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Michael Kratsios on G7’s Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence
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Michael Kratsios on G7’s Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence
Michael Kratsios
Michael Kratsios

Michael Kratsios, U.S. chief technology officer and a 2020 Wash100 Award winner, wrote in a commentary published Wednesday on The Wall Street Journal about the launch of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence by tech ministers of the Group of Seven, an international economic organization composed of seven countries.

Kratsios, who also serves as deputy assistant to the president for technology policy, said GPAI will bring together professionals from governments, academia, industry and civil society to pursue AI-related research and advance workforce development efforts to promote AI innovation.

“In this new forum, like-minded nations will work together to encourage the development of AI in line with our shared values,” he wrote. “Most immediately, GPAI members will commit to developing and using AI responsibly to fight the coronavirus pandemic—including efforts to speed up drug discovery, improve disease diagnosis, and aid telehealth services.”

The establishment of GPAI is one of the efforts G7 science and tech ministers will work on in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The partnership is part of the G7 declaration unveiled Thursday.

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GAO: OMB Must Improve Coordination of Federal Cybersecurity Req’s
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GAO: OMB Must Improve Coordination of Federal Cybersecurity Req’s
GAO: OMB Must Improve Coordination of Federal Cybersecurity Req's

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found that some federal agencies had “conflicting parameters” for their cybersecurity requirements for ensuring the secure access and use of government data.

GAO said in its report released Wednesday that it assessed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Social Security Administration (SSA) and FBI as part of its study and found that the total amount of conflicting parameters among the four agencies reached 49 to 79 percent.

Such parameters include specific values such as the number of unsuccessful logins needed before locking out users.

According to the watchdog, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) must improve its coordination efforts to properly establish cybersecurity parameters among federal agencies.

GAO noted that federal entities previously reported spending $45 million on assessments of state agencies' cybersecurity posture during fiscal years 2016 through 2018.

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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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