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Summit 7 Systems Recognized for Economic Growth; Scott Edwards Quoted
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Summit 7 Systems Recognized for Economic Growth; Scott Edwards Quoted

Summit 7 Systems has been named to Inc. Magazine’s annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies, recognized as one of the most successful independent small businesses within the nation, the company reported on Monday.

“We have an outstanding team committed to securing the Defense Industrial Base (DIB), and this award is validation of our strategy to help companies move to the Microsoft Cloud platforms and implement cybersecurity controls for the modern threat landscape,” said Scott Edwards, president and co-founder of Summit 7 Systems.

Summit 7 Systems has been recognized for the company’s competitiveness within its markets, as well as the company’s exponential growth within 2020. The 2020 Inc. 5000 achieved a three-year average growth of over 500 percent, and a median rate of 165 percent. The Inc. 5000’s aggregate revenue was $209 billion in 2019, accounting for over 1 million jobs over the past three years.

“It’s an honor to return to the Inc. 5000 and be ranked alongside so many unique and innovative businesses,” Edwards added.

Summit 7

About Summit 7 Systems 

Summit 7 Systems is a national leader in cybersecurity and compliance for the Aerospace and Defense industry and corporate enterprises. Summit 7’s Microsoft Cloud solutions have led the way in meeting compliance regulations for the DIB regarding CMMC, DFARS, NIST 800-171, ITAR, and CUI. Summit 7 Systems was recently named the 2020 Microsoft US Partner Award winner for Security and Compliance and is headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama.

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DOE Develops First Five Consortium to Improve Decision Making With AI; Nand Mulchandani, Cheryl Ingstad Quoted
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DOE Develops First Five Consortium to Improve Decision Making With AI; Nand Mulchandani, Cheryl Ingstad Quoted

The Department of Energy’s (DoE) Artificial Intelligence and Technology Office (AITO) has developed the First Five Consortium, which was formed in response to the White House Executive Forum focused on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response, the department reported on Tuesday. 

“AITO is proud to lead on getting near real-time information into the hands of our First Responders,” said Cheryl Ingstad, director of AITO. “This will allow them to save more lives and protect assets and our nation’s resources.”

DoE’s First Five Consortium has been co-chaired with Microsoft Corporation, to unify industry, government, non-profit and academia to develop solutions that will improve the impact mitigation of natural disasters within the nation. 

Microsoft recently established a critical infrastructure team to help advance systems, services, and functions essential to the operation of society and the economy. Comprehensive data collection together with modeling hold huge promise for forecasting and detecting early signs of coming disasters. 

The company’s team will explore avenues to use AI, confidential computing, modernized communications, distributed systems and cybersecurity to improve disaster resilience. Microsoft will collaborate with DOE and DoD.

The First Five Consortium will apply artificial intelligence and deep learning methodologies to address a variety of research and development areas, including: Wildfire prediction and fire line containment; Damage assessment, ingress and egress routes for impacted areas; Search and rescue; and Natural disasters including hurricanes and tornadoes.

DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has reported the creation of a prototype initially developed by the Department of Defense (DoD) Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) that will integrate deep learning algorithms. 

The prototype will provide near real-time data to improve the decision making of First Responders. Since 2019, the JAIC has led the development of AI capability through its National Mission Initiatives.

“We are delighted to work alongside our partners in government and private industry to advance the role of AI in battling natural disasters," said Nand Mulchandani, acting director of the DoD JAIC. "We’d like to thank the White House for identifying and encouraging the broader use of government-built technology to directly benefit the American people when disasters strike.”

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Raytheon Technologies Donates to ASCTE, Supporting Cybersecurity Careers; Roy Azevedo, Wes Kremer Quoted
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Raytheon Technologies Donates to ASCTE, Supporting Cybersecurity Careers; Roy Azevedo, Wes Kremer Quoted

Raytheon Technologies has contributed a $4 million grant to the newly formed Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering (ASCTE) to support cybersecurity careers across the private and public sectors, the company reported on Tuesday. 

"Raytheon Technologies' partnership with ASCTE, Huntsville and the state of Alabama will help our nation meet the demand for a future cyber and engineering workforce, while providing students with the education and skills they need to thrive in these careers," said Roy Azevedo, president of Raytheon Intelligence & Space and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient. 

ASCTE is Alabama's only fully public, residential high school for students from across the state's 137 school districts seeking advanced studies in engineering and cyber technology. The curriculum will address the shortage of qualified cybersecurity and engineering development talent.

