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DOE, Israel to Jointly Fund Energy Cybersecurity Tech
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DOE, Israel to Jointly Fund Energy Cybersecurity Tech

The Department of Energy (DOE) and its Israeli counterpart have launched a solicitation for proposals on energy security technologies. The U.S.-Israel Energy Center seeks tools that protect critical infrastructure in energy-cyber and cyber-physical aspects, DOE said Friday.

Interested research institutes, companies and universities may compete for three years of funding worth $6M for projects that must follow a 50-percent cost-share basis. The center may award additional funds for maximum funding of $10 million over five years of work.

The Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation, the center’s operating agent, will hold a webinar on Sept. 10 to inform interested parties on the funding opportunity’s requirements and details. Proposal applications will remain open through Oct. 29th.

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Gen. John Hyten: DoD Needs Int’l Network, Integrated C2 Ops for Future Warfighting
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Gen. John Hyten: DoD Needs Int’l Network, Integrated C2 Ops for Future Warfighting

Gen. John Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a two-time Wash100 Award winner, has said the Department of Defense (DoD) needs to establish a coalition framework with international partners, Defense News reported Saturday.

Hyten told attendees at a Hudson Institute event that the coalition network will operate as part of the planned Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) system envisioned to unify U.S. defense and deep-strike capabilities.

According to Hyten, the DoD should expect the distinct operations of service branches to be blurred or eliminated in the combat space of the future.

“What I’ve noticed is that, as opposed to everything I’ve done my entire career, the biggest difference is that in the future there will be no lines on the battlefield,” he said. “So that’s the path we’ve been going down for a while. And it’s starting to actually mature and come to fruition now."

Hyten’s comments come as the DoD works to develop a joint warfighting capability concept by the end of the year, according to the report.

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Lt. Gen. David Allvin Nominated as Air Force Vice Chief of Staff
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Lt. Gen. David Allvin Nominated as Air Force Vice Chief of Staff

President Trump has nominated Lt. Gen. David Allvin, director for strategy, plans and policy at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to serve as vice chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force.

Upon confirmation, Allvin will succeed Gen. Stephen Wilson, who is noted as the longest-serving vice chief of staff at the service branch,  USAF said Friday. Allvin currently serves as a senior member of the U.S. delegation to the United Nations Military Staff Committee.

Prior to his current capacity, Allvin assumed the role of director of strategy, plans and policy at U.S. European Command. He also led NATO Air Training Command – Afghanistan as commanding general. Allvin logged over 4,600 hours in more than 30 aircraft models as a command pilot.

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Accenture Extends IT Services Partnership with Anglo American; Pavan Sethi Quoted
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Accenture Extends IT Services Partnership with Anglo American; Pavan Sethi Quoted

Accenture and Anglo American, a global mining company, have signed an agreement to extend Accenture’s partnership as strategic IT services provider to 2023, Accenture reported on Monday.

Under the agreement, Accenture will accelerate the development of Anglo American’s information management (IM) capabilities. Accenture will provide new technologies and delivery practices through a collaborative approach to drive innovation.

Accenture’s agreement with Anglo American will build on the successful relationship between the two companies, which began in 2011 when Accenture was selected as a key technology services provider.

Accenture is the only company that has a complete stack of technology consulting services from IT strategy to a broad range of IT as-a-service capabilities, including cloud, application development and ERP. 

The company has supported a variety of modernization efforts, including IT transformation end-to-end, ranging from high-velocity, decomposed, digitized platforms; cloud broker; systems architect and application services provider.

“Prior to the extension of the agreement, Anglo American and Accenture worked together to co-create future services and determine key priorities,” said Pavan Sethi, managing director for Accenture Technology in Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa. “We are honored to continue our work with Anglo American and help fulfil their IM ambitions and mandate.”

 About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services in strategy and consulting, interactive, technology and operations, with digital capabilities across all of these services. 

We combine unmatched experience and specialized capabilities across more than 40 industries — powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. With 513,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture brings continuous innovation to help clients improve their performance and create lasting value across their enterprises.

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BAE Systems Names New Executives to Intelligence Network; James Hatch Quoted
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BAE Systems Names New Executives to Intelligence Network; James Hatch Quoted

BAE Systems has appointed David Chenkin and Matthew Smith to the steering committee of the company’s Intelligence Network, BAE Applied Intelligence reported on Monday. 

“David and Matthew bring robust expertise and knowledge to help mobilize a like-minded community of professionals and influencers to maximize the breadth of perspective and understanding of security challenges we currently face, “ said James Hatch, chair of The Intelligence Network and director of Cyber Services, BAE Systems Applied Intelligence.

Chenkin, managing partner of Zeichner Ellman and Krause (ZEK) and chair of the Anti-Money Laundering/Financial Crime and Government Investigations group, and Smith, executive director of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, will serve on the steering committee governing strategy, direction and operation of The Intelligence Network.

