The Department of Energy (DOE) intends to invest $21M in projects that apply artificial intelligence technology to fusion energy research. The projects will use data analysis automation and control algorithms to address operational needs required by DOE's Office of Science, the department said Wednesday.

Components of DOE's science office partnered to pursue this effort under the Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing program. This program aims to develop a software-hardware infrastructure for scientific research via supercomputing systems.

DOE will allow project teams to use supercomputers at the department's national laboratories.

“These awards will enable fusion researchers to take advantage of recent rapid advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning,” said Chris Fall, director at DOE’s Office of Science.

Forcepoint has partnered with Ericom Software to integrate Ericom’s remote browser isolation capabilities across Forcepoint’s Dynamic Edge Protection cloud-native SASE solution, Forcepoint reported on Wednesday.

“We are pleased to partner with Ericom to deliver remote browser isolation within Forcepoint’s SASE platform, the industry’s most comprehensive cloud-native cybersecurity solution that addresses enterprises’ most critical work-from-home security challenges across network security, threat protection, secure access and data protection,” said Nico Popp, chief product officer at Forcepoint.

The advanced remote browser capabilities will improve security and enable broad web access for users. Forcepoint Remote Browser Isolation powered by Ericom will support secure remote work by providing a zero-trust browsing experience for employees and preventing websites from delivering malware, zero-day exploits, and phishing threats to users’ devices.

“Forcepoint Remote Browser Isolation powered by Ericom prevents 100% of web-based malware and phishing attempts, delivering global enterprises the most effective defense against today’s dynamic threats,” said John Peterson, chief product officer at Ericom.

The remote browser will be featured on Forcepoint Dynamic Edge Protection, the company’s data-centric SASE solution, which includes Cloud Security Gateway and Private Access. Dynamic Edge Protection’s extensible, microservices-based cloud architecture will provide organizations with capabilities.

Forcepoint’s converged cloud security approach will also remove security gaps and point product redundancies, and streamline the ability to demonstrate compliance and deliver greater productivity at nearly 30 percent less TCO versus competitor offerings.

In addition, Forcepoint’s solution will prevent data loss by keeping sensitive web application data out of browser caches on unmanaged endpoints while limiting user data sharing activities on websites.

“For the first time in modern business, CISOs aren’t operating within the tight constraints of their enterprise security program. While the cloud and digital transformation created cracks in the foundation, COVID-19 completely dismantled it by introducing the security risks of the difficult-to-manage work-at-home environment,” Popp added.

About Forcepoint

Forcepoint is the global human-centric cybersecurity company transforming the digital enterprise by continuously adapting security response to the dynamic risk posed by individual users and machines. The Forcepoint Human Point system delivers Risk-Adaptive Protection to continuously ensure trusted use of data and systems. Based in Austin, Texas, Forcepoint protects the human point for thousands of enterprise and government customers in more than 150 countries.

IBM has delivered its highest Quantum Volume by combining software and hardware techniques to improve overall performance, the company reported on Thursday. IBM has also upgraded its 27-qubit client-deployed systems to achieve a Quantum Volume 64. 

"IBM's full-stack approach gives an innovative avenue to develop hardware-aware applications, algorithms and circuits, all running on the most extensive and powerful quantum hardware fleet in the industry,"  said Jay Gambetta, IBM fellow and VP, IBM Quantum. 

IBM’s milestone has made information processing tasks more efficient and cost effective on a quantum computer, versus a classical one, it will require improved quantum circuits, the building blocks of quantum applications. 

Quantum Volume measures the length and complexity of circuits, maximizing the potential for exploring solutions to real world problems across industry, government and research. IBM has focused its solution on a new set of techniques and improvements that used knowledge of the hardware to optimally run the Quantum Volume circuits. 

The company’s new methods are extensible and will improve any quantum circuit run on any IBM Quantum system. IBM’s innovative approach will improve experiments and applications. The techniques will be available in upcoming releases and improvements to the IBM Cloud software services and the cross-platform open source software development kit (SDK) Qiskit. 

"We are always finding new ways to push the limits of our systems so that we can run larger, more complex quantum circuits and more quickly achieve a Quantum Advantage," added Gambetta. 

About IBM Quantum

IBM Quantum is an industry-first initiative to build quantum systems for business and science applications. For more information about IBM's quantum computing efforts, please visit www.ibm.com/ibmq. 

