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GAO, Nat’l Academy of Medicine Release Assessment of Health Sector’s AI Implementation Efforts
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GAO, Nat’l Academy of Medicine Release Assessment of Health Sector’s AI Implementation Efforts

A two-part report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has found that artificial intelligence tools show potential in clinical and administrative applications such as patient-provider communications.

The first part of the joint report is focused on the benefits and challenges of using AI to augment patient care while the second half provides insight into AI applications in health settings outside the hospital and clinic (HSOHC).

According to GAO and NAM, specific applications where AI would be most beneficial include recommending treatments, guiding surgical operations, monitoring patients, forecasting health outcomes and managing population health.

Challenges in AI adoption include difficulties in accessing high-quality data and issues surrounding ethical bias, the report states.

The audit's findings show that successful implementation of AI in HSOHC settings entail consideration of best practices in personal data security, insurance allocations for AI-assisted care and algorithm development.

“Overcoming these challenges and optimizing the impact of AI tools on clinical outcomes will involve engaging diverse stakeholders, deliberately designing AI tools and interfaces, rigorously evaluating clinical and economic utility, and diffusing and scaling algorithms across different health settings,” the report's authors wrote.

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Katie Arrington: DoD Working With Industry to Position US Supply Chain
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Katie Arrington: DoD Working With Industry to Position US Supply Chain

Katie Arrington, chief information security officer at the office of the assistant secretary of defense for acquisition and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, has said the Pentagon is working to mitigate supply-chain reliance on adversary nations, National Defense Magazine reported Wednesday.

Arrington told attendees at a National Defense Industrial Association event that the Department of Defense (DoD) seeks to position the U.S. supply chain to address military as well as commercial needs.

She noted that the DoD is collaborating with industry on efforts to deploy artificial intelligence-driven risk assessment technologies that can automate the detection of vulnerabilities while allowing information-sharing among industry partners.

“We have to really work on these tools and indicators and warnings, and having AI behind them to help us,” said Arrington.

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William Evanina: China Targets Biden Administration Members
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William Evanina: China Targets Biden Administration Members

William Evanina, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, said China has expanded its efforts against Joe Biden's upcoming administration, Cyberscoop reported Wednesday.

Evanina said his team has observed Chinese operations targeting Biden administration members and peers. The NCSC director noted that he will brief Biden administration officials about the issue.

“That’s one area we’re going to be very keen on making sure the new administration understands that influence,” Evanina stated.

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Baird Serves as Financial Advisor to BigBear Under NuWave Acquisition
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Baird Serves as Financial Advisor to BigBear Under NuWave Acquisition

NuWave Solutions has acquired BigBear, a cloud-based, big data analytics company that provides solutions to the national security community. During the acquisition process, Baird served as financial advisor to BigBear.

With the purchase, NuWave will gain expertise within big data computing and analytics, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, geospatial information systems, data mining and systems engineering. BigBear has provided technology solutions to customers across the defense and intelligence communities.

“BigBear’s data and analytics solutions bolster our existing capabilities to address the entire spectrum of information superiority,” said Dr. Reggie Brothers, CEO of NuWave and GovCon Expert. “Making better decisions from data while mitigating risk is a top priority for our government customers, and we look forward to working with the BigBear team as we supplement our capabilities to meet growing demand.”

Akerman served as legal advisor and Ernst & Young served as financial advisor to NuWave. To learn more about NuWave’s acquisition of BigBear, visit ExecutieBiz.com.

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Horace Blackman Joins CGI Federal’s Healthcare and Social Services Practice; Steven Sousa Quoted
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Horace Blackman Joins CGI Federal’s Healthcare and Social Services Practice; Steven Sousa Quoted

CGI Federal has appointed Horace Blackman as senior vice president of Consulting Services for the Health and Human Services market, within the company’s Healthcare and Social Services Practice (HSSP), the company reported on Thursday.

“We welcome Mr. Blackman to CGI Federal’s Health and Social Services Practice team,” said Steven Sousa, CGI senior vice president of Consulting Services. “He will not only broaden our perspectives, he will further enhance our capability profile into the healthcare IT space with his civilian and military program experience.”

Blackman has more than two decades of successful growth and value to mission critical government healthcare programs, across the public and private sectors. In his new role, Blackman will be responsible for strategy development and the execution of business and technology solutions to clients within the healthcare sector.

Prior to joining CGI, Blackman held leadership roles focused on business development, program execution and strategic planning at Edifecs, Cognizant, Leidos and Lockheed Martin. Blackman also spent six years in various IT leadership roles at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

In addition, Blackman was appointed by the Governor of Virginia to serve on the George Mason University Board of Visitors and currently serves as the Vice Rector. He also serves on the board of 1455 Literary Arts.

“I’m excited and humbled to be joining an incredibly talented and successful team within the Healthcare and Social Services Practice,” added Blackman. “This group has been focused on supporting our clients within these important markets, transforming the lives of our fellow citizens, and I look forward to being a part of our continued success.”

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Tsymmetry Names Jeff Affuso as CEO
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Tsymmetry Names Jeff Affuso as CEO

Tsymmetry has appointed Jeff Affuso as the chief executive officer (CEO), succeeding Todd Sickles, the company reported on Thursday. Affuso has more than two decades of proven leadership and strategic business development experience, with high levels of responsibility and results.

“From my first conversation with Jeff, and the many others we’ve had, there was absolute alignment between Jeff’s experience in cultivating sustainable growth, tech innovation and our collective vision for the evolution of this company. Jeff is a consummate professional and a thoughtful leader.“ said Tsymmetry chairman, Philip Lowit.

Affuso has led large, geographically dispersed teams of more than 280 professionals supporting complex technology, advisory and mission support services, including international programs.

