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DHS S&T Helps CBP Address Migrant Safety Issues
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DHS S&T Helps CBP Address Migrant Safety Issues
DHS S&T Helps CBP Address Migrant Safety Issues

The Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate is pursuing an effort to boost the safety of borders and protect migrants from environmental dangers.

DHS S&T is helping U.S. Customs and Border Protection execute the Missing Migrants Program that aims to address the safety hazards surrounding migrants wanting to enter the country, the department said Wednesday.

“The primary objective of the Missing Migrants Program is to improve our ability to save the lives of migrants that are attempting to enter the U.S. between the ports of entry at our southwest border or circumvent our immigration checkpoints,” said Lorraine Castillo, program manager at DHS S&T.

Migrants lack resources and are exposed to temperatures uncommon to them, reducing their survivability in the border environment.

CBP has stationed rescue beacons and 911 placards across the southwest border to notify border patrol agents when help is needed. The beacons send notification signals to patrol agents and the placards contain contact information on emergency services.

The beacons and placards, however, have technical limitations due to factors like physical terrain and reliance on cellular connectivity.

The program developed an interactive dashboard and an analysis playbook to address these limitations. The dashboard uses geospatial data and allows agents to determine where to strategically place beacons and placards. The playbook provides guidance to other entities that might need to adopt a similar dashboard.

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DIA Looks to Conduct Human-Machine Teaming for Ship Detection, Nat’l Security Missions
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DIA Looks to Conduct Human-Machine Teaming for Ship Detection, Nat’l Security Missions

DIA Looks to Conduct Human-Machine Teaming for Ship Detection, Nat'l Security Missions

The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is testing the use of artificial intelligence for human-machine teaming operations for various applications such as ship identification, Defense One reported Wednesday.

Terry Busch, technical director for DIA’s Machine-Assisted Analytic Rapid-Repository System segment, said at a recent viewcast that the agency launched the experimental effort earlier this year to train analysts on leveraging AI-driven quantitative workflows to support national security missions.

As part of the experiment, DIA tested AI systems’ capacity to establish ship identification methodologies. Researchers then assessed the technology’s efficiency with less data, removing feed from the navigation infrastructure’s Automatic Identification System.

The end goal is to establish a machine-intelligence complementary system to human analysts, according to Busch.

“Once we began to take away sources, everyone was left with the same source material — which was numerous reports, generally social media, open source kinds of things, or references to the ship being in the United States — so everyone had access to the same data,” he said. “The difference was that the machine, and those responsible for doing the machine learning, took far less risk — in confidence — than the humans did.”

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GAO: NASA at ‘High Risk’ of Acquisition Mgmt Issues, Program Delays
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GAO: NASA at ‘High Risk’ of Acquisition Mgmt Issues, Program Delays
GAO: NASA at 'High Risk' of Acquisition Mgmt Issues, Program Delays

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued an audit stating that NASA’s acquisition management procedures are under the former's "high risk" list due to potential program delays and cost increases for the third consecutive year.

GAO said in the report released Wednesday that NASA’s project costs reached 31 percent over the baseline since May 2019 and that “delays are likely” for the Artemis I deep-space exploration mission.

GAO also found that NASA “underreported cost growth” for the Artemis mission's Space Launch System and Orion crew capsule programs last year, according to the recent audit.

NASA has since announced plans to implement broader project management strategies and update its cost estimates throughout the acquisition procedures of its major programs.

The report serves as GAO’s 12th annual “Quick Look” audit on major NASA projects.

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Will Roper: Space Acquisition Council Assessing COVID-19 Impact on Supply Chain
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Will Roper: Space Acquisition Council Assessing COVID-19 Impact on Supply Chain
Will Roper
Will Roper

Will Roper, the U.S. Air Force’s acquisition chief and a 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, said he is working with the Department of Defense to identify space firms impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, SpaceNews reported Wednesday.

Roper, who serves as the assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, told attendees at a video conference that the Space Acquisition Council is assessing the current situation of the space industry and will determine potential forms of assistance to suppliers.

“When we get the results back, it’ll help us put out a unified message to Congress, to the Office of the Secretary of Defense and others about where to take actions,” he said.

The council, which also includes representatives from the National Reconnaissance Office, held an emergency meeting this week to discuss potential actions and decided to release a survey focused on the space industrial base.

Roper noted that among the industry areas weakened by the pandemic are microelectronics, small launch services and satellite components.

