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Senators Propose Bipartisan Bill Prohibiting DeepSeek Use
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Senators Propose Bipartisan Bill Prohibiting DeepSeek Use

U.S. Sens. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Jon Husted, R-OH, and Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., have introduced bipartisan legislation to prohibit the use of DeepSeek, China’s new artificial intelligence platform, on all government devices and networks.

Boosting National Security

Sen. Rosen said Thursday DeepSeek is directly connected to the Chinese Communist Party and could be a potential threat to national security. As an AI program, there is concern that DeepSeek gathers data and shares it with the Chinese government and its intelligence agencies. Multiple U.S. states and allied countries have already implemented measures to ban DeepSeek from government devices.

“As the artificial intelligence landscape continues to rapidly expand, the U.S. must take steps to ensure Americans’ data and government systems remain protected against platforms — like DeepSeek — that are linked to our adversaries,” said Sen. Rosen. “This bipartisan legislation takes proactive steps to ban DeepSeek on all U.S. government devices, helping to further safeguard sensitive government data from the Chinese Communist Party.”

“Our bill is an urgent first step toward protecting our citizens, government, and economy from China’s Communist Party,” added Husted.

“This bipartisan bill ensures that DeepSeek does not expose our government to potential national security risks—or give our data to Communist China,” said Ricketts.

A former computer programmer, Rosen has advocated for strengthening the country’s cybersecurity. In 2024, the senator pushed for the creation of a concrete plan to address cyber attacks on healthcare systems after the ransomware attack on Change Healthcare. She also introduced the Department of Defense Civilian Cybersecurity Reserve Act and other bipartisan bills strengthening the cybersecurity of the Department of Veterans Affairs medical devices and records.

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NASA Launches New Mission to Moon
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NASA Launches New Mission to Moon

NASA launched Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission on Feb.26 from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The agency said Thursday the mission, launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, is carrying NASA instruments to be utilized for science and technology demonstrations on the lunar surface. Intuitive Machines’ Nova C lunar lander is expected to reach the Moon’s surface, specifically in Mons Mouton located in the Moon’s South Pole, on March 6.

Paving the Way for Future Moon Missions

The new mission, part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative and Artemis campaign, aims to deliver payload needed to gather data about the Moon and help enable astronauts to explore it further on future missions.

The payload includes four vital NASA science and technology instruments. The Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1, or PRIME-1, will explore and analyze the Moon’s subsurface to locate possible lunar resources. The Laser Retroreflector Array is designed for precision laser ranging and will serve as a permanent location marker on the Moon. The Micro Nova Hopper, an autonomous drone named Grace, will survey the Moon’s surface, including the permanently shadowed regions, and transmit data back to the lander. The Nokia 4G/LTE Lunar Surface Communications System will demonstrate advanced cellular communications between the lander, a Lunar Outpost rover and the Micro Nova hopper to determine the possibility of future infrastructure on the Moon.

NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer spacecraft, launched with the IM-2 mission, will determine the locations of different water forms on the lunar surface and analyze their changes over time. The results of the two-year water-mapping mission will be used to understand water cycles on airless bodies.

Janet Petro, NASA acting administrator, stated, “These science and technology demonstrations are more than payloads – they represent the foundation for future explorers who will live and work on the Moon.”

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Air Force Official on How DMM Can Accelerate Capability Deployment
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Air Force Official on How DMM Can Accelerate Capability Deployment

Digital material management can accelerate the process of turning capabilities from concept to deployment, giving warfighters an edge over adversaries, according to a Department of the Air Force official. During a presentation at Wright State University, Kyle Hurst, chief of the Air Force Digital Transformation Office, said DMM can address challenges related to the speed at which capability is developed.

“DMM is a way to go fast,“ he told the audience. 

Air Force’s Long Development Timelines

Hurst pointed out that it takes China about seven years to push out a new capability to warfighters, giving troops more time to train and develop a concept of operations. For comparison, the U.S. spends about 16 years building and deploying a weapon system. 

The official also compared the current process of weapon deployment to World War II. He revealed that it took the military 102 days from the initial contract award to roll out the first P-51 Mustang single-engine fighter aircraft from the production lines and another 50 days for the fleet to take to the skies. 

How DMM Could Help

DMM, he said, can improve the development process by allowing leaders to make more informed decisions. 

He mentioned a recent project at Tyndall Air Force Base, where civil engineers got to see a digital twin of the base infrastructure. The digital twin provided a better map that helped determine what parts are needed and where civil engineers should go. 

“This digital approach helps with proactive decision-making and efficiency, ensuring that our teams are always one step ahead,” he explained.

Hurst added that DMM is already showing positive impacts in traffic flow management and aircrew scheduling. 

Join Kyle Hurst and other government leaders as they discuss the benefits of adopting technology-forward solutions at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Digital Transformation Summit on April 24. Register for the event here. 

Air Force Official on How DMM Can Accelerate Capability Deployment
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NIST Seeks Public Comments on Chipmaking Cybersecurity Roadmap
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NIST Seeks Public Comments on Chipmaking Cybersecurity Roadmap

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is gathering public comments on its draft framework for managing and reducing cybersecurity risks in semiconductor manufacturing. 