The permanent facility will open in August 2022, but an interim site at Oakwood University launched on Aug. 17, 2020 to ASCTE's first cohort of 75 students. The school expects to grow to over 350 students by 2024. 

Raytheon Technologies has also invested in other STEM programs including, Support of FIRST, a mentor-based global robotics competition; Sponsorship of 22 Boys & Girls Clubs of America STEM Centers of Innovation in military-focused communities; Partnership with NAF to establish engineering academies in under-resourced public high schools across the U.S.

"Advanced cybersecurity capabilities are critical to our national defense today and in the future," said Wes Kremer, president of Raytheon Missiles & Defense. "Through collaborative partnerships like ASCTE, we will grow our capacity in cyberspace to ensure its security for generations to come." 

About Raytheon Technologies

Raytheon Technologies Corporation is an aerospace and defense company that provides advanced systems and services for commercial, military and government customers worldwide. With 195,000 employees and four industry-leading businesses ― Collins Aerospace Systems, Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon Intelligence & Space and Raytheon Missiles & Defense ― the company delivers solutions that push the boundaries in avionics, cybersecurity, directed energy, electric propulsion, hypersonics, and quantum physics. The company, formed in 2020 through the combination of Raytheon Company and the United Technologies Corporation aerospace businesses, is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.

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Guidehouse Appraised at CMMI Level 3; Scott McIntyre, Jasjit Singh Quoted
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Guidehouse Appraised at CMMI Level 3; Scott McIntyre, Jasjit Singh Quoted

Guidehouse has been appraised by Quality Point Integrating Systems at level 3 of the CMMI Institute’s Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) for its Advanced Solutions, the company reported on Tuesday. 

“Being appraised as a CMMI Level 3 organization is a critical milestone for our young business and an important credential for our clients. This designation recognizes that Guidehouse Advanced Solutions consistently deliver solutions using repeatable processes and it signifies our commitment to continuous improvement,” said Scott McIntyre, CEO of Guidehouse and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient. 

CMMI is a process improvement approach that provides organizations with the essential elements of effective processes that ultimately improve their performance. Guidehouse’s appraisal at maturity level 3 has proven the company’s processes are well characterized and understood. 

Additionally, the recognition has certified Guidehouse’s offerings are described in standards, procedures, tools and methods.

“This is the highest form of third-party validation we can receive for our work and we are extremely proud of this accomplishment,” added Jasjit Singh, partner with Guidehouse. “It is further demonstration of our ongoing commitment to our clients as a trusted partner delivering superior, innovative solutions.”

About Guidehouse

Guidehouse is a leading global provider of consulting services to the public and commercial markets with broad capabilities in management, technology, and risk consulting. We help clients address their toughest challenges with a focus on markets and clients facing transformational change, technology-driven innovation, and significant regulatory pressure. Across a range of advisory, consulting, outsourcing, and technology/analytics services, we help clients create scalable, innovative solutions that prepare them for future growth and success. 

Headquartered in McLean, VA, the company has more than 8,000 professionals in more than 50 locations. Guidehouse is a Veritas Capital portfolio company, led by seasoned professionals with proven and diverse expertise in traditional and emerging technologies, markets, and agenda-setting issues driving national and global economies. 

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Adm. Michael Gilday on Navy’s Unmanned Surface Vessel Program
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Adm. Michael Gilday on Navy’s Unmanned Surface Vessel Program

The fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) directs the U.S. Navy to come up with a working prototype of a large unmanned surface vessel (LUSV) equipped with fully integrated and tested systems before procurement funds could be used for such vessels, Defense News reported Monday. 

Adm. Michael Gilday, chief of naval operations, said he agreed with Congress that clear-cut and sound requirements for the LUSV program should be established upfront.

“The approach has to be deliberate,” Gilday told the publication. “We have to make sure that the systems that are on those unmanned systems with respect to the [hull, mechanical and electrical system], that they are designed to requirement, and perform to requirement. And most importantly, are those requirements sound?”

He said he urged the service to develop an “unmanned campaign plan” to establish a pathway for the development and deployment of unmanned systems across maritime and aerial domains.

“What I’ve found is that we didn’t necessarily have the rigor that’s required across a number of programs that would bring those together in a way that’s driven toward objectives with milestones,” Gilday said.

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DoD Updates Online Learning Tech With Course Catalog Consolidation; Lisa Hershman Quoted
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DoD Updates Online Learning Tech With Course Catalog Consolidation; Lisa Hershman Quoted

The Department of Defense (DoD) has begun modernizing its online learning and education systems for civilian and military personnel by consolidating its course catalogs into a single platform, FCW reported Monday.

