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Air Force to Reduce Physical Footprint Amid New Telework Norm; Maj. James Tyhurst Quoted
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Air Force to Reduce Physical Footprint Amid New Telework Norm; Maj. James Tyhurst Quoted

The U.S. Air Force has commenced efforts to minimize the physical footprint at facilities, as the service continues to implement teleworking. The Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC) coordinated with installation leaders to gather data on unit space allocations, unit telework plans, building floor plans, building condition and mission dependency, USAF said Saturday.

“With approval to press forward, AFCEC began working on pilot studies at two installations: the large installation of Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, and the smaller installation of Luke Air Force Base, Arizona,” said Maj. James Tyhurst, chief of AFCEC’s Installation Planning Branch.

The pilot effort primarily focuses on administrative functions associated with telework and facility footprint reduction. AFCEC, part of Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, proposed the study in response to Gen. Stephen Wilson, USAF vice chief of staff, who asked about how teleworking would offset Air Force facility requirements.

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Kenautics Gets DHS Funding to Develop Underwater Tracking Tech
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Kenautics Gets DHS Funding to Develop Underwater Tracking Tech

Kenautics Inc. has secured $157,800 in funds from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through the Maritime Object Tracking Technology solicitation to build a tracking system for marking and monitoring objects underwater.

The company proposed to repackage its handheld Diver Navigation and Imaging System into a ruggedized buoy that can be deployed from air, land or sea under harsh conditions, DHS said Friday

Kenautics will design the buoy to operate in covert and overt missions and deliver geo-referenced forensic data sets, interactive features, localization capabilities, tracking and position data.

The department plans to use the technology to augment the U.S. Coast Guard's disaster response, waterway security, drug interdiction, search and rescue operations.

Interested vendors may still submit proposals for the MOTT solicitation until Feb. 20. 

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Army Reorganizing TRADOC to Focus on Enterprise Multidomain Ops
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Army Reorganizing TRADOC to Focus on Enterprise Multidomain Ops

Two units under the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) that managed counter-unmanned aerial system (UAS) programs will discontinue operations in a push to transition funds from counterinsurgency activities to large-scale, multidomain combat operations.

The Army plans to terminate the operations of its Rapid Equipping Force (REF) and Asymmetric Warfare Group (AWG) by Sept. 31st, 2021, after 14 years of handling the service branch’s materiel support and operational advisory activities for deployed personnel, the Army News Service reported Friday. 

AWG previously managed efforts to integrate commercial technologies into counter-UAS operations, while REF handled the deployment of network communications and wireless video technologies for underground operations.

According to TRADOC officials, REF and AWG heads will work to transition personnel, programs, equipment and operations to other agencies over the next year in line with the reorganization effort.

The Army is continuing efforts to employ “plug and play” technologies for counter-UAS operations under the oversight of the Joint Counter-Small UAS office, according to the report.

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CISA Issues Telework Security Toolkit
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CISA Issues Telework Security Toolkit

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has released a toolkit to help agencies, information technology teams and teleworking personnel ensure the security of systems and data amid remote work settings.

The Telework Essentials Toolkit recommends that agency leaders review and modify policies to address current cybersecurity issues and implement cyber training requirements to improve workforce knowledge.

Agency heads should also determine risks associated with transitioning resources from the traditional network perimeter and implement policies that cover the “extended perimeter” which includes home networks and personal devices.

In addition, CISA recommends that agencies establish a “cyber secure, hybrid culture” for remote work and enact policies that focus on human behavior and cyber hygiene basics.

“After rapidly adopting wide-scale remote work practices in response to COVID-19, organizations have started planning for more permanent and strategic teleworking postures,” the guide states. “An organization’s executive leaders, IT professionals, and teleworkers all have roles to play in the shift from temporary to long-term or permanent telework strategies.”

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Navy Dept Creates Board to Lead Electromagnetic Battle Space Efforts
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Navy Dept Creates Board to Lead Electromagnetic Battle Space Efforts

The Department of the Navy (DON) has established a board that would oversee the implementation of a strategy, doctrine and policy for electromagnetic warfare. The Electromagnetic Battle Space Governance Board (EMBS) will lead and guide the creation and application of these materials that would shape how DON pursues its EMBS enterprise, the department said Sept. 23rd.

DON's electromagnetic spectrum operations will consist of information, doctrine, training, military supplies, governance, facilities and other requirements necessary to build an EMBS enterprise.

The EMBS Governance Board will serve as an adviser to DON senior leadership, including the Navy secretary, on how to address enterprise-wide EMBS issues.

The board will also provide insight to help DON sustain EMBS operations and support warfighters via strategic investments, and establish various work teams for integrated projects.

Senior officials from the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps, as well as secretariat-level stakeholders, will compose the governance board.

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NIST Releases Draft Guidance on Data Integrity, Ransomware Protection
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NIST Releases Draft Guidance on Data Integrity, Ransomware Protection

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released a draft guidance to help agencies ensure the integrity of their data against ransomware threats in line with recognized cybersecurity requirements.

NIST’s National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) partnered with Mitre on the draft document as part of the initiative to “help organizations implement technical capabilities that address data integrity issues,” according to a notice published Thursday.

The effort comes as part of NCCoE’s data integrity projects that seek to improve understanding of architectures, capabilities and other resources to support a comprehensive data integrity strategy.

Authors of the draft paper include NIST’s Jennifer Cawthra and Mitre’s Michael Ekstrom, Lauren Lusty, Julian Sexton, John Sweetnam and Anne Townsend. NCCoE will accept feedback on the draft guidance through Nov. 13.

