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FCC Hosts Communications Sector Security International Gathering
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FCC Hosts Communications Sector Security International Gathering

Representatives from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States convened in Washington on Friday to discuss security threats within the communications sector. The Federal Communications Commission’s Enforcement Bureau, which hosted the meeting at the agency’s headquarters, said attendees committed to increasing cooperation and collaboration and improving the effectiveness of enforcement programs across each nation.

Among the topics explored at the event were supply chain vulnerabilities, data breaches and ways to mitigate national security risks related to communications infrastructure.

The bureau is tasked with the enforcement of the Communications Act and regulating critical infrastructure entities.

International Effort to Secure Communications

In a statement, Loyaan Egal, head of the FCC Enforcement Bureau and the FCC Privacy and Data Protection Task Force, commented that the gathering is a first of its kind and will likely not be the last as threats to the communications sector grow globally.

“The threats facing the communications sector are bountiful and know no territorial boundaries, therefore it is imperative that we work with our closest allies to ensure we are doing everything we can to protect our respective citizens and critical infrastructure,” he said.

The FCC has existing consumer protection partnerships with the United Kingdom Office of Communications and the Information Commissioner’s Office of the United Kingdom, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

The convention is in line with the National Security Memorandum on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience that the White House released in April. The memo recognizes the interconnectedness and interdependencies of critical infrastructure globally, which requires international partnerships to protect assets on which the United States depends on.

Securing Communication Networks

In August, the FCC released a draft of its proposed rules that aims to thwart calls and texts generated by artificial intelligence. According to a notice of proposed rulemaking, organizations behind robocalls and robotexts will be required to disclose the use of AI to create call and message content.

FCC Chairperson Jessica Rosenworcel, a Wash100 awardee, in July put forward new standards designed to protect the nation’s public alert and warning systems against cyberthreats.

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DOD Tests AI Surveillance Algorithm Scylla
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DOD Tests AI Surveillance Algorithm Scylla

The Department of Defense is testing Scylla, an artificial intelligence algorithm designed to locate threats in multi-domain environments.

Using Scylla, the DOD aims to protect the nation’s strategic nuclear capabilities by referencing existing video surveillance footage and drones to identify unknown and external threats, the Pentagon reported Monday.

Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, a 2024 Wash100 awardee, emphasized the benefits of integrating AI technologies like Scylla throughout the military.

“As we’ve focused on integrating AI into our operations responsibly and at speed, our main reason for doing so has been straightforward: because it improves our decision advantage,” Hicks said. “From the standpoint of deterring and defending against aggression, AI-enabled systems can help accelerate the speed of commanders’ decisions and improve the quality and accuracy of those decisions.”  

Scylla Undergoes Tests

During tests led by the Physical Security Enterprise and Analysis Group, or PSEAG, at the Blue Grass Army Depot, Scylla showcased the ability to detect intruders, weapons and abnormal behavior. Chris Willoughby, electronic security systems manager at the Depot and project lead for Scylla, described the intricacies of the capability’s surveillance features. 

“PSEAG is testing, evaluating and training Scylla’s artificial intelligence deep neural machine learning software to detect and classify persons’ features, behavior anomalies, armed and unarmed threats and objects by evaluating video surveillance systems in real-time,” Willoughby stated.

“Scylla test and evaluation has demonstrated a probability of detection above 96 percent accuracy standards, significantly lowering … false alarm rates due to environmental phenomena,” Willoughby added.

Drew Walter, deputy assistant secretary of defense for nuclear matters, also highlighted the technology’s potential for improving the physical security of DOD’s strategic nuclear arsenal.

“The ability to detect and respond to threats swiftly is paramount when dealing with assets critical to deterrence — be they Trident missile submarines, intercontinental ballistic missiles or strategic bombers,” Walter said.  

Furthermore, the department is testing Scylla’s ability to sustain itself in cold weather and maritime environments. In the coming months, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina will host Navy and Marine Corps-led examinations to ensure the capability meets their service-specific protocols.

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IARPA Launches Program to Anonymize Speech
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IARPA Launches Program to Anonymize Speech

The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, the research and development arm of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, has launched a multi-year research initiative to develop methods of altering spontaneous speech in real-time to enhance privacy.

The ODNI said Wednesday the Anonymous Real-Time Speech, or ARTS, program intends to discover ways to anonymize conversational speech to protect the speaker’s privacy. By modifying speech in real-time, the speakers’ identities and conversation can be protected.

IARPA awarded contracts for the ARTS program to Galois, Honeywell, Johns Hopkins University and SRI International, through a competitive broad agency announcement. These organizations will perform research to cover a wide range of objectives. Their research will be tested and evaluated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratory.

The ARTS program is set to run for a period of 36 months. It will focus on the English language at first and eventually expand to include other spoken languages.

Mark Becker, ARTS program manager, pointed out that the manner of speaking is unique to every individual which serves as a powerful identifier.

