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NSA Engages in Partnerships to Support 5G Network Security
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NSA Engages in Partnerships to Support 5G Network Security

The National Security Agency talked about its efforts to bolster 5G security, as part of the nearly concluded National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

NSA said Tuesday that it partners with industry and other government entities to protect the emerging 5G technology that the agency believes will influence national security operations.

The agency's engagements in this effort address the areas of analytics, cloud, threats and standards associated with 5G.

Experts from NSA's Enduring Security Framework team are working with partners to address these areas and improve the 5G infrastructure's threat modelling, detection and recovery capabilities.

Additionally, NSA's Center for Cybersecurity Standards works with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project and other organizations to support 5G security.

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Merel Ekelhof Joins JAIC as Foreign Exchange Officer; Lt. General Michael Groen Quoted
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Merel Ekelhof Joins JAIC as Foreign Exchange Officer; Lt. General Michael Groen Quoted

Merel Ekelhof, formerly an artificial intelligence innovation manager at the Defense Materiel Organization Joint IV Commando in the Netherlands, has been appointed foreign exchange officer at the Department of Defense's (DoD) Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC).

Ekelhof will handle issues on AI ethics, policy, governance and international partnerships as part of the center's strategy and policy team, JAIC said Monday.

Prior to her previous capacity, the certified NATO Joint Force Air Component targeteer advised the Dutch government on matters linked with autonomous weaponry. She also served as the lead researcher for AI and autonomy at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR).

“We are pleased to welcome Merel to the JAIC team and we look forward to leveraging her knowledge and expertise in artificial intelligence and autonomy,” said Lt. General Michael Groen, director at JAIC.

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CISA, FBI, USCYBEROM Issue Warning on ‘Kimsuky’ North Korean-Backed Hacking Group
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CISA, FBI, USCYBEROM Issue Warning on ‘Kimsuky’ North Korean-Backed Hacking Group

The FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and U.S. Cyber Command Cyber National Mission Force (CNMF) have issued a joint advisory to warn the public of a North Korean-linked hacking group called Kimsuky.

The advanced persistent threat (APT) group uses social engineering and spearphishing tactics to infiltrate U.S. systems, according to the notice dated Tuesday.

CISA, FBI and CNMF utilized data from intelligence reporting and open-source databases to consolidate Kimsuky’s tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP).

Kimsuky has also used stolen web hosting credentials to disseminate threats and created subdomains to mimic websites such as Google and Yahoo.

According to the advisory, Kimsuky conducts intelligence collection operations against organizations and individuals in the U.S., Japan and South Korea. The APT group was most likely launched in 2012, the notice states.

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Lt. Gen. John Morrison on Army IT Office’s Multidomain Ops, Unified Network Goals
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Lt. Gen. John Morrison on Army IT Office’s Multidomain Ops, Unified Network Goals

Lt. Gen. John Morrison, deputy chief of staff for G-6 at the U.S. Army, said his office is working to create a centralized network, accelerate cyber investments, reform cybersecurity and launch multidomain operations.

Morrison told reporters last week that the G-6 office intends to deploy the unified network to support globally dispersed forces in mutlidomain environments, C4ISRnet reported Tuesday.

His office will also work to integrate the tactical and enterprise networks in collaboration with the Network Cross-Functional Team as well as the Program Executive Offices (PEO) for Enterprise Information Systems (EIS) and Command, Control, Communications-Tactical (C3T).

“That means making sure that we have signal and cyber, underpinned by intelligence, operating in a combined arms fashion in cyberspace to include electromagnetic spectrum,” he noted.

Morrison received President Trump’s nomination for his current role at the new information technology office in July 2020.

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CMS, IRS Senior Leaders Talk Using AI to Automate Data Processing, Fraud Detection
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CMS, IRS Senior Leaders Talk Using AI to Automate Data Processing, Fraud Detection

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is looking into consolidating its enterprise data in addition to using artificial intelligence and machine learning for fraud detection activities.

Bobby Saxon, deputy chief information officer at CMS, said at an ACT-IAC event that  the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) unit intends to implement automation for various agency use cases in three to six months, Federal News Network reported Tuesday. CMS is also planning to launch personnel data literacy programs on a tiered basis, he noted.

According to Saxon, CMS wants to address redundancies that result from the disparate nature of the agency’s data repositories including data lakes and warehouses.

Aside from CMS, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is also looking into leveraging AI for tax and financial records processing as the agency continues to migrate workloads to a Pegasystems-built cloud envronment.

“IRS has several legacy systems that are often disparate and disconnected,” said Mitchell Winans, a senior adviser for the IRS Enterprise Digitalization and Case Management Office, at the same event.

He noted that the goal is to use AI to “monitor the different systems as one larger, interdependent network”.

