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ICE Releases Report on Addressing Facial Recognition Tech Risks
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ICE Releases Report on Addressing Facial Recognition Tech Risks
ICE Releases Report on Addressing Facial Recognition Tech Risks

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released a report on the risks associated with using facial recognition services (FRS) for law enforcement and how the agency mitigates the abuse of such technologies.

ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit said in its report dated May 13 that ICE submits FRS-taken images of suspected individuals to third-party vendors in cases where the collected data does not match with any identifiable information.

According to HSI’s privacy impact assessment, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) periodically audits employees’ use of FRS to ensure regulatory compliance and will only procure FRS technologies from approved commercial entities. However, ICE may use uncertified FRS tools in "exigent circumstances”, according to the report.

HSI noted that ICE only submits the "minimum amount of information necessary” for authorities and their commercial partners to produce a result for biometric queries. 

Risks highlighted in the report include inaccurate third-party database information, reliance on low-quality imagery and potential use of FRS images for activities beyond the intended scope. 

“While the technology itself does have far reaching privacy implications, HSI has established processes and procedures to mitigate the impact of an FRS on individuals,” the report states. “Through proper collection techniques, candidate vetting, and supervisor oversight, HSI endeavors to use FRSs in as much of a privacy sensitive manner as possible.”

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AFRL, Air Force Special Ops Test Munition Airdrops
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AFRL, Air Force Special Ops Test Munition Airdrops
AFRL, Air Force Special Ops Test Munition Airdrops

Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Air Force Special Operations Command have partnered to develop and demonstrate airdrops of palletized munitions. The early test demonstrated the delivery of air-launched weapons in large amounts, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base said Wednesday.

A Lockheed Martin-made MC-130J tanker aircraft performed the airdrop tests at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. A roller system deployed combat expendable platforms or wooden pallets that contained the simulated munitions.

The simulated munitions weighed the same as their actual weapon counterparts such as the Extended-Range Cargo Launch Expendable Air Vehicles or CLEAVERs. AFSOC plans to demonstrate airdrops with glider, powered and full-up vehicles in the future.

“CLEAVER represents a different approach to launching large numbers of long-range weapons, which will bring a new dynamic to the high-end fight," said Col. Garry Haase, who leads AFRL’s Munitions Directorate.

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NIST Posts RFI on Positioning, Navigation and Timing Technologies
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NIST Posts RFI on Positioning, Navigation and Timing Technologies
NIST Posts RFI on Positioning, Navigation and Timing Technologies

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published a request for information to seek inputs on the usage of positioning, navigation and timing services. NIST said Wednesday that it is also looking to obtain information on cybersecurity risk management methods that can secure PNT offerings.

As stated in the RFI, interested vendors are required to validate the effects of PNT service disruptions, identify sector-specific standards and describe recovery and response efforts to service interruptions. The agency also aims to determine the sectors that are in need of PNT services.

NIST will accept responses to the notice until July 13. The agency eyes the release of an initial PNT draft document in the summer. NIST will also issue a solicitation for the document prior to the release of the final version on February 12, 2021.

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Sepio Systems Establishes U.S. Board of Directors, Appoints Kathleen Casey, Monique Shivanandan and Bonnie Stith as Inaugural Board Members; Yossi Appleboum Quoted
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Sepio Systems Establishes U.S. Board of Directors, Appoints Kathleen Casey, Monique Shivanandan and Bonnie Stith as Inaugural Board Members; Yossi Appleboum Quoted
Suzan Zimmerman
Suzan Zimmerman

Sepio Systems has recently established its U.S. Board of Directors and appointed Kathleen Casey, Monique Shivanandan and Bonnie Stith as inaugural board members to help guide the company into new markets. 

"To stack the board with the top female leaders in the cybersecurity arena is an honor to help guide us through the next phases of growth and create a mark on the industry that the technology landscape is changing," said Yossi Appleboum, Co-Founder and CEO of Sepio System.

Casey, former commissioner with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), currently serves as a senior advisor with Patomak Global Partners. Prior to joining the SEC, Casey served in various legal and policy roles in the U.S. Senate. 

With the Senate, she served as staff director and counsel of the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee; chief of staff and legislative director to a senator; and dtaff director of the subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Regulatory Relief in the U.S. Senate Banking Committee.

Also joining Sepio’s board, Shivanandan is a recognized technology leader with 30 years of experience. She will bring deep-rooted knowledge in technology and has served as a chief information officer (CIO), chief technology officer (CTO) and technology advisor across various sectors. Shivanandan is a former group CIO at Chubb Group of Insurance Companies.  

Shivanandan joined Chubb in 2017, after leading the digital transformation of Aviva. She served as CTO of Capital One, CIO of British Telecommunications and chief information security officer CISO of BellSouth Telecommunications.

Stith, former executive with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and president of Stith Associates Coaching and Consulting, will join Sepio Systems' U.S. Board of Directors. She will bring decades of experience across a variety of sectors to help expedite the company's innovation and expansion plans. 