The Intelligence Network has outlined seven challenges within cyber security, such as cyber fraud. The Intelligence Network will work to vulnerability to cybercrime and fraud by combating endemic attacks, operating silos, the gap between cybercrime and fraud, and social engineering. 

Chenkin will bring nearly forty years experience representing major corporations and senior executives in civil, criminal, regulatory and compliance-related investigations initiated by the U.S. Congress, and federal, state and local prosecutors and regulators. 

“Having an initiative such as the Intelligence Network where we can bring like-minds together from every corner of the globe to combat malicious actors, is truly an honor to be a part of. It is an exciting time to be studying and putting together strategies to fight cybercrime and cyber fraud,” said Chenkin.

Smith has founded one of the nation’s leading law firms specializing in insurance fraud litigation. He spearheaded the use of data from cell towers in civil insurance fraud cases as well as popularized social media as a medium for evidence collection. In his current role, Smith focuses his efforts on anti-fraud government, regulatory and courtroom work with the Coalition. 

“The Intelligence Network has lofty goals. The mission here is to challenge the status quo and erect successful pathways forward to educate the masses, and eliminate bad actors from the digital world,” Smith stated. 

Chenkin and Smith will join security leaders and industry influencers from organizations such as Microsoft, Forgepoint Capital, Cylon, the CBI, RUSl, and Trafigura.

About BAE Systems Applied Intelligence

At BAE Systems Applied Intelligence, we help nations, governments and businesses around the world defend themselves against cybercrime, reduce their risk in the connected world, comply with regulation, and transform their operations.

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SimVentions Completes Transfer to Employee Stock Ownership Plan; Larry Root Quoted
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SimVentions Completes Transfer to Employee Stock Ownership Plan; Larry Root Quoted

SimVentions has announced that the company completed the transfer of its ownership from existing shareholders to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), SimVentions reported on Friday.

“The plan has several objectives,” said Larry Root, CEO of SimVentions. “First, to provide ownership of the company to those that build and execute the work of the company; second, to provide a significant retirement benefit and a reason to want to make the company more successful; third, to provide a tool to motivate, retain, and attract employees; and finally, to create a market for the transition of equity from the current shareholders without a sale to outside interests.”

Root added that the plan will increase employee incentives and provide long-term retirement benefits. The ESOP will make the company’s employees as owners of stock in SimVentions. The ESOP shares will be allocated over time to employee ESOP participant accounts in accordance with the SimVentions ESOP Plan and related IRS and Department of Labor regulations. 

Completion of the ESOP transaction was accompanied by a re-purchase of stock from minority shareholders and purchase by the ESOP of the remaining stock from the existing majority shareholders, a transaction that resulted in the SimVentions ESOP owning 100 percent of the company. 

About SimVentions, Inc. 

SimVentions’ corporate office is located at 100 Riverside Pkwy, Suite 123, in Fredericksburg, Virginia, 22406 and offers engineering and technology solutions to the Department of Defense, including the Navy, Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps. SimVentions is always looking for qualified candidates across all disciplines to work in the Fredericksburg, VA; Dahlgren, VA; Washington, D.C.; Charleston, SC; and Virginia Beach, VA areas.

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Maxar Successfully Launches BSAT-4b Satellite; Megan Fitzgerald, Tatsuhiko Inoue Quoted
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Maxar Successfully Launches BSAT-4b Satellite; Megan Fitzgerald, Tatsuhiko Inoue Quoted

Maxar Technologies has successfully launched the BSAT-4b satellite, built for Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT), the company reported on Monday.

“BSAT-4b is the second high-performance direct broadcasting satellite that Maxar has built and delivered to B-SAT in the past three years,” said Megan Fitzgerald, Maxar’s senior vice president of Space Program Delivery. “Built on Maxar’s industry-leading 1300-class bus, BSAT-4b will bring high-value information and entertainment to the people of Japan for years to come.”

Maxar’s BSAT-4b will function as a back-up geostationary satellite to BSAT-4a, which is co-located at 110 degrees East longitude. BSAT-4b has been equipped with 24 Ku-band transponders. 

The satellite has been designed to provide service for a minimum of 15 years and is based on the commercial communications satellite platform, Maxar’s 1300-class bus, which is used by more than 90 active commercial GEO communication satellites today.

“Working with Maxar on BSAT-4a and BSAT-4b has exceeded our expectations; during the process of building and integrating both satellites, Maxar has consistently delivered high-quality work ahead of schedule,” said Tatsuhiko Inoue, B-SAT's president and CEO. “We look forward to continuing our relationship with Maxar in the future.”

Maxar’s BSAT-4b has deployed its solar arrays and began receiving and sending signals following the launch on the Ariane 5 rocket from the Arianespace launch base. BSAT-4b will begin firing its thrusters to start its journey to its final geosynchronous orbit at 110 degrees East longitude on Aug. 16 2020.