The enterprise course catalog prototype now has 50,000 courses and Lisa Hershman, chief management officer at DoD, said the department expects it to transition to developmental testing by fiscal 2021 and achieve initial operating capability by fiscal 2022.

"Building these kinds of systems takes time in part because we're taking all those disparate systems and consolidating into the DOD-wide data fabric," Hershman said Monday during the keynote at the National Training and Simulation Association's iFEST event. "We're not just building a new database."

She also offered updates on DoD’s Enterprise Learner Record Repository, which seeks to combine personnel training files on various systems.

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Mike Pompeo: State Dept Backs Commerce’s New Restrictions on Huawei
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Mike Pompeo: State Dept Backs Commerce’s New Restrictions on Huawei

State Secretary Mike Pompeo said the State Department supports the Department of Commerce’s (DOC) move to add 38 Huawei affiliates to its entity list and expand its Foreign Direct Product Rule to further restrict the Chinese telecommunications equipment maker’s access to U.S. technology.

“The United States will continue to restrict most U.S. exports to Huawei and its affiliates on the Entity List for activities that threaten U.S. national security and international stability. We urge our allies and partners to join us,” Pompeo said in a statement published Monday.

He said the measures are part of the U.S. government’s efforts to safeguard national security, the privacy of citizens and integrity of 5G networks from China’s “malign influence.”

In May, Commerce moved to amend the FDP rule to restrict Huawei’s acquisition of semiconductors produced using U.S. technology. The newly expanded FDP rule further prohibits the Chinese company from acquiring “foreign made chips developed or produced from U.S. software or technology to the same degree as comparable U.S. chips.”

“The United States has provided ample time for affected companies and persons – primarily Huawei customers – to identify and shift to other sources of equipment, software, and technology and wind-down their operations. Now that time is up,” Pompeo said.

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Army Prototypes Cyber Situational Awareness System
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Army Prototypes Cyber Situational Awareness System

The U.S. Army has a new prototype system designed to help soldiers assess and understand cyber electromagnetic situations.

The Cyber Situational Understanding system processes tactical data into cyber situational awareness via visualization, correlation and analytical techniques, the Army said Wednesday.

Soldiers would use this situational awareness to address cyber electromagnetic activity threats and visualize a common operational picture of the command post computing environment’s cyber status.

“The goal is that the end-user won’t see the actual Cyber SU product and will be able to work in their native environment on CPCE and see a cyber overlay of critical information in support of their mission,” said John Keenan, chief engineer for Product Manager Mission Command Cyber.

The Army will implement Cyber SU across units linked to the Tactical Server Infrastructure with fielding and initial operational capability scheduled for fiscal year 2022.

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CISA Hosts Cybersecurity Exercise for Gov’t, Industry
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CISA Hosts Cybersecurity Exercise for Gov’t, Industry

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency held a cyber exercise to evaluate the government's cybersecurity readiness, information sharing and incident response processes.

The Cyber Storm event allowed the participants to simulate a potential response to a widespread coordinated cyberattack that could affect U.S. critical infrastructure, CISA said Friday.

Established in 2006, the event aims to help the government and private sector determine areas for growth through the assessment of collective cyber incident response capabilities.

"No one company or government agency can be expected to go it alone, which is why exercises like Cyber Storm bring everyone together to discuss and exercise how we would respond collectively to a cyber-attack," said Brian Harrell, assistant director for infrastructure security at CISA.

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NOAA Picks 21 Small Businesses for Phase I SBIR Grants; Neil Jacobs Quoted
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NOAA Picks 21 Small Businesses for Phase I SBIR Grants; Neil Jacobs Quoted

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has allocated $3.1 million to support 21 small businesses in developing technologies under subject areas such as earth and ocean observation, aquaculture, weather prediction, fisheries and modeling.

NOAA said Friday the awardees represent 14 states and will receive $150K each in Phase I funding to conduct research and development activities throughout a six-month period.

The companies may compete for up to $500,000 in Phase II funds to further their respective concepts. Phase III participants are allowed to request for additional funds outside NOAA's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to drive commercialization of the resulting technologies.

Kelly Wright, director of NOAA's Technology Partnerships Office, said the awardees bring significant expertise in areas such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and unmanned systems.

“Through collaboration with these small businesses, Americans will benefit with increased forecast accuracy and better management of our natural resources,” said Neil Jacobs, acting administrator of NOAA.

The agency began accepting applications for SBIR Phase I funding in December.

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