The National Security Agency (NSA) has warned about risks posed by obsolete encryption protocols and offered a cybersecurity information sheet for identifying and replacing outdated Transport Layer Security or Secure Sockets Layer configurations that could be used for decryption and exploitation of sensitive data.

The cybersecurity guidance, titled "Eliminating Obsolete TLS Protocol Configurations", is put together to assist network administrators and security analysts within the National Security System, Department of Defense and defense industrial base in detecting, prioritizing and remediating legacy protocol configurations and then blocking said network vulnerabilities, NSA said Tuesday.

NSS TLS protocols are required by a Committee on National Security Systems policy to comply with specified algorithm standards.

NSA said addressing obsolete encryption is needed to ensure that private data is not exploited and that computer system and network attack surfaces are minimal.

Aside from the cybersecurity paper, the agency also announced the availability of information about network signatures, sample configurations and links to more tools and resources at the NSA Cybersecurity Github site.

Tyndall Air Force Base has fielded an X-ray machine to speed up the search process for vehicles carrying cargo and building materials.

The Mobile Vehicle Access Control Inspection System, dubbed as VACIS M6500, expedites the time needed to check commercial vehicles from 15 minutes to a two-minute time frame, the U.S. Air Force said Saturday.

"The image from the X-ray will allow us to quickly and efficiently scan for any anomalies, ensure the correct number of passengers are in the vehicle and confirm there is nothing in the cargo that should not be there," said Norman Shoemake, a search specialist at the 325th Security Forces Squadron.

USAF aims to process four times the number of vehicles within an hour through the device. The service branch noted base security previously asked drivers to turn off their vehicles and open all compartments for a thorough search procedure.

The $2.2 million machine is a part of a five to seven-year effort that seeks to rebuild Tyndall AFB following the effects of Hurricane Michael in 2018.

NASA has completed the final design review of an Earth observation satellite designed to fly for the U.S. Space Force, Space Ref reported Monday.

The space agency assessed multiple safety aspects of the Landsat-9 Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Secondary Payload Adapter or ESPA Flight System and concluded the final design review on Dec. 15.

The review verified the combined system's readiness for final integration activities. USSF's EFS would carry multiple satellite vehicles that will individually operate for civilian and national security missions. The Landsat-9 satellite will operate alongside EFS.

NASA plans to soon integrate the combined Landsat-9 EFS ahead of the launch scheduled for September 2021. Northrop Grumman designed and produced Landsat-9.

Maj. Jeremy Howell, a U.S. Army officer who serves as deputy robotics branch chief, G-8, said the service's robotics portfolio has grown in terms of budget, with 20 upcoming programs, National Defense Magazine reported Monday.

Howell, at the Joint Armaments, Robotics and Munitions virtual conference, presented the difference between the Army's request of $379 million for fiscal 2021 robotics projects and the $17 million budget in fiscal year 2015.

The Army's robotics projects will focus on situational awareness, soldier workload reduction, maneuverability, force protection and sustainment. The major noted that the Army wants to purchase modular mission payloads that may consist of communications systems, anti-jamming technologies and lethality packs.

Now, the service branch wants to determine how it will facilitate communications across thousands of unmanned aircraft systems and land-based robots on the battlefield.

“The question that we have is, how do we communicate with this vast number of robots so that they are able to be a force multiplier for the commander instead of a distraction?" Howell said.

U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Dennis Crall, who leads the the Joint Staff's command and control group or J6, said the military intends to analyze requirements of a planned multi-domain C2 approach, Breaking Defense reported Monday.

As the military plans to implement an integration of sensors and weapon systems through the Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) approach, J6 wants to identify JADC2's possible gaps and release results by February 2021. 

Crall said the analysis will begin this month and he expects to produce a JADC2 posture review based on the results. The gap analysis will inform J6's funding strategy for JADC2, he noted.

The Department of Defense (DoD) envisions JADC2 as an integration between sensors, communications and weapon systems. This approach is designed to accelerate and improve commanders' decision making in joint battlefield environments.