CMS, IRS Senior Leaders Talk Using AI to Automate Data Processing, Fraud Detection

Katherine Arrington, chief information security officer (CISO) for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition (OUSDA) for the Department of Defense (DoD) and 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, will be featured as the keynote speaker for the Fall 2020 CMMC Forum. Click here to register for the Fall 2020 CMMC Forum.

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DLT Solutions Wins Spot on $13B ITES-SW2 Contract to Provide COTS Software; Chris Wilkinson Quoted
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DLT Solutions Wins Spot on $13B ITES-SW2 Contract to Provide COTS Software; Chris Wilkinson Quoted

DLT Solutions has been awarded a spot on the five-year, $13 billion Information Technology Enterprise Solutions – Software 2 (ITES-SW2) contract by the U.S. Army’s Computer Hardware Enterprise Software and Solution (CHESS) office, the company reported on Wednesday. There is a five-year option term from Aug. 31, 2025, through Aug. 30, 2030.

“The addition of this contract vehicle to DLT’s portfolio increases our channel partners’ ability to supply the U.S. Army and other federal agencies with the solutions they need to enable their technology modernization roadmaps and build out their enterprises,” said Chris Wilkinson, president, DLT Solutions, a Tech Data company.

Under the contract, the U.S. Army and other federal agencies will be able to procure commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software and maintenance services. The services span across 14 product categories that align with the major software categories identified by the U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM).

“The ITES-SW2 contract also ensures these federal agencies have simplified access to the latest software and services to support their missions at home and abroad,” Wilkinson added.

The other companies on the contract award include AppDynamics, Appian, Archibus, Autodesk, Automation Anywhere, Blackboard, Checkmarx, Cloudbees, Cloudera, Crowdstrike, D2iQ, DataRobot, Data Walk, Infor, Inquisient, LogRhythm, McAfee, Netscout, One Identity, Parasoft, Quest, Red Hat, Sonatype, Sysdig, Tripwire, Uptake and Xebia Labs. New technology vendors can be added over the life of the contract.

About DLT Solutions

DLT Solutions is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tech Data, the world’s leading end-to-end distributor of technology products, services and solutions. DLT is the premier government solutions aggregator that specializes in understanding the IT needs of the federal, state, local and education markets.

We help simplify the process for independent software vendors, federal systems integrators and value-added resellers doing business in the public sector. Leveraging Tech Data’s end-to-end portfolio, an extensive array of public sector contract vehicles, and dedicated channel and enablement services, DLT provides government agencies and channel partners with the means to rapidly and cost effectively transform technology to achieve mission success.

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Cisco Launches New Solutions to Support IT Operations; Todd Nightingale Quoted
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Cisco Launches New Solutions to Support IT Operations; Todd Nightingale Quoted

Cisco has launched new solutions designed to simplify IT operations across on-premise data centers and multicloud environments, the company reported on Wednesday. The solutions will deliver greater scale and innovative application experiences.

“Today, Cisco is announcing IT platforms for multicloud operations that provide advanced insights and automation to help organizations transform faster," said Todd Nightingale, SVP and GM, Cisco Enterprise Networking and Cloud.

Cisco’s solutions will enable users to control their IT and operations by providing greater visibility from the application to the infrastructure. Cisco has launched Cisco Intersight to provide a hybrid cloud platform that connects private data centers to private clouds.

Cisco Nexus Dashboard is an automation platform to operate multicloud data center networks to drive the adoption of cloud-native application practices. Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) will simplify secure network access across all domains, extending the zero-trust workplace.

In addition, Cisco has announced new solutions to support governmental organizations with business resiliency efforts. Cisco’s solutions will enable justice and legislative systems to continue critical functions that support remote operations. 

Webex Legislate is a secure, purpose-built cloud solution that will extend Webex's built-in security and privacy capabilities. The new solution has met the specialized requirements of global legislatures.

These new solutions bring secure delivery of virtual government services across multiple platforms of previously disparate technology to provide greater efficiencies, reduce cost associated with travel and maintain public safety.

"The beauty of Cisco's courtroom technology, using Webex and the underlying secure infrastructure, is that the public now sees virtual courtrooms as a way to keep the wheels of justice turning, not only during Covid-19, but beyond," said Elkhart County Director of Information Technology Matthew Dietz. "For judges is it was easy to use and serves our citizens efficiently—allowing people to take a 15-minute break to attend a hearing instead of spending a half-day in court."

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Accenture to Deliver Cloud HR Services to Siemens Gamesa; Eric Schaeffer Quoted
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Accenture to Deliver Cloud HR Services to Siemens Gamesa; Eric Schaeffer Quoted

Accenture has announced that it will help Siemens Gamesa develop and implement a cloud-based human resources (HR) solution to support Siemens Gamesa’s HR operations, reduce operating costs and improve user experience, Accenture reported on Wednesday. 

“We are excited to work with Siemens Gamesa on this critical project to transform their HR capabilities and services, which are helping them become more efficient and differentiated in terms of their recruitment efforts,” said Patrick Vollmer, a managing director at Accenture and global client account lead for Siemens Gamesa.