“With the rise of biometric identification tools, our research seeks to add a critical layer of protection for intelligence officers who are carrying out some of the Intelligence Community’s most sensitive missions,” said Becker.

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TRANSCOM Seeks Bids for Enterprise Architecture, IT & Data IDIQ
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TRANSCOM Seeks Bids for Enterprise Architecture, IT & Data IDIQ

U.S. Transportation Command has started soliciting offers for a potential five-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide enterprise architecture, enterprise data management and IT engineering services for USTRANSCOM and its transportation component commands.

According to a solicitation notice published Thursday, proposals for the Enterprise Architecture, Data and Engineering, or EADE, IDIQ contract are due Dec. 9.

The command will compete the single-award contract as a total small business set-aside program.

EADE IDIQ Contract Scope

The contract’s scope includes operational and system perspectives of command and control, transportation, planning, logistics and business support system domains.

The vendor will also provide data management, prototyping, software development, information support plan development and system administration support that enables enterprise architecture data to reside in all integrated architecture tool suites.

The contract has eight performance areas: contract and program management; enterprise architecture; enterprise data management; enterprise architecture, data and engineering tools; enterprise engineering; information support plan or enhanced information support plan; agile capability development; prototyping and research, development, test and evaluation support.

According to the notice, USTRANSCOM expects the contract’s ordering period to kick off on or around Aug. 14, 2025, and anticipates the task orders’ performance period to begin by Oct. 1, 2025.

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Comments Open on Cybersecurity Supply Chain Risk Management Guide
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Comments Open on Cybersecurity Supply Chain Risk Management Guide

The National Institute of Standards and Technology requests comments on its draft of a quick-start guide on cybersecurity supply chain risk management, or C-SCRM, assessments. The C-SCRM guide was drafted to help organizations undertake the due diligence that would inform them about potential supplier risks before they make procurement decisions, the agency said Wednesday.

The guide’s draft was based on the NIST Special Publication 800-161r1 on C-SCRM practices for supply chain risk identification, assessment and response at all levels.

What’s in the NIST C-SCRM Guide?

The guide presents an implementation-ready, minimally investigative approach to identify the primary risk factors and facilitate rapid turnarounds with limited resources employed. The due diligence research areas that the guide recommends include pre-checks on supply chain tiers, supplier origins, foreign influence, control or ownership and cyber practices.

The NIST guide also suggests the development of a due diligence report template for compiling and verifying research findings and data sources. The deadline for submission of comments on the guide is on Dec.16.

In another move, the General Services Administration issued in February a guide on government contract vehicles that agencies can use to procure C-SCRM tools and advisory services.

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PEO Enterprise Developing AI Tool for Contracting Documents
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PEO Enterprise Developing AI Tool for Contracting Documents

The U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office Enterprise is working with three contractors to create an artificial intelligence tool that can simplify the development of solicitation documents to reduce delays in awarding contracts and delivering capabilities to warfighters.

The contractors were awarded a two-year Small Business Innovation Research Direct-to-Phase II contracts valued at up to $2 million in September after the Army SBIR office agreed to fund PEO Enterprise’s proposed project to address the lengthy time needed to conduct a simple contract action, the U.S. Army said Thursday.

Why Is the AI Tool Needed?

According to Patrick Colleran, chief of the Contracts Management Division at PEO Enterprise, the acquisition requirements package, or ARP, comprising several documents is one cause of delays in the contracting process, noting that contracting teams and requirements developers spent several months reviewing the ARP to ensure there are no inconsistencies in the documents.

SBIR Contract Requirements

Under the SBIR contracts, the awardees must deliver a basic AI capability to guide ARP development and present a sample of an AI-built request for proposal that can be posted on SAM.gov.

While the work is still ongoing, the SBIR office and PEO Enterprise are considering developing a solicitation to create an AI evaluation tool to help humans review contract documents.

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US Investing $100M in AI-Based Semiconductor Manufacturing
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US Investing $100M in AI-Based Semiconductor Manufacturing

The White House has announced a notice of funding opportunity, or NOFO, aimed at boosting semiconductor manufacturing through the use of artificial intelligence and autonomous experimentation technologies.

The Department of Commerce said Wednesday the current administration launched the CHIPS AI/AE for Rapid, Industry-informed Sustainable Semiconductor Materials and Processes program to develop sustainable materials and processes microelectronic components and systems. Interested industry partners will leverage AI to enhance research and development for sustainable materials needed for future semiconductor industry innovations.

The funding opportunity seeks innovations that can be developed and deployed within five years. A total of approximately $100 million in federal funds will be allocated for the project with each awardee potentially receiving $20 to $40 million for their projects.

Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, stated, “Because of the Biden-Harris Administration’s CHIPS and Science Act, we are harnessing new cutting-edge technologies like AI/AE and creating a pipeline from lab to fab to out-run and out-innovate the rest of the world.”

