Stacy Bostjanick, the director of the CMMC policy office in the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, discussed how the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) has become a global intrigue as other nations look to the United States as the government implements the new model.

“They are all watching to see if we fall on our face or not. If we roll this out and make it work, they have indicated they will adopt CMMC as well,” said Bostjanick.

Along with the government contractors impacted by the new requirements, civilian agencies and allies like Canada, Sweden, Italy, the United Kingdom and others are paying close attention to how the Pentagon begins to fix supply chain and other cybersecurity challenges through this new initiative.

DoD plans to finalize the CMMC training and assessment guides in March. Bostjanick said those documents will tell vendors what it takes to be certified at levels 1, 2 and 3. “These guides are where people can find answers and what artifacts are needed. It is where all the answers to all your questions will be if you go through the assessment guide,” she said. “It’s not our intent to fool anyone.”

She noted that the accreditation body will develop the training classes for third party assessors. In the June or July timeframe, the first set of vendors can begin going through the assessment process in preparation for the first 15 procurements to call out CMMC requirements.

“The accreditation body is working with us to develop training material to accredit third-party assessors. There will be a marketplace for them as they go through the two-week course and test for level 3 accreditor certifications,” Bostjanick said.

Potomac Officers Club will host its CMMC Forum 2020 on April 2. Click here to register for the event.

Katie Arrington, chief information security officer at the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and a 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, will serve as a keynote speaker at the CMMC Forum 2020. She will address the CMMC’s timeline, how the certification process could change and will provide a memorandum of understanding with a newly established CMMC accrediting body.

A full expert panel will include Ty Schieber, senior director of executive education and CMMC-AB chairman of the University of Virginia and Richard Naylor of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) among other members of the federal sector and industry.

Register here to join Potomac Officers Club for its CMMC Forum 2020 on April 2nd to learn about the impact DoD’s CMMC will have on cybersecurity practices, supply chain security and other aspects of the federal market.

FireEye Endpoint Security has received the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) $100,000 first place prize on the Artificial Intelligence Applications to Autonomous Cybersecurity Challenges (AI ATAC), the company announced on Friday.

“A security analyst’s time is valuable, and very limited. MalwareGuard, our machine learning-based malware detection and prevention engine, was developed by a world-class team of data scientists, combining our unique data with frontline intelligence to enable our clients to focus on the threats that matter,” said Seth Summersett, chief scientist at FireEye. 

FireEye Endpoint Security delivered the top ranking performance based on the criteria and cost-benefit framework of the AI ATAC, including accuracy metrics, time to detection in terms of costs lost due to malware and the monetary cost for setup, triage and incident response. 

Also, the malware collection used spanned categories likely to be seen in the real-world to produce the most effective evaluation. AI ATAC explored the capability for endpoint security products to incorporate machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) models to detect and defeat indicators of compromise from various advanced malware strains.

AI ATAC is managed by Program Executive Office (PEO) for Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) and Space System’s Cyber Security Program Office (PMW 130). 

FireEye noted that the award marks a milestone in cybersecurity innovation for the Navy. The company has continued to defend against sophisticated threat actors from the Cloud to the Tactical Edge.

An advanced, threat-informed endpoint security solution will serve as the foundation for the next generation of countering cyber warfare and can help meet the complex operational needs of the Navy’s Enterprise, Tactical, and Excepted Networks.

FireEye plans to incorporate its defensive capabilities in its Security Operations Centers (SOCs), Fleet Maritime Operations Centers (MOCs), Systems Command (SYSCOM), Cyber Planning and Response Centers (CPRCs), Afloat and Cyber Protection Teams (CPTs) missions.

“We are honored to be recognized for this innovation and to support the Navy as they continue to hone cyber security solutions that will keep the fleet safe today and into the future,” added Summersett.

Amyx has successfully completed a Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) for Services v 1.3 Level 3 appraisal for its Professional Services Projects, which will improve customer satisfaction, the company reported on Friday. 