As part of a multi-year agreement, Accenture will consolidate Siemens Gamesa’s HR functions to create a single integrated HR platform to portray the full employee lifecycle, including recruiting, onboarding, workforce administration, compensation, benefits, pre-payroll activities and performance management.

“We are transforming, standardizing and digitizing our HR processes while consolidating them into a single, unified global platform,” said Javier Fernandez-Combarro, Siemens Gamesa’s human resources director. “The program will help us drive consistency and efficiency in our HR operations — providing a better employee experience and increased service levels.”

Accenture will integrate a variety of technology tools, including Avature for candidate relationship management and Harqen to conduct video interviews. Accenture will operate and maintain the new platform.  

Eric Schaeffer, a senior managing director at Accenture who leads its Industrial practice globally, said, “Siemens Gamesa understands the value that high-quality streamlined HR services can provide to its workforce and its bottom line.”      

About Accenture

Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations services—all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. 

Our 506,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities.

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BAE Systems Launches HD Thermal Sensor to Support Reconnaissance; Robyn Decker Quoted
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BAE Systems Launches HD Thermal Sensor to Support Reconnaissance; Robyn Decker Quoted

BAE Systems has released a new high-definition thermal camera core, Athena 1920, integrating infrared image clarity with a wide field of view, to provide greater situational awareness and monitoring, the company reported on Wednesday.

“Our thermal core enables a new class of sensing systems for everything from aerial reconnaissance to perimeter security to asset monitoring,” said Robyn Decker, director of Lexington Business Center and Sensor Solutions at BAE Systems. “We put more pixels on the target, giving end users the situational awareness they need to make critical decisions.”

BAE Systems’ new thermal camera core is compact, light and low-power, which will deliver greater imagery and performance. The thermal sensor will support long-range applications, including security, surveillance and targeting systems. Athena 1920 has exceptional infrared image clarity with a wide field of view.

The Athena 1920 has included a 1920 x 1200 vanadium oxide (VOx) uncooled microbolometer pixel array that builds on BAE Systems’ industry-leading 12-micron (µm) pixel technology. The camera’s 60Hz frame rate will provide greater clarity and minimize motion blur.

BAE Systems’ innovative features will support warfighters in dynamic scenes by providing exceptional detail of complex environments. The high-definition sensor has also offered approximately eight times the field of view of traditional camera cores.

The Athena 1920 measures 51x40x21 mm and weighs 70 grams. The small size and lightweight will enable the sensor to deliver high-performance applications. The Athena 1920 camera core is manufactured at BAE Systems’ sensor facility in Lexington, Massachusetts.

About BAE Systems

At BAE Systems, our advanced defence technology protects people and national security, and keeps critical information and infrastructure secure. We search for new ways to provide our customers with a competitive edge across the air, maritime, land and cyber domains. We employ a skilled workforce of 85,800 people in more than 40 countries, and work closely with local partners to support economic development by transferring knowledge, skills and technology.

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Lockheed Martin Wins USAF Contract to Support Strike Weapon Platforms; Scott Callaway Quoted
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Lockheed Martin Wins USAF Contract to Support Strike Weapon Platforms; Scott Callaway Quoted

The U.S. Air Force Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation (SDPE) Office has awarded Lockheed Martin a $25 million contract to support the fourth phase of the U.S. Air Force’s Palletized Munitions Experimentation Campaign, the company reported on Wednesday.

“The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) contracting and Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation (SDPE) offices, and Lockheed Martin teams established this new contract in a record time of 30 days, supporting faster prototyping and a shorter timeline to bring this advanced capability to the warfighter in the field," said Scott Callaway, Lockheed Martin Advanced Strike Systems director.

Under this phase of the program, Lockheed Martin will deliver a system-level demonstration in 2021 and assess the potential to deliver large volumes of air-launched weapons via airlifters. Airlifters have the potential to deploy large quantities of Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range (JASSM-ER) missiles, which will provide an increase in long-range standoff scale.

JASSM is a long-range, conventional, air-to-ground, precision standoff missile for the U.S. and allied forces designed to destroy high-value, well-defended, fixed and relocatable targets.

In addition, the capabilities can be integrated into traditional strike and bomber aircrafts to enable warfighters to launch offensive operations from a greater number of airfields and engage a larger number of near-peer adversary targets.

Lockheed Martin will work to develop a modular system that will  deliver air-launched weapons. The company will utilize standard airdrop procedures and operations. The system will have the ability to be rolled on and off multiple types of aircraft, including the C-17 and C-130. 

Lockheed Martin successfully accomplished five high-altitude airdrops from an MC-130J and a C-17 earlier this year using simulated weapons, under Phase I of experimentation. The U.S. Air Force also tested the suitability of launching JASSM-ERs from an airlifter. 

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