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Glenn Woroch Named FCC Chief Economist; Ajit Pai Quoted
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Glenn Woroch Named FCC Chief Economist; Ajit Pai Quoted

Glenn Woroch, adjunct professor emeritus at the University of California-Berkeley, has joined the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to serve as chief economist for one year. Woroch will advise the agency's chairman, commissioners, bureaus and officers on economic issues as part of his new role, FCC said Friday.

He led Haas Business School's Center for Research on Telecommunications Policy as executive director from 1995 through 2013. He also worked as a senior member of GTE Laboratories' technical staff.

"I look forward to learning from his insights into various aspects of the Commission’s critical work," said Ajit Pai, FCC chairman.

Woroch served as a peer reviewer for various journals and joined the editorial boards of Telecommunications Policy, Journal of Regulatory Economics and Information Economics & Policy.

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Sens. Rob Portman, Gary Peters Propose Bill to Guide Gov’t Cybersecurity Allotments
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Sens. Rob Portman, Gary Peters Propose Bill to Guide Gov’t Cybersecurity Allotments

Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Gary Peters, D-Mich., have presented a bill to improve the U.S. government's cybersecurity investments.

The Risk-Informed Spending for Cybersecurity would task and guide federal agencies to allot limited resources for the more significant cyber matters, Portman's office said Thursday.

The bill would address findings from a June 2019 report that many agencies have not adopted and applied effective cybersecurity frameworks. The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, chaired by Portman, assessed agencies to produce the report.

“This bipartisan legislation will help give federal agencies the information they need to make informed decisions about their cybersecurity budgets,” Portman said.

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CNSI Names Gaurav Maini as SVP, Managing Director; Todd Stottlemyer Quoted
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CNSI Names Gaurav Maini as SVP, Managing Director; Todd Stottlemyer Quoted

CNSI has appointed Gaurav Maini as senior vice president and managing director for CNSI’s operations in Chennai, India, the company reported on Monday. Maini will lead a team responsible for delivering innovative, secure, high-performance and scalable technology products in support of CNSI’s clients.

“We are thrilled to have Gaurav on the CNSI team,” said Todd Stottlemyer, CEO of CNSI and 2019 Wash100 Award recipient. “Because of his extensive healthcare and technology experience in both the U.S. and India, Gaurav inherently understands the complexity of our industry… Gaurav will be instrumental in helping us build solutions that meet our clients’ needs today, and in the future.”

Maini, a global healthcare leader, most recently served as managing director of Philips VitalHealth Asia Pacific, prior to joining CNSI. With the company, he was responsible for driving Philips’ population health management solutions, with focus on the management of healthcare data, coordination of care and patient and clinician engagement. 

“He knows what it takes to build and deploy technology solutions to help improve health outcomes, better manage population health, and bend the cost curve,” Stottlemyer added. 

Before his eight-year tenure with Philips, Maini served with Epic, an Electronic Medical Records (EMR) software provider, where he was part of the Executive Committee. With Epic, he managed  deployments of EMR systems at Kaiser Permanente, Johns Hopkins, Sutter and Geisinger Health systems. He has managed various development teams.

“I am thrilled to be a part of a strong leadership team and an exceptional technology team delivering on CNSI’s vision: to be the market leader and most trusted partner for innovative and transformative technology-enabled solutions that improve health and social services outcomes and reduce costs,” said Maini.

 About CNSI

CNSI delivers a broad range of health information technology enterprise solutions and customizable products to a diverse base of state and federal agencies and commercial clients. We align, build, and manage innovative, high-quality, cost-effective solutions that help clients achieve their mission, enhance business performance, reduce costs, and improve the health for over 50 million Americans. 

Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, CNSI employs a world-class team of technologists, program managers, and subject matter experts, all of whom have experience with large scale mission-critical information technology implementations.

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Hexagon US Federal Wins NGA CWS Contract to Support Source Directorate Mission; Tammer Olibah Quoted
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Hexagon US Federal Wins NGA CWS Contract to Support Source Directorate Mission; Tammer Olibah Quoted

Hexagon US Federal has been awarded a five year, $15 million Cartographic Web Service (CWS) contract by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), the company reported on Monday.

“We’re proud to provide CWS as part of our NGA support as a critical element to the Source Directorate mission,” said Tammer Olibah, Hexagon US Federal CEO. “It’s an honor to be a partner for NGA as they undertake modernization efforts which are vital to national security.”

As the prime contractor on the single award contract, Hexagon US Federal will provide the CWS for the high volume, rapid production of maps and charts. Hexagon US Federal’s CWS system was selected following a NGA evaluation of differing Automated Finishing Systems (AFS). The company’s system will provide NGA and its allies with the ability to rapidly generate high volumes of mapping and charting products.

The contract is a continuation of support Hexagon US Federal previously provided to NGA. The contract work began in Sept. 2020 with a base of one year, and an option of up to four additional years. Work will take place primarily in Huntsville, Alabama, with support from other locations throughout the United States.

Hexagon US Federal also received a spot on NGA’s contract vehicle for content management of community-sourced data on topographic and human geography under a potential 10-year contract worth $920 million, the company reported in 2018.

About Hexagon US Federal

Hexagon US Federal is part of Hexagon serving the U.S. federal market. Hexagon is a global leader in sensor, software and autonomous solutions. We are putting data to work to boost efficiency, productivity, and quality across industrial, manufacturing, infrastructure, safety, and mobility applications. Our technologies are shaping urban and production ecosystems to become increasingly connected and autonomous – ensuring a scalable, sustainable future.

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