“Adding to our appraised CMMI and registered ISO processes, this appraisal enables Amyx to achieve even higher levels of customer satisfaction, improve the organization’s professional service offerings, and improve management and programmatic processes,” said Satya Akula, President and CEO of Amyx, Inc.

Amyx’s appraisal was performed by Process Works. With the company’s new rating, it will enable Amyx to improve and maintain customer satisfaction, deliverables and project performance. 

CMMI is a capability improvement framework that provides guidance on how an organization develops and delivers products and services that ultimately improve their performance.  The framework is widely used by leading organizations around the world to improve services to meet the needs of customers and end users.

The integration will provide advanced support to customers as well as the company’s work on contracts, including work with the U.S. Air Force and Defense Logistics Agency, awarded in Aug. 2019.

Amyx has secured prime contracts with the U.S. Air Force, the Defense Logistics Agency, the Army National Guard and the U.S. Department of Agriculture

In support of the Air Force Global Strike Command Cyber Surety Contract, Amyx will continue to provide cybersecurity expertise and experience supporting the Department of Defense and Federal agencies. Amyx will also support the Wyoming Air National Guard and the 153rd Command and Control Squadron by developing innovative technical solutions and cybersecurity.

For the Defense Logistics Agency, Amyx won the contract to enable an enterprise-wide Electronically Stored Information Disclosure and Discovery (ESIDD). Amyx will implement a multi-phased approach using the e-Discovery Reference Model (EDRM) to develop a requirements baseline and establish a system architecture to support new software and processes.

About Amyx

Amyx’s Mission is to exceed our customers' expectations on every contract. To provide an environment which encourages, recognizes, and rewards the extraordinary contributions of our employees. To advance the wellbeing of the communities in which we work. 

Amyx’s Vision is to be the preferred provider and trusted partner to our Federal customers and business partners for Management and Information Technology support services on programs of national importance.

The Women Presidents’ Educational Organization (WPEO) today announced significant accolades at the Annual Awards breakfast, reflecting singular accomplishments by a dynamic community of certified women-owned businesses and companies with which they do business. This year’s theme focuses on Women’s Leadership in the New Decade (#WPEOWomensLeadership). Carla Harris, Vice Chairman, Managing Director and Senior Client Advisor, Morgan Stanley, was the keynote speaker.

KPMG has released its 2020 Global Technology Industry Innovation Survey, revealing that technology leaders regard the United States as the most promising market for developing disruptive technologies, with more than twice as many saying it’s ahead of China and India, the company reported on Thursday.

“We believe that survey respondents perceive the current U.S. stance on technology and intellectual property, as it pertains to China, means that China must now spend more time and resources to develop its own domestic innovation ecosystem,” said Tim Zanni, KPMG Global and U.S. Technology Sector Leader.

The report stated that the U.S. had a global impact of 28 percent while China and India tied for second, both ranking 13 percent in developing disruptive technologies.

KPMG also noted that new cities are beginning to rise in hub rankings. The report revealed which cities and presumed global leaders will start to lead technology innovation hubs over the next four years.

Singapore, seventh last year, increased to the top of this year’s global rankings. Singapore offers an advanced IT infrastructure, strong government support and IP protection laws and a deep pool of talent. London moved from third to second. Tel Aviv placed 15th last year, but moved to third place in 2020.

Excluding Silicon Valley and San Francisco, New York placed fifth globally, gaining influence from Google, Amazon and Apple investment announcements. 37 percent of respondents stated that it was likely the innovation center of the world would move from Silicon Valley in the next four years, reasoning that the U.S stance will keep more proprietary knowledge and intellectual property inside the nation.

The data retention will make it more difficult for a city outside the U.S. to overtake Silicon Valley as the innovation center in the next four years. Respondents noted that Silicone Valley faces two main challenges: the innovation/entrepreneurial infrastructure of other cities will match or exceed Silicon Valley and the rise of the gig economy and virtual collaboration tools enable innovation anywhere.