For more information about the IBM Q Network, as well as a full list of all partners, members, and hubs, visit https://www.research.ibm.com/ibm-q/network/

KPMG has developed a technology architecture to match patients in clinical trials for convalescent plasma therapy to recovered patients willing to donate their antibodies, to advance the response and recovery of COVID-19 patients, the company reported on Thursday.

"KPMG has a unique opportunity to support our communities, government entities and healthcare providers in a challenging time by leveraging our experience to automate complex processes, provide analytics and help facilitate the study of convalescent plasma for the critically ill," said Cliff Justice, principal and U.S. leader, Digital Capabilities, at KPMG LLP, the U.S. audit, tax and advisory firm.

KPMG’s offering will also provide healthcare and government decision makers with a dashboard by geography to track COVID-19 testing and results, giving necessary insights concerning social distancing and the resumption of commerce.

The company’s solution has been designed to make the plasma donation process easier and more efficient by automating the complex tasks and logistics associated with the data collection, qualification and matching process by performing statistical analytics and using artificial intelligence (AI) and virtualized data. 

KPMG will also leverage third-party data from blood banks, hospitals and diagnostic labs and work with data backbones and existing technology applications that are already in place, such as IT infrastructure owned by governments and hospitals.

"This solution is designed to help ease the burden on plasma donors, accelerate the COVID-19 plasma donation process and provide better visibility to health authorities, while helping facilitate the study of convalescent plasma," said Bharat Rao, PhD, principal and leader of Data and Analytics for healthcare & life sciences at KPMG. 

The solution will comply will the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations. The convalescent plasma therapy matching technology architecture is a component of KPMG's recently announced "Restarting America" initiative to help organizations reopen workplaces.

About KPMG LLP

KPMG is one of the world's leading professional services firms, providing innovative business solutions and audit, tax, and advisory services to many of the world's largest and most prestigious organizations.

KPMG is widely recognized for being a great place to work and build a career. Our people share a sense of purpose in the work we do, and a strong commitment to community service, inclusion and diversity, and eradicating childhood illiteracy.

KPMG LLP is the independent U.S. member firm of KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International"). KPMG International's independent member firms have 219,000 professionals working in 147 countries and territories.

The Pentagon has successfully integrated the Persistent Cyber Training Environment (PCTE), the agency’s cyber-training platform with operational tools, to assist with mission preparedness and success, C4ISRNET reported on Thursday. 

“This integration allowed for execution of small team tactics while performing active hunt of advanced persistent threat within a post-compromised range environment,” Col. Tanya Trout, the outgoing director of the Joint Cyber Training Enterprise said.

The platform will provide the U.S. Cyber Command’s soldiers global access to PCTE and enable them to conduct individual and collective cyber training as well as mission rehearsal that align with the National Training Center. The U.S. Army runs the program on behalf of the joint cyber force and Cyber Command.

After the platform was first used in a large-scale, tier-one exercise in June 2020. The integration pilot program launched in July 2020 with the program offices of the Unified Platform system and the Joint Cyber Command and Control system. 

The Unified Platform system will consolidate and standardize big-data tools used by Cyber Command and its subordinate commands to enable forces to share information, build common tools and conduct mission planning and analysis. 

The Joint Cyber Command and Control (JCC2) will support the command cyber forces’ efforts to plan missions. The programs will be managed by the U.S. Air Force on behalf of Cyber Command and the joint cyber force.

LTG Stephen Fogarty, commander of Army Cyber Command, noted that the virtual cyber-training environment over the National Training Center is its ability to replicate an actual opponent. The mission rehearsal capability will enable users to input prior operations, such as those used against the Islamic State group, or to train against or upload malware discovered in operations.

Maj. Gen. Peter Gallagher, director of the Network Cross-Functional Team (CFT) with Army Futures Command, and Brig. Gen. Rob Collins, program executive officer for Command, Control, Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T) at the Army, conducted a joint keynote address during Potomac Officers Club’s (POC) Weaponizing Data Across the Digital Battlefield Virtual Event on August 11th.

The speakers address virtual training platforms, intel and operation mission capabilities, the challenges and priorities of data in warfare and how defense has evolved from the traditional standards to meet the demand of emerging technologies. 

If you missed the event, check out Potomac Officers Club’s Event Archive to watch Tuesday’s event as well as all recent POC events of 2020.