About Maxar

Maxar is a trusted partner and innovator in Earth Intelligence and Space Infrastructure. We deliver disruptive value to government and commercial customers to help them monitor, understand and navigate our changing planet; deliver global broadband communications; and explore and advance the use of space. Our unique approach combines decades of deep mission understanding and a proven commercial and defense foundation to deploy solutions and deliver insights with unrivaled speed, scale and cost effectiveness. Maxar’s 4,000 team members in 20 global locations are inspired to harness the potential of space to help our customers create a better world. Maxar trades on the New York Stock Exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange as MAXR.

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ICS Selects BayFirst as Subcontractor for DoT PHMSA Program; Kevin Gooch Quoted
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ICS Selects BayFirst as Subcontractor for DoT PHMSA Program; Kevin Gooch Quoted

InfiniSource Consulting Solutions (ICS) has selected BayFirst Solutions as a subcontractor to provide professional services that support the Department of Transportation (DoT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), BayFirst reported on Monday.

“Our teams are well acquainted with the nuances of PHMSA’s jurisdiction and the complexities of its mission to protect the American public through safe transport of the materials we use in our everyday lives. We bring to this new partnership a record of quality service and the kinds of innovative solutions that are the hallmark of BayFirst’s work with the Department of Transportation,” said BayFirst CEO Kevin Gooch.

PHMSA is the DOT Operating Administration (OA) responsible for the regulation of hazardous materials transportation by highway, rail, air, water and pipeline as set forth in Federal Hazardous Materials Transportation and Pipeline Safety Law.

“Our past successes supporting the work of the Department of Transportation generally, and pipeline and hazardous materials safety specifically, have prepared us to enter this new and promising contracting relationship with InfiniSource Consulting Solutions,” added Gooch.

As a subcontractor, BayFirst will provide program support to ICS, including analyzing program needs, assessing program performance and objectives, executing on program mission tasks, and managing projects.

BayFirst’s expertise will support Western Regional Office; Office of Chief Counsel; Standards and Rulemaking/International Standards; Sciences, Engineering, and Research for Hazardous Materials/Outreach, Engagement, and Grants; and Emergency Support and Security.

“The interconnected global threats that complicate mission success for safe pipeline and hazardous materials transportation management present both a tremendous challenge and opportunity for BayFirst Solutions,” Gooch added. “We are excited to join the team working with InfiniSource to strengthen this critical front in our nation’s vital defenses.”

About BayFirst

Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Washington, DC, BayFirst has an award-winning history supporting our clients’ missions with innovative solutions and exceptional service. Our specialists in science, IT, engineering, and project management bring disciplined leadership, technical expertise, operational knowledge, and seasoned judgment to every project.

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Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Help Local Governments Employ Cyber Experts to Ensure Election Security
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Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Help Local Governments Employ Cyber Experts to Ensure Election Security

Reps. John Katko (R-N.Y.) and Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.) have introduced a bill to address the shortage of cybersecurity professionals who could help state and local government agencies deal with cyber vulnerabilities in election systems.

The bipartisan Cyber Navigators Act would create a grant program that would help local and state governments hire cyber professionals who can offer technical support, resiliency and risk management services to protect election platforms from cyber threats, Katko’s office said in a release published Friday.

“As we quickly approach November’s General Election, state and local governments must have the resources to ensure the integrity of their election systems,” said Katko, ranking member of the House Homeland Security’s cybersecurity, infrastructure protection and innovation subcommittee.

Katko added the proposed grant program in the measure would enable local and state governments recruit cyber experts who could help ensure election security.

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Grant Schneider on Security Ops Center-as-a-Service, Revamped CyberStat Process
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Grant Schneider on Security Ops Center-as-a-Service, Revamped CyberStat Process

Grant Schneider, federal chief information security officer, said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will start implementing the security operations center as a service in fiscal 2021 as part of its role as a quality service management office, Federal News Network reported Friday.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) designated DHS in May as a QSMO for cybersecurity and SOC-as-a-service is one of the three shared services focus areas of the department.

“We are looking for a couple ways to do the service provisioning. It could be another government agency such as the Department of Justice or DHS providing those services,” Schneider told the network’s Ask the CIO.

“DHS also is working closely with the General Services Administration so that we can contract for some service capabilities there and bring industry in as well. The QSMO role of DHS is to make sure that the level of service and standards being met on all of those capabilities will be the same. We do know industry will be a significant player in this arena.”

He also shared his insights on a revitalized CyberStat process, which could be used to hold agencies accountable for transitioning to shared services and meeting the objectives of SOC consolidation and maturation.

“Our traditional, in-depth one-on-one engagements with agencies is certainly still on our list. However, we also are trying to do a little more — and this is where SOC may be an excellent opportunity for us — is we are bringing agencies together to discuss a particular topic and have more lessons learned from various agencies and DHS to provide additional expertise,” Schneider said.

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