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DNI Nominee Rep. John Ratcliffe to Attend Senate Hearing Planned Next Week
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DNI Nominee Rep. John Ratcliffe to Attend Senate Hearing Planned Next Week
John Ratcliffe
John Ratcliffe

Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, will attend a confirmation hearing for the role of national intelligence director, and the senate intelligence committee prepares to conduct the event next week, Politico reported Wednesday.

President Trump nominated Ratcliffe to serve as director of national intelligence, the federal official tasked with the oversight of the intelligence community. The Senate plans to resume activities in Washington, D.C., on Monday, following the unavailability caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Ratcliffe has been a congressman representing Texas since 2015. Previously, he served as an attorney in the state. The congressman abstained from voting on intelligence-related legislation to balance his duties as a representative and a DNI nominee.

“In balancing my obligations as the representative of Texas’ 4th Congressional District with my nomination by the president to become the director of national intelligence, I will not be voting on legislative matters which likely pertain to or impact the responsibilities of the position to which I may be confirmed," Ratcliffe said in a statement.

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Ted Ross, SpyCloud’s CEO, Co-Founder, to Serve as Panelist at Potomac Officers Club’s CMMC Forum 2020 on June 24th
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Ted Ross, SpyCloud’s CEO, Co-Founder, to Serve as Panelist at Potomac Officers Club’s CMMC Forum 2020 on June 24th

Ted Ross, SpyCloud’s CEO, Co-Founder, to Serve as Panelist at Potomac Officers Club’s CMMC Forum 2020 on June 24th

Ted Ross, co-founder and CEO of SpyCloud, will serve as a panelist at Potomac Officers Club’s CMMC Forum 2020 on Wednesday, June 24th.

Ross brings more than 29 years of industry experience, focusing on network and security. He began his career with the U.S. Air Force, then was director of network engineering at West Corp. He has also worked with Walmart as a strategy advision and with Tipping point as an executive technology director.

He created a new team at HP as director of threat intelligence at HP Security Research, that was centralized around threat intelligence practice from the ground up. His team created reports on nation-state threat groups that were considered to be the most comprehensive reports on select adversarial nation’s cyber capabilities.

On the panel, Ross will use his knowledge and experience he gained from his career in the industry to discuss the regulation changes within CMMC, and how it will affect both government and industry employees.

As CMMC’s revision has moved away from self-certification, it has replaced current National Institute of Science and Technology’s (NIST) standards for cybersecurity with a five-level system of requirements for defense contractors.

Ty Schieber with the University of Virginia, Richard Naylor of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, Terry Roberts with WhiteHawk, and Dawn Greenman with John Hopkins University will serve alongside Ross as panelists at the forum.

The panelist will use their time to 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.

Join Potomac Officers Club for its CMMC Forum 2020 on June 24th to learn about the impact DoD’s CMMC will have on cybersecurity practices, supply chain security and other aspects of the federal market.

Register here for Potomac Officers Club’s CMMC Forum 2020 on Wednesday, June 24th.

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Accenture Completes Acquisition of Broadcom’s Symantec Cyber Security Services
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Accenture Completes Acquisition of Broadcom’s Symantec Cyber Security Services

Accenture Completes Acquisition of Broadcom’s Symantec Cyber Security Services

Accenture announced that the company has completed its acquisition of the Symantec Cyber Security Services business from Broadcom Inc, Accenture reported on Thursday.

With the acquisition, Accenture will enhance the company’s security’s position as one of the world’s leading providers of managed security services, further boosting its ability to help organizations anticipate, detect and respond to cyber threats.

The Symantec Cyber Security Services business will include over 300 employees around the world who serve organizations across a diverse range of industries, including financial services, utilities, health, government, communications, media, technology and retail.

In addition to the company’s acquisition of  Symantec Cyber Security Services, Accenture acquired Revolutionary Security, Context Information Security, Deja vu Security, iDefense, Maglan, Redcore, Arismore and FusionX to advance Accenture Security’s commitment to investing in and innovating cybersecurity solutions.

In April 2020, Accenture acquired Revolutionary Security, a privately held company specializing in enterprise cybersecurity for information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) environments. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Revolutionary Security’s portfolio of cybersecurity services include assessment and testing, design and build of security programs and functions as well as security operations across its clients’ IT and OT systems.

The security company has leveraged proprietary technology and methods to help mature the security capabilities of its clients and manage risk. The company’s breach and attack simulation testing service, LiveFire, has utilized real-world cyber threats to identify gaps in security processes and monitoring, as well as staff operations and technologies.