Prior to joining Tsymmetry, Affuso served as chief operating officer (COO) and chief growth officer (CGO) of DRT Strategies (DRT), an information technology (IT) solutions provider that supports federal health and federal civilian markets.

Throughout his career, Affuso has developed a broad network of industry relationships ranging from Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) to major Federal Contractors.

“Over the last 10 years, Tsymmetry has developed into a well-respected federal prime contractor through the efforts of the entire Tsymmetry team.  I am confident that under Jeff’s leadership, this company will further establish itself as an industry leader, creating many new opportunities. Jeff is well suited for this role and the next chapter of this company,” Sickles said.

About Tsymmetry

Tsymmetry is a nationally recognized information technology (IT) and business services provider, serving the Federal Government, focusing on National Security and Public Safety. The award-winning firm specializes in application development and testing, cybersecurity, network engineering, infrastructure support and program management.

Headquartered in Washington, DC, with offices in Santa Fe (NM), and Melbourne (FL), Tsymmetry supports mission-critical programs in the U.S. as well as multiple OCONUS locations around the world. The Firm has a strong reputation of deploying innovative technology solutions and helping its clients achieve operational excellence through its mission of accelerated good governance.

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Parsons Wins Contract to Support NAVFAC SW Rebuilding Efforts; Chris Alexander Quoted
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Parsons Wins Contract to Support NAVFAC SW Rebuilding Efforts; Chris Alexander Quoted

Parsons Corporation has been awarded a four-year, $37 million contract by Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest (NAVFAC SW) to support rebuilding efforts at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, the company reported on Thursday.

"Parsons has a long and successful history of partnering with the Department of Defense on large, complex programs," said Chris Alexander, Parsons' executive vice president, and engineered systems market leader. "We look forward to providing NAVFAC with the full range of professional services oversight necessary to rebuild China Lake."

Under the contract, Parsons will provide programmatic, technical, risk and build management services to support ongoing earthquake recovery efforts, which are part of the NAVFAC's $2.5 billion earthquake recovery program at China Lake, following the  7.1 magnitude earthquake in July 2019. 

The earthquake caused operations to be sustained at a reduced capacity until earthquake recovery efforts such as construction and repairs are completed.

About Parsons

Parsons (NYSE: PSN) is a leading disruptive technology provider in the global defense, intelligence, and critical infrastructure markets, with capabilities across cybersecurity, missile defense, space, connected infrastructure, and smart cities.

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Bruce Doll: DoD Military Health System Should Consider Using Blockchain
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Bruce Doll: DoD Military Health System Should Consider Using Blockchain

Bruce Doll, assistant vice president for technology research and innovation at the Department of Defense’s Uniformed Services University, said the military health system should consider employing blockchain technology in tracking COVID-19 vaccine distribution, credentialing health providers and other use cases, Federal News Network reported Wednesday. 

Doll said Wednesday at a virtual health IT conference that defense health agencies could use artificial intelligence and machine learning to help reduce the risk of introducing bad data into the distributed ledger technology. 

“Right now, if you use blockchain, there’s a risk that the data introduced is bad data, and unfortunately, badly introduced into a blockchain can be bad data forever,” he said. 

Doll said he believes leaders at the Defense Health Agency (DHA) and other DoD components should prioritize blockchain to further advance the technology. 

“You can understand the whole technology evolves, and I think the phase it’s in currently remains one to be deliberately evaluated, before rolling out a pilot within the Military Health System,” Doll said.

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Chris Inglis: Digital Literacy Among Personnel Who Interact With Cyber Space Critical
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Chris Inglis: Digital Literacy Among Personnel Who Interact With Cyber Space Critical

Chris Inglis, a commissioner on the Cyberspace Solarium Commission and former deputy director of the National Security Agency (NSA), said ensuring digital literacy and critical thinking skills among employees with cyber space interaction is vital, FCW reported Wednesday. 

"So what we're speaking about is, how do we invest sufficient education for purposes of realizing our expectations and aspirations in cyberspace, not merely the important but narrower discipline of cybersecurity," Inglis said Tuesday at an Intelligence and National Security Alliance-hosted event. 

He noted that educators, lawyers and other individuals involved in other disciplines should have additional training when it comes to the use of digital infrastructure in their work. Inglis also cited the need to streamline the transfer of employees between the federal government and private sector. 

“At the end of the day, we still have a federal government that has a complex, uneven and stovepipe system that's difficult to navigate, sets up underlaps, creates haves and have-nots and creates unhealthy competitions," Inglis said. 

“So the question at the end of the day is: what do we do to take advantage of those enormous strengths that are unfortunately stove piped and move forward not simply for the benefit of the federal government, but for the nation writ large.”

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CISA, FBI Release Joint Advisory on Threat Actors Targeting Think Tanks
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CISA, FBI Release Joint Advisory on Threat Actors Targeting Think Tanks

The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are warning that advanced persistent threat (APT) actors are exploiting vulnerabilities in internet-facing devices and remote connections and using spear phishing emails to access networks of U.S. think tanks.

“Increased telework during the COVID-19 pandemic has expanded workforce reliance on remote connectivity, affording malicious actors more opportunities to exploit those connections and to blend in with increased traffic,” the advisory reads. 

The advisory from CISA and the bureau listed several tactics, techniques and procedures APT actors used to target think tanks, including defense evasion and privilege escalation techniques and those used to gain initial and credential access. 

The two agencies advised users at think tanks to be aware of tailored spear phishing attacks, log off remote connections when not in use and use different passwords for personal and corporate accounts, among others. 

Cybersecurity and information technology professionals at think tanks should also take steps, such as segregating and segmenting networks and functions, implementing multifactor authentication for corporate accounts and fielding antivirus software on organizational devices.

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