The 2020 KPMG Technology Industry Innovation Survey, in its eighth year, consisted of 810 technology leaders (54% C-level executives) across twelve countries. The online survey was conducted from December 2019 to January 2020.

About KPMG LLP

KPMG LLP is the independent U.S. member firm of KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”). KPMG International’s independent member firms have more than 219,000 professionals working in 147 countries.

Radiance University at Radiance Technologies has launched a new mentoring program to assist the employee-owner complex in meeting career goals, developing leadership and optimizing professional experience, the company announced on Friday.

"We believe that helping employees integrate into our culture will promote high performance and produce sustainable results. We owe our employees-owners the best we can give for what they do for our company, our warfighters, and our nation," says Bill Bailey, CEO of Radiance.

Experienced personnel who have been trained in leadership development and mentoring will provide mentees a professional, educational, and personal support system. The goals of Radiance’s new program range from understanding culture to establishing a new network of professionals. 

The initiative will help build an engaged, intelligent workforce and culture of employees who are committed to the success of the company. Designed by Lane Fabby, Chancellor of Radiance University, the program will provide a new opportunity to promote positive relationships that will improve personal and professional relations. 

Additional goals of the program include: sharing the skills and knowledge of successful professionals with employees, providing support in locating and accessing Radiance's resources and resource persons, fostering open communication and dialogue, and giving motivation for job performance, creativity, and the acceptance of responsibility with confidence.

Mentors are provided a Mentoring Program Handbook that outlines roles and responsibilities of the mentor and mentee. After completing its pilot phase, the program will be available to all employee-owners across 13 locations in nine states. 

About Radiance Technologies, Inc.

Radiance Technologies is an employee-owned small business prime contractor founded in 1999. Radiance has over 850 employee-owners across the United States serving the Department of Defense, national intelligence community, and other government agencies. 

From concepts to capabilities, Radiance leads the way in developing customer-focused solutions in the areas of cyber security, systems engineering, prototyping and integration as well as operational and strategic intelligence including scientific and technical intelligence.

Accenture has acquired Context Information Security, a leading cyber defense consultancy, to accelerate growth of Accenture Security in the U.K. and across the globe, the company announced on Friday.

“Combining a group of highly skilled cybersecurity professionals globally while providing differentiated services to clients in the U.K. market,” said Kelly Bissell, a senior managing director at Accenture, who leads Accenture Security. “The deal signals continued aggressive growth for Accenture Security and gives us a new branch of talented family members to help clients grow their business.”

Context Information Security, founded in 1998 and headquartered in London, provides information security services in the U.K. and in global financial markets. With the purchase, Accenture Security will gain its high-end cyber defense, intelligence-driven red team, vulnerability research and incident response services.

Additionally, Context Information Security has offices in Germany, the U.S. and Australia, which will expand Accenture Security’s existing portfolio and become part of Accenture’s cyber defense offerings. Accenture Security will also acquire 250 employees, which will further the company’s  services to clients.

Context Information Security offers a variety of branches, including financial services, government, aerospace  and defense, and critical infrastructure. The company has provided assistance to government organizations, financial institutions and other clients, responding to the threat of advanced cyberattacks.

“Context has a remarkable set of cybersecurity skills, capabilities and reputation in the U.K…to complement the growth we have already driven for more than a decade in this market,” said Nick Taylor, UKI lead at Accenture Security. “We are excited to welcome this talented group of professionals that share a common vision of providing world-class cybersecurity to our clients.”

Accenture has also agreed to acquire Symantec’s Cyber Security Services business, which is the latest in a series of acquisitions, including those of Deja vu Security, iDefense, Maglan, Redcore, Arismore and FusionX, that demonstrate Accenture Security’s commitment to investing, innovating and scaling its cybersecurity services for clients.

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 505,000 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.