The results help organizations prioritize actions to mitigate cyber risks within their enterprise. The acquisition will provide Accenture’s clients with greater end to end solutions, particularly regarding more complex IT and OT cybersecurity challenges.

In March 2020, Accenture acquired Context Information Security, a leading cyber defense consultancy, to accelerate growth of Accenture Security in the U.K. and across the globe. 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.

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 509,000 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.

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Intelligent Waves Names Tony Crescenzo President; Jared Shepard Quoted
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Intelligent Waves Names Tony Crescenzo President; Jared Shepard Quoted

Intelligent Waves Names Tony Crescenzo President; Jared Shepard Quoted

Intelligent Waves has appointed Tony Crescenzo, a high-growth focused and seasoned IT industry leader, as the company’s president, Intelligent Waves reported on Thursday.

Jared Shepard, IW’s CEO, stated: “We are thrilled to add Tony Crescenzo to our first-class line up of proven and tested leaders to capitalize on our momentum, leveraging our significant growth and technical innovation. Tony’s experience will elevate the company to the next level of industry leadership while ensuring the integrity of our impact-focused culture.”

Crescenzo’s appointment has followed Intelligent Waves year of exponential growth and continued momentum for the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business. In 2019 and 2020, the company expanded its contract awards and appointed employees, expanding at a rate of 130 percent.

Intelligent Waves continues to lead complex high-end challenges with specialized IT integration solutions in areas such as Enterprise IT, Software Defined Networks (SDN), Cybersecurity, Secure Mobility, Advanced Analytics, Knowledge Management, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine-Learning (ML) for Operations, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance.

Shepard added, “Tony Crescenzo brings to Intelligent Waves three strategic assets that will help Intelligent Waves realize its full growth potential… Tony’s immense information technology acumen in swiftly solving complex customer problems through accelerated innovation, is precisely what we need to scale our continued growth effectively and efficiently.”

Prior to joining Intelligent Waves, Crescenzo served in a variety of senior leadership roles at IntelliDyne over his nearly nine-year tenure. As CEO of the company, Crescenzo accelerated public sector programs that deliver higher operational efficiency and measurable value to clients.

He also served as partner of Achievence before his time at IntelliDyne. In the role, he helped fulfill the company’s mission of developing, implementing and measuring strategies, programs and systems, including training, that improve sales results both top line and bottom line.

Over his 40-year career, Crescenzo has also held leadership positions at Fedelta, Leidos, IMTS, Illumitek, Inline Software, Software AG Federal and Trecom Business Systems. He began his career with the U.S. Marine Corps in 1979.

“As a veteran, I was impressed with IW’s level of proactive corporate social responsibility and dedication to customers, colleagues, and the community. What’s most exciting is the company’s proven history of making the impossible possible for Government’s most critical challenges. Intelligent Waves is on the leading edge of innovation in support of real-world mission outcomes, and I feel privileged to join such a great organization,” concluded Crescenzo.

About Intelligent Waves LLC

Intelligent Waves LLC is a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB). The business provides enterprise systems engineering, cloud computing and managed services, cyber and security architecture, mobility, and operations and intelligence analytics.

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Accenture Acquires NIKE Group to Expand RegTech, Financial Services; Massimiliano Colangelo, Carlo Giaj Levra Quoted
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Accenture Acquires NIKE Group to Expand RegTech, Financial Services; Massimiliano Colangelo, Carlo Giaj Levra Quoted
Accenture Acquires NIKE Group to Expand RegTech, Financial Services; Massimiliano Colangelo, Carlo Giaj Levra Quoted

Accenture has acquired NIKE Group, an Italian consulting firm that has provided regulatory technology (RegTech) services and solutions to financial services firms, the company reported on Thursday. 

“NIKE Group’s extensive regulatory industry experience combined with Accenture’s scale and approach to innovation will enable us to create an enhanced data-driven market offering in advanced RegTech that will help clients accelerate their compliance transformations,” said Massimiliano Colangelo, who leads Accenture’s Financial Services Client Group in Italy.

Accenture announced its intent to acquire the business on April 14, 2020. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. NIKE Group will bring a data-driven approach and compliance platform to Accenture. 

NIKE Group will help clients monitor new regulatory requirements and assist with compliance. This is particularly important as financial services’ compliance departments continue to navigate an ever-expanding and complex set of regulations.