The 136-page draft, titled “Cybersecurity Framework Version 2.0 Semiconductor Manufacturing Profile,” structures methods for identifying and addressing areas for improvement in current cybersecurity practices within semiconductor manufacturing systems. 

It also offers cybersecurity evaluation approaches to ensure that control environments work within acceptable risk levels. In addition, the profile provides a standardized approach for the development and maintenance of cybersecurity plans across the semiconductor manufacturing process. 

Roadmap’s Focus Areas

The profile’s roadmap follows the six primary functional areas under NIST’s Cybersecurity Framework 2.0: govern, identify, protect, detect, respond and recover. In addition, it expands to various semiconductor subdomains — fabrication, enterprise IT and equipment, and tooling — for framework flexibility and adaptability.

Sanjay Rekhi, group leader of the security components and mechanisms group at NIST, described the profile as a “comprehensive framework” drawn from industry and government collaboration. “This initiative is part of a broader, multi-year effort to strengthen the security of critical infrastructure, with a particular focus on the security of semiconductors and their supply chain,” he added.

The deadline for submitting comments is on April 16. NIST’s National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence plans to hold a virtual workshop for the profile on March 13 to provide an overview of the draft.

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GAO Urges Reforms for DIU’s Rapid Tech Acquisition Process
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GAO Urges Reforms for DIU’s Rapid Tech Acquisition Process

The Government Accountability Office is urging the Defense Innovation Unit to institute reforms on its DIU 3.0 process adopted in 2023 for more rapid acquisitions of commercial technologies for the Department of Defense’s most critical needs. 

In a report released Thursday, GAO maintained that DIU lacks a complete performance management process, limiting its capability to measure progress in addressing DOD’s most critical requirements at scale.

Metrics and Timelines Seen as Lacking 

The congressional watchdog office noted that no performance measures and timelines were established to check DIU 3.0’s progress toward its goals. It also observed that DIU officials have not pinpointed the performance data they need to gather as basis for DIU 3.0 decision-making.

In addition, GAO said DIU has no assessment measures in place to check its progress in coordinating commercial technology adoption activities with other DOD innovation organizations, such as the Defense Innovation Community of Entities. Related collaborative activities were also established in March by DIU, AFWERX and NAVALX in the Joint Defense Innovation office in Austin, Texas, to facilitate collaboration between government agencies and startups.

Concurring DIU Opinion

To address its concerns, GAO recommended that DIU establish specific performance goals and metrics, well as a data collection and assessment processes, for DIU 3.0. The unit concurred with its recommendations, GAO said. 

DIU 3.0 is being implemented amid sentiment expressed in the defense industrial base during the 2024 Baird Defense and Government Conference that the U.S. government’s procurement system is unable to keep up with the rapid pace of technological innovation, a situation becoming a threat to national security.

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Databricks Gets FedRAMP High Authorization for Data Platform
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Databricks Gets FedRAMP High Authorization for Data Platform

Databricks has earned High authorization under the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program for its Data Intelligence Platform on Amazon Web Services GovCloud.

Gaining High Authorization

The San Francisco, California-based company said the authorization allows organizations handling sensitive data to innovate while meeting U.S. government security and compliance standards.

Rory Patterson, chairman of the board of Databricks Federal, said, “Data is a critical part of decision making in the government and Databricks is enabling government agencies to understand their organization’s data, identify waste, pass audits, and gain efficiencies — all while remaining secure and compliant.”

Used by over 400 public sector entities, the open-source platform supports analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance national security, fraud prevention, government efficiency and immigration processes.

The authorization expands Databricks’ existing Department of Defense Impact Level 5 Provisional Authorization and FedRAMP High and IL5 certifications for Azure Databricks.

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EO Mandates Centralized System to Record Spending on Contracts, Grants
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EO Mandates Centralized System to Record Spending on Contracts, Grants

President Donald Trump has released an executive order directing agency heads to work with Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, team leads to develop a centralized technological system to record payments issued to covered contracts and grants. 

The White House said Wednesday that each record should include a written justification submitted by the agency employee who approved the payment.

The centralized system should be implemented in a way that allows agency heads to pause and assess payments that do not come with written justification.

The requirement is part of the EO seeking to implement the cost efficiency initiative for DOGE.

Review of Covered Contracts, Grants

The new policy requires agency heads to assess all covered grants and contracts and modify or terminate them to reduce federal spending or shift funds in support of the current administration’s policies.

Within 30 days of the order’s issuance, agency heads should conduct and complete a comprehensive review of agencies’ contracting policies, personnel and procedures.

According to the document, DOGE team leads should provide the administrator of the DOGE Service with a monthly report on contracting activities.

Justification of Non-Essential Travel

The EO requires the creation of a tech system within each agency to record approval of federally funded travel for conferences and other non-essential purposes. Those records in the system should come with brief justifications, which will be posted publicly.