CHIPS for America will host a webinar about the NOFO on Nov. 8 while the CHIPS Research and Development Office will hold a hybrid meeting for potential applicants on Nov. 15.

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Space Force Stands Up New Mission Deltas to Oversee SSA, Missile Tracking
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Space Force Stands Up New Mission Deltas to Oversee SSA, Missile Tracking

The U.S. Space Force has transitioned two Space Deltas to fully integrated Mission Deltas as part of its Unified Mission Readiness concept. The Space Operations Command said Thursday that the new Mission Deltas will improve the service’s readiness posture. 

Mission Delta Roles

The new Mission Deltas consolidate the functions of the units performing crew force operations, cyber defense and intelligence support under the Space Operations Command and Space Systems Command program offices in charge of maintenance, operational enhancements and application-layer software development.

The new units are called Mission Delta 2 – Space Domain Awareness and Mission Delta 4 – Missile Warning and Tracking. They will join MD31 – Navigation Warfare and MD3 – Electromagnetic Warfare, which were formed in late 2023. 

In his speech during the MD’s activation ceremonies, Col. Raj Agrawal, head of Mission Delta 2, emphasized the critical role his team will play to support U.S. and allied interests in case of conflict.

“The activation of a Space Domain Awareness Mission Delta comes at a crucial time as our service increases the intensity of our readiness posture,” he said.

“This change signifies a leap forward in our operational capabilities, integrating intelligence, cyber and sustainment operations into our team,” added Col. Ernest R. Schmitt, commander of Mission Delta 4.

In October, the Space Force also announced the creation of new System Delta units to collaborate with the Mission Deltas on capability development.

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ODNI, DOD Disclose FY24 Appropriated Budget for Intel Programs
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ODNI, DOD Disclose FY24 Appropriated Budget for Intel Programs

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Defense have disclosed the aggregate amount of congressional appropriations for their respective intelligence programs in fiscal year 2024.

ODNI said Thursday Congress appropriated $76.5 billion in FY 2024 funds, including supplemental funding, for the National Intelligence Program, or NIP.

The figure reflects a 6.7 percent increase from the previous year’s topline budget, which was $71.7 billion for FY 2023.

In a separate release published Thursday, DOD disclosed that the total appropriated budget for the FY 2024 Military Intelligence Program, or MIP, was $29.8 billion, up nearly 7 percent from the prior year’s figure of $27.9 billion.

For FY 2025, ODNI is requesting $73.4 billion in funds for the NIP and the Pentagon is seeking a budget of $28.2 billion for the MIP.

About NIP and MIP

NIP includes all projects, programs and activities of the U.S. Intelligence Community and other programs designated jointly by the director of national intelligence, the agency of department or agency and the president.

MIP is focused on intelligence activities carried out by military departments and agencies within DOD that support tactical U.S. military operations.

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Coast Guard Establishes Reserve Units Focused on Cyber
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Coast Guard Establishes Reserve Units Focused on Cyber

The U.S. Coast Guard held a ceremony at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 18 to mark the establishment of Coast Guard Reserve Unit U.S. Cyber Command and 1941 Cyber Protection Team, the service branch’s first two cyber-focused reserve commands. The Coast Guard said Thursday that the two new organizations will work to enhance its network cybersecurity as well as that of the Marine Transportation System, a.k.a. MTS, and integrate into joint cyber operations in line with CYBERCOM.

Coast Guard Reserve Unit U.S. Cyber Command

CGRU USCYBER will operate primarily out of Fort Meade to assist in threat assessment and the protection of systems and networks in addition to other CYBERCOM joint directorates. The unit will be under the command of Capt. Ronzelle Green, who most recently served as reserve chief of staff and senior reserve officer of Coast Guard Atlantic Area.

The unit will have 15 billets to start.

1941 Cyber Protection Team

1941 CPT will initially work to augment and support the Coast Guard’s active-duty cyber protection teams — namely 1790, 2013 and 2003 CPTs — in securing the MTS via threat hunting, incident response and assessments. The team will be under the command of Lt. Cmdr. Nathaniel Toll, who, as a member of Coast Guard Cyber, was in charge of the USCG enterprise cybersecurity operations center. He had also led the establishment of 1790 CPT and 2013 CPT, and after transitioning to reserve duty, helped establish 1941 CPT.

The team will have 39 billets.

Creating Cohesive Cyber Units

Commenting on the newly established units, Lt. Cmdr. Theodore Borny of the Office of Cyberspace Forces said, “Coast Guard Cyber is already benefitting from its reserve members. Formalizing reserves with cyber talent into cohesive units will give us the ability to channel a skillset that is very hard to acquire and retain.”

Coast Guard Establishes Reserve Units Focused on Cyber

Hear from various speakers to learn more about the various security concerns facing the U.S. and what’s being done to address them at the Potomac Officers Club’s Annual Homeland Security Summit, which will take place on Nov. 13.

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