and Mars Rovers. Moving forward, the facility will work with civil and commercial space technology providers to supply technologies for space exploration and produce new electronics to modernize current capabilities.

FORTRESS, which replicates the environments where technologies are lined up for deployment, will produce electronic components for USAF and USSF systems. It will support the AFRL mission of developing and integrating affordable warfighting technologies for U.S. air, space and cyberspace forces.

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NASA’s Starlab Space Station Completes Four Reviews
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NASA’s Starlab Space Station Completes Four Reviews

The Starlab commercial space station has completed four crucial steps in its development, particularly its design and operational readiness.

NASA said Monday the agency-funded space station has completed four reviews, including the habitat structural test article preliminary design, systems integration, integrated operations and a habitat structural test plan. These key developments are part of the NASA Space Act Agreement awarded in 2021.

Future Starlab Commercial Space Station Progress

Starlab, designed for a single launch mission, features a large habitation and laboratory module. It comes with a compact service module that handles power and propulsion. 

Starlabs Space completed the preliminary design review of its structural test article earlier this year. This structural test article is an engineering prototype of the space station’s habitation module, where astronauts will spend most of their time.

According to Starlab’s habitat structural test plan, the structural test article will undergo qualification tests such as welding verifications, proof pressure and static load testing. Meanwhile, the integration operations and systems integration reviews provided updates on the system and station architecture, segment interfaces, program goals and program requirements.

Before the year ends, Starlab will complete more tests. The preliminary design review will show if the station will pass system requirements such as human spaceflight verification. The phase 1 safety review will provide an overview of the current design and its overall safety.

Angela Hart, program manager for NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program, said, “As we look forward to the future of low Earth orbit, every successful milestone is one step closer to creating a dynamic and robust commercialized low Earth orbit.”

DOE to Establish Chip Production Institute With Digital Twin Feature
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DOE to Establish Chip Production Institute With Digital Twin Feature

Department of Energy national laboratories are joining forces to establish a new organization that works toward building a strong domestic semiconductor supply chain. The DOE said Tuesday that the Semiconductor Manufacturing and Advanced Research with Twins, or SMART, USA Institute will utilize advanced technologies to improve the nation’s competitiveness in microelectronics production. 

The Idaho National Laboratory will lead the new institute as chief digital officer. 

What Is the SMART USA Institute?

The SMART USA Institute will primarily employ digital twins, or virtual representations, to improve the design, packaging, manufacturing and testing of semiconductors. According to DOE, the effort will also tap into the artificial intelligence and computational research capabilities of its network of national laboratories.

“The Department of Energy and our National Labs have been at the forefront of artificial intelligence research and we’re expanding that reach to advance domestic manufacturing capacity and national security,” commented Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, a Wash100 awardee.  

The DOE has long been involved in efforts to advance semiconductor research. The Exascale Computing Project under DOE’s Office of Science and National Nuclear Security Administration played a role in the development of GPU components that are now in use to power advanced simulations and AI.

A Nationwide Effort 

SMART USA is an addition to Manufacturing USA, a wider network of institutes that aim to bolster domestic manufacturing competitiveness. Each Manufacturing USA institute is a public-private partnership working together toward a common goal. 

In November, the Department of Commerce awarded $285 million to the Semiconductor Research Corporation to build and operate a chip manufacturing facility in Durham, North Carolina. The manufacturing facility is part of the SMART USA initiative, which received a $1 billion total funding.

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SECNAV Carlos Del Toro Names Tom Cruise a DPS Award Recipient
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SECNAV Carlos Del Toro Names Tom Cruise a DPS Award Recipient

U.S. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, a two-time Wash100 awardee, presented Tom Cruise with the Department of the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award for his continued support of the military branch.

The DPS Award is the highest accolade the secretary can award to a civilian outside of the Navy. Cruise received the award for his lead role as Pete Mitchell in the critically acclaimed “Top Gun” movie franchise. 