As the former director center for Cyber Intelligence of the Directorate of Digital Innovation (DDI) at the CIA, Stith is an experienced cyber threat expert and executive coach. Throughout her career she has led diverse workforces on intelligence missions, focusing particularly on empowering leaders and organizations to create new opportunities for success through diversity. 

Stith currently spearheads a leadership and management consultancy as the president of Stith Associates Coaching and Consulting. As she leads the company, Stith has applied her decades of cybersecurity and leadership experience to guide others.

"Forming the U.S. Board of Directors is a huge milestone for Sepio as we double down on our commitment to servicing the federal government and private sector in the states," added Appleboum. 

About Sepio Systems 

Sepio is disrupting the cyber-security industry by uncovering hidden hardware attacks. Sepio Prime provides security teams with full visibility into their hardware assets and their behavior in real time. A comprehensive policy enforcement module allows administrators to easily define granular device usage rules and continuously monitor and protect their infrastructure. 

Leveraging a combination of physical fingerprinting technology together with device behavior analytics, Sepio's software-only solution offers instant detection and response to any threat or breach attempt coming from a manipulated or infected element.

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Army Tries to Keep Major Programs on Schedule for Delivery Amid Pandemic; Bruce Jette Quoted
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Army Tries to Keep Major Programs on Schedule for Delivery Amid Pandemic; Bruce Jette Quoted
Bruce Jette
Bruce Jette

The U.S. Army is making efforts to keep its major technology programs on schedule amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Defense News reported Wednesday.

The service branch has experienced delays with its Interim Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense system and other important programs, but is making sure that first unit equips happen on schedule.

"We’re making adjustments as necessary, and then working with the companies to try and catch up," said Bruce Jette, who leads Army procurement and is also a 2020 Wash100 Award recipient.

The IM-SHORAD program faces challenges related to software issues and the COVID-19 pandemic. The Army addressed these challenges by tackling the software issues and providing test operators with necessary personal protective equipment.

IM-SHORAD is designed to detect and attack enemy aircraft including unmanned and fixed-wing units.

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President Trump Nominates Derek Kan for OMB Deputy Director Post
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President Trump Nominates Derek Kan for OMB Deputy Director Post
Derek Kan
Derek Kan

Derek Kan, executive associate director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), has received President Trump’s nomination to serve as the agency’s deputy director. His career includes experience with the Department of Transportation (DoT) where he served as undersecretary for policy and senior adviser, the White House said Wednesday.

Kan also holds experience in the private sector, having been director of strategy at health care technology company GenapSys and general manager at Lyft. He was also a board director for Amtrak, an entity that provides national railroad service.

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Army Vet Lucas Polakowski to be Nominated as DoD Assistant Secretary for Nuclear and Biochemical Defense
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Army Vet Lucas Polakowski to be Nominated as DoD Assistant Secretary for Nuclear and Biochemical Defense
The White House
The White House

President Trump intends to nominate Lucas Polakowski, a retired U.S. Army Reserve major general with over 36 years of experience, to serve as assistant secretary for nuclear, chemical and biological defense programs at the Department of Defense (DoD).

Polakowski previously worked as a managing member at Everest Technology and served as deputy director at the U.S. Strategic Command Center for Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction, the White House said Wednesday.

He also led the Standing Joint Force Headquarters for WMD Elimination as commander. Polakowski is a two-time recipient of the Defense Superior Service Medal from the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

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TCOM Expands International Operations, Names Mustapha Ouchen as Director of International BD
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TCOM Expands International Operations, Names Mustapha Ouchen as Director of International BD
TCOM
TCOM

TCOM has expanded the company’s global footprint and operations in the Middle East and Africa and appointed Fortune 500-Veteran Mustapha Ouchen, as director of International Business Development to spearhead its growth in the regions, TCOM reported on Thursday.

Ouchen is a highly accomplished international business development executive with over 20 years of experience in successfully architecting strategic growth for global Fortune 500 technology companies in the Middle East and Africa.

Throughout his career, Ouchen has demonstrated his ability to influence diverse, cross-functional teams to achieve objectives and meet critical deadlines in a fast-paced environment. He will bring extensive international experience to TCOM. In his career, he was responsible for developing and collaborating with local sales offices in Africa and the Middle East.

Mustapha Ouchen
Mustapha Ouchen

Prior to joining TCOM, Ouchen served as director of Sales, Middle East and Africa with Aero Precision and senior business development manager, Middle East and Africa with Derco. He also served with Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) for nearly 11 years in a variety of leadership roles, including regional sales manager, Middle East & Africa and export account manager.

Ouchen fluently speaks English, Arabic, and French, and holds an MBA from Lewis University and a bachelor’s degree in Finance from the Ecole Supererieure de Commerce in Marrakech.

