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Maria Roat: Agencies Should Invest in Workforce Through Tech Training
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Maria Roat: Agencies Should Invest in Workforce Through Tech Training

The Chief Information Officers Council plans to introduce a data science reskilling program for government employees later this month. Maria Roat, deputy federal CIO and a 2020 Wash100 Award winner, underscored the federal workforce’s need for training at a House subcommittee hearing, FedScoop reported Monday.

Roat said Monday during a House Oversight Government Operations subcommittee hearing on FITARA 10.0 that approximately 2 million civilian employees use technology to carry out their work and agencies should consider training along with funding to address issues highlighted by the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act scorecard.

“Just as important as we consider any technology investment, we should also remember that the people charged with using those solutions must also be skilled in the use of technology,” Roat said during the hearing. “As the pace of capability and threat continues to accelerate, we must invest in our workforce to keep their skills relevant."

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CISA Releases Updated TIC 3.0 Network Security Guidance 
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CISA Releases Updated TIC 3.0 Network Security Guidance 

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued an update to its Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) guidance along with documents containing a security capabilities catalog, a program guidebook and reference architecture.

CISA said Friday the TIC 3.0 core guidance incorporates public input on the draft documents released in December.

According to the Department of Homeland Security component, TIC 3.0 includes use cases as well as recommendations on pilot program execution, implementation approaches and other strategies for remote work settings.

CISA plans to issue final versions of documents such as the Use Case Handbook, Overlay Handbook, Branch Office Use Case and Traditional TIC Use Case later this summer.

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U.S. Army Eyes Unclassified Architecture for Planned Integrated Tactical Network
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U.S. Army Eyes Unclassified Architecture for Planned Integrated Tactical Network

The U.S. Army is working to establish a secure but unclassified (SBU) environment as part of the fiscal 2021 integrated tactical network (ITN) toolset known as Capability Set ‘21, C4ISRnet said Saturday.

Capt. Brian Delgado, S6 of the Army's 1st Brigade Combat Team within the 82nd Airborne Division, told the publication that the SBU will serve as the “biggest game-changer” among the CS21 tools.

The SBU is meant to enable low-level users to access software applications at the unclassified level within a tactical environment, he said. In addition, Delgado noted that the SBU architecture will help ITN tools provide a comprehensive operating picture that “directly reduces risk in the clearance of fires, combat air support and maneuvering in widely dispersed formations.”

Other technologies covered by CS21 include satellite terminals, radios, lightweight servers and waveforms.

The Army previously concluded critical design reviews of CS21 and began the procurement process for the toolset last month.

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NIST Issues Draft Guidelines on Security, Privacy Control Baselines
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NIST Issues Draft Guidelines on Security, Privacy Control Baselines

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released a draft publication on control baselines to ensure security and privacy in agency systems at the low, moderate and high-impact levels.

NIST said Friday the draft SP 800-53B publication includes control updates following an assessment conducted in 2017. The draft also includes tailoring guidance and a set of assumptions to support agencies’ control selection procedures.

Other items included in the document are overlay guidelines for control baseline customization to support specific technologies, communities and operational environments.

NIST noted that it will continue seeking input on the privacy control baseline as well as the selection criteria for such controls.

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NSA Reports on New Cyber Vulnerability in Computers
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NSA Reports on New Cyber Vulnerability in Computers

The National Security Agency (NSA) has issued a report on a new cyber vulnerability that threatens certain systems present within the Department of Defense and other organizations.

The BootHole vulnerability allows cyber actors to get through the Secure Boot security standard that makes devices boot only with software trusted by original manufacturers, NSA said Thursday.

Cyber terrorists may use this vulnerability to tamper with a device's boot process. Devices running on Linux or Windows 8 and above may be affected by this vulnerability.

NSA provided two mitigation options in the “Mitigate the GRUB2 BootHole Vulnerability" report for users of Linux, an operating system that uses the Grand Unified Bootloader 2 or GRUB2 affected by BootHole.

For the standard mitigation, the report advises Linux users to update the boot components of endpoints. The agency will soon release another report for users of Windows and other systems based on the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface.

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DOE Unveils $97M Funding Opportunity for Bioenergy R&D Projects
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DOE Unveils $97M Funding Opportunity for Bioenergy R&D Projects

The Department of Energy (DOE) has earmarked $97 million in funds to support 33 bioenergy research and development projects.

DOE said Friday that it aims to mitigate risks and optimize the performance of technologies designed to yield bioenergy, fuel and products from biomass and waste resources through the funding effort.

The projects are required to address topics in various areas such as scalable carbon dioxide electrocatalysis technologies, development of low-emission residential wood heaters and waste-to-energy approaches.

Mark Menezes, DOE undersecretary, said bioenergy technologies could augment energy security and grow U.S. energy supply.

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Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier Receives Confirmation as DIA Director
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Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier Receives Confirmation as DIA Director

The Senate has confirmed Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, deputy chief of staff at the U.S. Army G-2, to serve as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Berrier will succeed two-time Wash100 Award winner Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley, who is slated to retire after more than three decades of service, DIA said Friday.

Berrier brings decades of experience in leading intelligence teams to his new role. Prior to his current capacity, Berrier served as commanding general at the Army Intelligence Center of Excellence.