Del Toro said, “It was an honor to present Tom Cruise with a Defense Public Service award for his decades of naval advocacy through many movies. His work has inspired generations to serve in our Navy and Marine Corps.”

Tom Cruise’s Naval Advocacy 

Since the debut of “Top Gun” in 1986, Cruise has spent almost 40 years advocating for the men, women and families throughout the Navy and Marine Corps. His portrayal in the movie has continued to foster public awareness and appreciation for sailors worldwide. 

“I’m happy I have been able to be a source of inspiration to many of the sailors who serve today or have served in the past,” stated Cruise. “The effort was not just on my end, but the cast and crew I get to work with on all our sets. They are what really bring the work to life.”

After the movie’s release, recruitment for Navy pilots significantly grew during the latter half of the 1990s. The Top Gun film franchise is named after the U.S. Navy’s fighter weapons school, also known as “TOPGUN,” which is located at a Naval Air Station in Nevada. 

36th Honorary Naval Aviator 

Tom Cruise was named the 36th honorary naval aviator for his role in “Top Gun: Maverick,” which was released in 2022. The movie allowed older fans to reminisce while introducing younger viewers to the “Top Gun” franchise and the overall opportunities the Navy provides. 

Cruise received the honor alongside “Top Gun” producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who was named the 35th honorary naval aviator.

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NIH Appoints Adele Merritt as CIO
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NIH Appoints Adele Merritt as CIO

The National Institutes of Health has selected federal IT veteran Adele Merritt to serve as chief information officer and director of the NIH Office of the Chief Information Office, or OCIO.

In a statement published Monday, NIH Director Monica Bertagnolli said Merritt will report to Sean Mooney — director of NIH’s Center for Information Technology and associate director for IT, cyberinfrastructure and cybersecurity — as she oversees the agency’s IT strategy, governance, policy and security and advises the leadership team on all IT matters.

“Her breadth of experience and passion for harnessing technology to drive mission outcomes will be invaluable to NIH in advancing cutting-edge IT solutions in support of biomedical research and public health,” Bertagnolli noted.

Merritt replaces Dennis Papula, who has served as acting NIH CIO and interim director of OCIO since January 2023. Papula is now transitioning to the role of CIO at the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response.

Adele Merritt’s Career Background

The newly appointed NIH CIO brings more than two decades of experience in cyber and national security operations to the position.

Merritt most recently served as the intelligence community CIO at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, where she led modernization efforts to improve security, transform enterprise IT and promote collaboration across intelligence agencies.

The former National Security Fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government was also principal deputy CIO for cyber at the Department of Energy and held senior roles at the White House National Security Council Staff.

The Pace University finance graduate holds a master’s degree and doctorate in mathematics from the University of Rhode Island, Kingston.

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OIG Releases Report on DOD Classified Mobile Device Security
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OIG Releases Report on DOD Classified Mobile Device Security

The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General has released a report concerning its audit of select cyber controls meant to secure classified mobile devices that the DOD uses and the information that those devices store or access.

The Importance of DOD Mobile Device Security

The DOD OIG said Monday that the release of the report, titled “Audit of Cybersecurity of DoD Classified Mobile Devices,” was announced by Inspector General Robert Storch, who underscored the criticality of DOD mobile device security to national security.

“In today’s digital environment, mobile devices are indispensable tools that provide the DoD’s workforce with the flexibility and efficiency required to meet their responsibilities. However, they are also a primary target for cyber threats which could compromise data and the national security landscape,” Storch explained, adding, “Securing these devices is not merely a technical priority; it’s a critical operational mandate that enables the DoD to fulfill its mission safely and effectively.”

Audit Findings and Recommendations

The report put forward 40 recommendations to bolster DOD classified mobile device program cybersecurity. These recommendations address the various issues found during the audit.

The audit’s findings include the failure of DOD components to protect accurate or complete classified mobile device records. Components have also not included all required elements for classified mobile device training and user agreements.

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