Lt. Gen. Crall said this approach will require automation across all systems involved to ensure information can move to where it is needed.

“It is about taking advantage of that sensor-rich environment — looking at things like data standards; making sure that we can move this information into an area that, again, we can process it properly; bringing on cloud; bringing on artificial intelligence, predictive analytics; and then undergirding this with a network that can handle this, all domains and partners," he said.

Unanet has announced new features and functions to augment its ERP platform for government contractors (GovCons), and architecture and engineering (A/E) companies, the company reported on Tuesday.

“Unanet is continually investing in its ERP to ensure it has the latest cutting-edge technology” said Assad Jarrahian, chief product officer, Unanet. “Unanet ERP is rapidly displacing the siloed, outdated tools many companies struggle with. These new releases further solidify our position as the ERP provider of choice.”

Unanet’s new capabilities will provide customers with greater visibility, best-in-class analytics and real-time project management tools, as well as enhanced customer service and support. The company’s upgrades have been engineered directly from customer feedback, adding to Unanet’s commitment to deliver tools to run businesses more efficiently.

Of the recent advancements, the company has integrated Contract Management, Project Central Dashboard, Unanet Mobile, and Inventory integration to further support government contractors.

The advancements will deliver greater control over data, providing a single, consistent and reliable source of information. Additionally it will supply access real-time insight that will accelerate projects, meet deadlines and run their projects and their business profitably.

For A/E customers, Unanet’s new features provide a more seamless deployment experience for project managers, accounting teams in both AP and AR, and all desktop users. Highlighting the latest release is a new web experience for Project Managers, enhancements to Unanet Pay, and updates to project planning and purchasing functionalities.

“Each function released today is specifically designed to resolve a pain-point that customers have expressed, while also integrating and simplifying processes,” continued Jarrahian. “We pay specific attention to ensuring our releases seamlessly integrate and improve the user experience, so we continue to offer greater value to our customers.”

These capabilities follow the recent launch of Unanet Connect, an open integration marketplace and platform that work to seamlessly integrate with systems. Unanet also launched integrated analytics features, with advanced dashboards and advanced real-time reporting capabilities.

Wind River has collaborated with Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions to offer integrated cybersecurity and anti-tamper protections for aerospace and defense systems, Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions reported on Tuesday. The advanced solutions will further security and performance requirements for mission-critical applications.

“By working with leaders like Wind River, we can help our customers accelerate their innovation and development cycles while also preparing their defense systems to guard against ever-increasing cyberthreats,” said Chris Wiltsey, senior vice president and general manager, Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions.

Wind River Titanium Security Suite will deliver proven capabilities to provide secure, trusted and controlled execution. The suite will also protect against cyberattacks, tampering and reverse engineering. The suite has included solutions for hardening Linux environments, securely leveraging virtualization and protecting the boot process and chain.

By collaborating with Curtiss-Wright, the companies will deliver a secure hardware and software solution for applications. Titanium Security Suite has been integrated, tested and validated on Curtiss-Wright OpenVPX modules and will be supported on the CHAMP-XD1S processor module.

The modules will feature built-in Intel Trusted Execution Technology (Intel TXT), Curtiss-Wright TrustedCOTS protections and flexible APIs to support secure software solutions. Wind River and Curtiss-Wright will enable customers to strengthen system security, and reduce risk, cost, complexity and development time.

“By collaborating with Curtiss-Wright, we are helping our shared customers integrate security during the design phase, incorporating advanced cybersecurity and technology protections that meet DoD requirements,” said Michel Genard, vice president, Industry Solutions, Wind River.

About Curtiss-Wright Corporation

Curtiss-Wright Corporation is a global innovative company that delivers highly engineered, critical-function products and services to the commercial, industrial, defense, and energy markets.

Building on the heritage of Glenn Curtiss and the Wright brothers, Curtiss-Wright has a long tradition of providing reliable solutions through trusted customer relationships. The company is headquartered in Davidson, N.C., and employs approximately 8,300 people worldwide.