He also performed joint service and special operations assignments at various locations within the U.S., Afghanistan, Iraq and South Korea.

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Senate OKs VA IT Reform Bill; Sen. Jon Tester Quoted
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Senate OKs VA IT Reform Bill; Sen. Jon Tester Quoted

The U.S. Senate has voted to pass a bill that aims to help the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) better manage information technology activities.

The Department of Veterans Affairs IT Reform Act aims to boost the transparency and oversight across VA's IT projects, the office of Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., said Friday.

Tester introduced the bill alongside Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., making the bill bipartisan. The bill would direct VA to strictly monitor spending done in IT programs critical to the care services and benefits being provided to the nation's veterans.

The legislation also calls for VA to support the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Data Center Consolidation Initiative and address IT-related recommendations made by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

“When veterans can’t access the benefits and care they earned because the VA’s IT systems don’t work, are over budget or take years to come online—well, we’ve got to do something about it,” said Tester, who is the ranking member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee.

The House of Representatives will examine and vote on the bill next.

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Exclusive: EverWatch Acquires BrainTrust; John Hillen Quoted
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Exclusive: EverWatch Acquires BrainTrust; John Hillen Quoted

EverWatch announced on Monday that the national security services provider has acquired BrainTrust Holdings, a leading provider of innovative technology solutions to the intelligence and defense communities, for an undisclosed sum to further expand technical service offerings and contract pursuits in the intelligence sector.

“We are thrilled to add one of the leading software development companies in the intelligence arena to EverWatch, said John Hillen, CEO of EverWatch and a former Wash100 Award winner.

“The partnership with BrainTrust and its talented team positions EverWatch with over 500 dedicated national security professionals, committed to delivering technology solutions across the defense and intelligence sector,” Hillen added.

Senior management and founders from BrainTrust will merge with EverWatch’s current business unit. Fred Funk, chief growth officer of EverWatch, will lead the merged unit in Columbia, Md. to help the company pursue mission critical programs and continue its growth across all its businesses in addition to the intelligence sector.

“The combination of BrainTrust with our ACES business unit in Columbia, Maryland gives us a highly enhanced set of technical capabilities, mission expertise, and contract presence for our intelligence community customers,” said Funk.

“We aim to use that combination to bid on and win mission critical work with unique technology solutions in much the same way we did with our recent win providing a unique C4ISR solution for the US Navy,” Funk added.

The acquisition comes less than two weeks after ACES secured a potential five-year, $100.3 million contract on July 27th to build command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems for the service branch.

Baird served as the exclusive financial advisor to BrainTrust for EverWatch’s acquisition.

About EverWatch

EverWatch is a government solutions company providing advanced intelligence, defense, and deployed mission support to our country’s most critical missions.  The company has approximately 350 employees, nearly 100% of which hold government security clearances.

Primary customers include the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence (OUSDI), the Intelligence Community, the Air Force, the Department of State, and the Department of Justice.  The company is headquartered in Reston, VA with operations in Columbia, MD and Aurora, CO and has employees deployed in five continents.

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Unisys Adds to Cloud Capabilities to Strengthen CloudForte Capabilities; Brad Parks, Vishal Gupta Quoted
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Unisys Adds to Cloud Capabilities to Strengthen CloudForte Capabilities; Brad Parks, Vishal Gupta Quoted

Unisys Corporation has added additional offerings to the company’s CloudForte, an integrated, multi-cloud and application optimization platform, Unisys reported on Monday. 

Unisys’ CloudForte Cloud Management Platform 2.0 will merge the Unisys-built capability and multiple partner products for hybrid cloud management. Unisys has added Morpheus Data as a technology partner to enhance CloudForte's capabilities.

"With Unisys and Morpheus working together, clients have the best of all worlds. They benefit from an agile next-generation cloud management platform combined with the advisory service and support of a world-class solution provider," said Brad Parks, chief marketing officer of Morpheus.

The new CloudForte capabilities will enable organizations to easily accelerate their move to multi and hybrid-cloud environments and provide an optimized way to continually assess cloud environments. Unisys has enhanced its offerings to include CloudForte Navigator 2.0, CloudForte Cloud Management Platform 2.0 and CloudForte Accelerators 1.0.

CloudForte Navigator 2.0 provides clients at any stage of cloud implementation with a well-architected framework to modernize legacy infrastructure and applications for maximum value. Enhancements in Navigator 2.0 include:

"CloudForte Navigator helps organizations optimize their overall enterprise cost, security and performance," said Vishal Gupta, senior vice president, Products and Platforms and chief technology officer, Unisys.

The enhanced CloudForte CMP has integrated disparate technologies to create an agile, secure and efficient environment. Unisys’ solution will provide automation and orchestration; a validated reference architecture; and advanced analytics to optimize cloud spend. 

"Unisys offers a comprehensive, vendor-agnostic multi- and hybrid-cloud review to streamline their cloud assessment process and understand exactly where they can make informed infrastructure decisions as well as easily improve cloud security and application-migration processes," added Gupta. 

About Unisys

Unisys is a global information technology company that builds high-performance, security-centric solutions for the most demanding businesses and governments. Unisys offerings include security software and services; digital transformation and workplace services; industry applications and services; and innovative software operating environments for high-intensity enterprise computing.

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