A monthly report outlining justifications for non-essential travel should be submitted to the administrator.

Real Property Disposition

Within seven days, agency heads should confirm to the General Services Administration that they have submitted updates to the Federal Real Property Management System to ensure that the platform reflects an accurate inventory of real property.

Within 30 days, agency heads should be able to identify all termination rights they have under existing leases of government-owned property. 

The order also directs the GSA administrator to submit to the director of the Office of Management and Budget a plan to dispose of properties that agencies no longer need.

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Hegseth Memo Directs DOD to Use Software Acquisition Pathway
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Hegseth Memo Directs DOD to Use Software Acquisition Pathway

Pete Hegseth, secretary of the Department of Defense and a 2025 Wash100 awardee, has issued a draft memo directing DOD to adopt the Software Acquisition Pathway, or SWP, to speed up software development efforts, Breaking Defense reported Tuesday.

The move is part of the Pentagon’s efforts to transform how it procures and deploys software and other technologies.

“Software is at the core of every weapon and supporting system we field to remain the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world. While commercial industry has rapidly adjusted to a software-defined product reality, DoD has struggled to reframe our acquisition process from a hardware-centric to a software-centric approach,” according to the draft memo obtained by the publication.

What Is SWP?

Created in 2020, SWP is a practice meant to accelerate software development through the implementation of the private sector’s best practices. It is a streamlined process for acquiring software programs bespoke to the requirements of DOD.

Through the pathway, organizations can field capabilities into systems within six months or less.

Use of Commercial Solutions Opening

According to Breaking Defense, the memo also requires the use of a commercial solutions opening as the “default solicitation” process.

Developed by the Defense Innovation Unit, the commercial solutions opening process enables DOD to implement a more flexible and faster approach when working with nontraditional defense contractors. Other transaction agreements are usually awarded as a result of this solicitation process.

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DAF Introduces AI-Powered Virtual IT Help Desk
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DAF Introduces AI-Powered Virtual IT Help Desk

The Department of the Air Force has launched the Enterprise Service Desk, or ESD, an artificial intelligence-powered enterprise-IT-as-a-service, or EITaaS, that provides IT support across the U.S. Air and Space Forces. Currently underway, Wave One of the EITaaS is already transforming the DAF IT services from a base-centric delivery model to an enterprise service model, the service branch reported Wednesday. 

Enterprise Service Desk Features

The ESD serves as a virtual agent that can handle a wide range of technical questions from airmen and guardians, allowing military personnel to troubleshoot issues. Powered by AI, the system is available to provide immediate assistance every day, whether morning or night. 

“The ESD connects Airmen and Guardians to responsive technical support, enabling swift access to IT support services,” commented Venice Goodwine, chief information officer for DAF and a two-time Wash100 Award recipient. “Through enhanced availability, IT issue resolution is significantly faster, which helps with overall efficiency for users.”

The ESD is also designed to streamline processes for airmen and guardians and reduce downtime, ensuring that military personnel can use their time to carry out more important tasks. The platform can conduct more trivial tasks such as scheduling an appointment with a human technician or ordering a new device. 

Goodwine added that integrating AI into the ESD enables the department to save time. 

ESD Development Timeline

The ESD has been in development for years. The Air Force began conducting market research for a virtual help desk in 2018. 

DAF started scaling the ESD in 2024. As of January, 82 percent of the department is now utilizing the system. 

DAF plans to achieve a full rollout of the service desk to all Air and Space Force bases by the end of 2025.

Learn about the best practices on how to safely and responsibly integrate AI into business processes at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 AI Summit on March 20. Register for the in-person event here.

DAF Introduces AI-Powered Virtual IT Help Desk
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Navy Contracts QinetiQ US Delivery Order for RF, Circuit Design Support
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Navy Contracts QinetiQ US Delivery Order for RF, Circuit Design Support

The Navy has awarded QinetiQ’s U.S. unit a one-year, $3.8 million delivery order to provide radio frequency, or RF, and circuit design support to its Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, or NSWCDD, Weapons Control and Integration Division.

Delivery Order Details

The defense technology company said Wednesday the delivery order falls under the RF & Circuit Design Assembly & Fabrication contract. The support services QinetiQ will provide NSWCDD include design, fabrication, rapid prototyping, special acquisition and technology integration.

The company will work on circuit board design, mechanical fabrication, RF distribution assemblies and fabric assemblies to support Naval Sea Systems Command’s electro-mechanical and RF systems.

Under the order, QinetiQ US will produce and deliver various products for design validation, such as internal and external wiring harnesses and cables, computer and power system enclosures, hardware and electrical kitting and custom circuit cards.

The company will use iterative prototyping to refine and validate designs and stabilize the Navy’s electromechanical and RF systems for integration, demonstration and initial outfitting phases.

Recent Army Task Order

In December, QinetiQ US received a four-year $42 million task order to support the Army’s modernization effort in sensor processing and imaging technologies. 

The task order included requirements for advanced imaging capabilities, such as aided target recognition technologies and enhanced signal and image processing algorithms.

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