“I am excited to join TCOM as it expands its global footprint in the Middle East and Africa to offer advanced C4ISR solutions that integrate innovative persistent lighter-than-air tethered surveillance platforms for mission-critical solutions for Air, Ground and Maritime Border Surveillance, Anti-Terrorism, Communications Intelligence, early-detection Missile defense, and other applications,” Ouchen stated.

About TCOM

TCOM, L.P. is a global leader providing elevated solutions to enhance situational awareness. Since 1971, the company’s pioneering innovations have defined the persistent surveillance and Lighter-than-Air industries.

By blending leading-edge technology, manufacturing, and field operation capabilities, TCOM has provided ISR systems for the United States and foreign governments. Headquartered in Columbia, MD, TCOM has a Manufacturing & Flight Test Facility near Elizabeth City, NC, and a satellite office in Aberdeen, MD.

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Guidehouse Releases Light Duty Vehicle Electrification Overview Report, Examining Marketplace; Raquel Soat Quoted
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Guidehouse Releases Light Duty Vehicle Electrification Overview Report, Examining Marketplace; Raquel Soat Quoted
Raquel Soat
Raquel Soat

Guidehouse Insights has released a report, Light Duty Vehicle Electrification Overview, examining light duty (LD) EV sales and populations as well as provided forecasts for conservative, base and aggressive scenarios through 2030, the company announced on Thursday.

“Further into the future, continuous improvements to vehicle technology economics, including battery innovations and government transportation policies that incentivize adoption of low emission vehicles and low carbon fuels, are anticipated to propel sales growth,” says Raquel Soat, research analyst with Guidehouse Insights.

Guidehouse reported that recent growth in the LD EV market with strong hybrid EV (HEV) sales growth has led to positive uptake in the EV market in 2019, even though areas like plug-in EV (PEV) sales in North America have decreased. 

The company noted that the introduction of SUV and crossover PEV models in North America and additional mild-hybrid vehicles coming to market in Europe will propel growth. Guidehouse noted that the electric pickup truck market will contribute to the increase of PEV sales in North America. 

While the EV market has shown potential, Guidehouse reported that there will still be challenges ahead in the new market. The report noted that the lack of consumer awareness and need for more charging infrastructure mark significant barriers for LD vehicle electrification. 

Guidehouse analyzed that awareness is increasing within the market; however, many consumers remain unaware of the evolving technologies and costs associated with EV. The report has included an outlook on LD EV sales and populations to 2030 and includes passenger cars and light trucks with the following powertrains. 

The future outlook of the market created three scenarios distinguished by varying assumptions: conservative, base and aggressive. The divisions have been created in regards to future vehicle component costs, government incentives, and vehicle availability. 

“Growing interest in carbon pricing and increased charging infrastructure investments are expected to also improve PEV economics,” added Soat. 

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 Washington DC, the company has more than 7,000 professionals in more than 50 locations. Guidehouse is 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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Santos Awards KBR Energy Efficiency Opportunities Study at Gladstone LNG; Jay Ibrahim Quoted
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Santos Awards KBR Energy Efficiency Opportunities Study at Gladstone LNG; Jay Ibrahim Quoted
Jay Ibrahim
Jay Ibrahim

KBR has been awarded an energy efficiency opportunities study at Gladstone LNG by Santos, a leading energy group in Australia, KBR announced on Thursday. 

"KBR has long been trusted by clients across the LNG sector and this study is indicative of KBR's capabilities and skillsets across complex industrial assets, demonstrating our strategic commitment to sustainability and decarbonization and optimizing operational efficiencies across the supply chain," said Jay Ibrahim, KBR President, Energy Solutions.

Under the study, KBR will explore opportunities to improve the overall energy efficiency of the plant and reduce CO2 emissions associated with the GLNG liquefaction facility, building on the company portfolio within the liquified natural gas (LNG) sector. 

KBR will assist GLNG identify and screen potential modifications to enhance the operational facility. The company will investigate new improvements of thermal efficiency, while accounting for the associated reduction in carbon emissions.

The study will leverage the specialist energy, decarbonization and process optimization skills of KBR's strategic and advisory consulting team, expanding on the company’s LNG expertise. In addition to the study, KBR also secured a Front End Engineering Design (FEED) contract by Oman LNG in May 2019. 

KBR will provide FEED services for the debottlenecking project to increase production at its world-class plant in Sur. The company will also perform full FEED services, including licenser and vendor management and associated services.

KBR will act as an extension to Oman LNG's project team and help manage the overall execution of the project including the management of the supply and ensure all areas of compliance and safety are met.  

About KBR, Inc.

KBR is a global provider of differentiated professional services and technologies across the asset and program lifecycle within the Government Solutions and Energy sectors. KBR employs approximately 37,000 people worldwide (including our joint ventures), with customers in more than 80 countries, and operations in 40 countries, across three synergistic global businesses: Government Solutions, Technology Solutions, Energy Solutions.

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