The team at NIKE Group will join Accenture’s Italian Financial Services practice. The acquisition will enhance Accenture’s RegTech and compliance capabilities for clients in Italy and across Europe.

Carlo Giaj Levra, CEO of NIKE Group, said, “We are excited to join Accenture; its size and geographic reach will offer our employees new opportunities to expand their skills and will provide our customers with end-to-end solutions…. Together with Accenture, we will continue to develop solutions and technologies to improve governance and compliance processes for financial services, with the aim to expand our services to other industries.”

Accenture’s acquisition will add to the company’s overall growth strategy to expand critical skills and capabilities in strategic, high-growth areas of the market. Other acquisitions that have supported Accenture’s growth include the purchase of financial services data consultancy Mudano and financial services consulting firm Parker Fitzgerald.

Accenture Applied Intelligence announced the close acquisition of Mudano in Feb. 2020. The acquisition will enhance Accenture’s analytics, data and artificial intelligence (AI) transformation capabilities. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“Mudano’s focus on helping clients build a ‘data culture’ aligns perfectly to Accenture’s Applied Intelligence strategy. By creating a strong data foundation, supported by the right skills, stakeholders and technologies, our clients can transform at speed and scale and fuel real change for their business.”said George Marcotte, managing director and head of  Accenture’s Applied Intelligence.

Accenture will gain over 20,000 industry-focused data professionals worldwide who help clients implement AI, including 6,000 data scientists, data engineers and AI professionals. The company will also integrate Mudano’s data advisory expertise and technology solutions into the existing capabilities to help Accenture’s clients generate value and return on investment from large-scale transformation projects.

Mudano has used the advanced analytics system, applied data science and modern data technologies to help the banks, insurers and wealth management firms transform customer behavior analytics, financial crime-prevention and intelligent data management.

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 509,000 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.

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HUD, Salient CRGT Become Top Finalist for the ACT-IAC Igniting Innovation 2020; Atacan Donmez Quoted
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HUD, Salient CRGT Become Top Finalist for the ACT-IAC Igniting Innovation 2020; Atacan Donmez Quoted
HUD, Salient CRGT Become Top Finalist for the ACT-IAC Igniting Innovation 2020; Atacan Donmez Quoted

Salient CRGT has announced that the company’s partnering client, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), has ranked as a top finalist for the ACT-IAC Igniting Innovation 2020 Conference and Awards for the Unisys Migration Project (UMP) – Technology Modernization Fund (TMF), Salient CRGT reported on Thursday.

"Salient CRGT is proud to lead the modernization effort at HUD by retiring their Unisys Mainframe & enabling critical business systems to operate in HUD's cloud environment," said Atacan Donmez, senior vice president, Civilian Services Group.

The Top 40 Finalists for the ACT-IAC Igniting Innovation 2020 Conference and Awards were selected from 140 nominations. The finalists' innovations support healthcare, defense, public safety, aviation, finance and grants management, acquisition, and workforce management and training programs. 

HUD has made new efforts to successfully transform the Unisys applications to the cloud using automated code conversion, automated database migration, and automated regression and performance testing. 

The department has reduced the project timeframe from five years to two, eliminated years-long requirements and code freezes required by manual modernization, and reduced overall project cost by over 50 percent.

GSA awarded a contract to Salient CRGT for the procurement of Unisys Migration Support that requires the migration of the Unisys Mainframe to the HUD cloud platform using modern cloud / JAVA code in July 2019. 

These systems interface with the US Department of Treasury (DoT) and other federal systems, as well as HUD’s business partners that include financial institutions, grantees and public housing authorities. The Unisys Migration project strategy strives to accelerate the modernization of four of HUD’s critical business systems.

Salient CRGT’s work has ranged from COBOL to JAVA and from an on-premise mainframe environment to the cloud. The will will help to avoid HUD’s deepening the technical debt associated with the eventual decommissioning of the Unisys mainframe platform.

About Salient CRGT

Salient CRGT provides agile software development, health, data analytics, mobility, cyber security and infrastructure solutions. We support these core capabilities with full lifecycle IT services and training—to help our customers meet critical goals for pivotal missions.

We are purpose built for IT transformation supporting federal civilian, health, defense, homeland, and intelligence agencies, as well as Fortune 1000 companies. We use the most innovative talent delivery model in the industry, scientifically providing exactly the right people for the customers' most pressing requirements.

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