OMB Releases Final Draft of Federal Data Strategy
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OMB Releases Final Draft of Federal Data Strategy


OMB Releases Final Draft of Federal Data Strategy

The Office of Management and Budget added four new objectives to the final draft of the Federal Data Strategy that agencies need to meet in 2020, Federal News Network reported Monday.

The four goals are publishing and updating data inventories; launching a Federal Chief Data Officer Council; developing data quality measuring and reporting guidance; and creating a data standards repository.

The final draft also includes two new practices agencies should carry out. These are providing resources to leverage data assets and aligning quality with intended use.

OMB added the new objectives and practices based on feedback from more than 600 stakeholders.

According to the 2020 action plan, OMB has a month to establish a chief data officers council. Agencies have six months to conduct a review of their personnel’s data literacy and data skills and another half a year to come up with a performance plan to address the skills gaps.

OMB released the draft action plan for the Federal Data Strategy in June.

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Navy Dept Blocks TikTok From Mobile Devices
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Navy Dept Blocks TikTok From Mobile Devices


Navy Dept Blocks TikTok From Mobile Devices

The Department of the Navy is prohibiting its members from using the TikTok video app on government-provided mobile devices due to the app’s potential to threaten cybersecurity, Reuters reported Saturday.

The U.S. Navy said in social media that it would block devices containing TikTok from the Navy Marine Corps Intranet that provides DON information technology services.

Commercial apps are generally eligible for use in government-issued devices, but DON would sometimes consider blocking apps that pose threats to cybersecurity, said a Navy spokesperson.

The ban follows a previous case where the U.S. Army directed cadets to not use TikTok due to a concern on the app’s use in the service’s recruiting activities, the report noted.

China-based firm ByteDance owns and operates TikTok, an entertainment mobile app that allows users to create short-form videos.

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CISA Opens Internet Security Guide Draft to Public
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CISA Opens Internet Security Guide Draft to Public


CISA Opens Internet Security Guide Draft to Public

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has released the draft of an updated internet security guide that was shaped with respect to the progression of technology.

The new Trusted Internet Connections 3.0 draft takes cloud computing, mobile device and encryption standards into consideration, Matt Hartman, director of network resilience at CISA, said in a blog post published Friday.

The draft features five different parts: program guidebook, reference architecture, security capabilities handbook, use case handbook and service provider overlay handbook.

The first section describes the TIC program’s modernized form and the second section provides guidance on internet security implementation.

The third highlights TIC-related security applications and the fourth lists down technical requirements for different use cases. The final part correlates different service provider functions with TIC applications.

Interested parties may submit comments on the draft to CISA or GitHub from Dec. 23 through Jan. 31. CISA will also host webinars to inform interested parties during this period.

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GAO: DHS Should Develop Program Oversight Process
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GAO: DHS Should Develop Program Oversight Process


GAO: DHS Should Develop Program Oversight Process

The Government Accountability Office has advised the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to build an oversight process that can validate if program objectives are met and updated in line with the agency’s Schedule Assessment Guide.

GAO added that the DHS secretary should drive the undersecretary of the department to modify the schedule development guidance within the Systems Engineering Life Cycle Guidebook to clarify that an integrated management schedule has to be used as a basis in the creation of schedule goals, the government watchdog said Thursday.

The agency found that 25 out of 27 DHS programs were carried out on schedule and have met cost requirements in August. However, the report cited that some of these programs may not meet their objectives in the future.

“Traceability, which is called for in DHS policy and GAO scheduling best practices, helps ensure that program goals are aligned with program execution plans, and that a program’s various stakeholders have an accurate and consistent understanding of those plans and goals,” said GAO.

According to GAO, DHS seeks to invest over $10B in various procurement initiatives to reinforce the performance of missions.

Air Force’s KC-46A Tanker Conducts First Global Flight
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Air Force’s KC-46A Tanker Conducts First Global Flight


Air Force's KC-46A Tanker Conducts First Global Flight

The U.S. Air Force’s Boeing-built KC-46A Pegasus has completed a seven-leg journey around the world as part of the tanker’s initial operational test and evaluation phase which began in October.

The service branch said Sunday the 22nd Air Refueling Wing finished the refueling aircraft’s first global flight after 13 days, including a few stops at a U.K. air force base as well as the 2019 Dubai Air Show.

Fourteen crew members from the 22nd ARW traveled to RAF Mildenhall in England before heading to the United Arab Emirates to debut the tanker’s static display and weapon systems at the 2019 DAS.

Col. Thad Middleton, commander of the 22nd Operations Group, said the flight provided “invaluable training” for crews in oceanic procedures, dynamic mission planning and unfamiliar airfield operations.

“Missions like this are instrumental in helping our Airmen work through the challenges we’ve experienced with the KC-46 program,” added Col. Richard Tanner, commander of the 22nd ARW. “The operational experience our crews gained during this around-the-globe trip will pay long-term dividends as the Pegasus becomes a significant portion of our Air Force’s future tanker fleet.”

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Air Force, Army, Navy Conduct Joint Demo of Advanced Battle Management System
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Air Force, Army, Navy Conduct Joint Demo of Advanced Battle Management System


Air Force, Army, Navy Conduct Joint Demo of Advanced Battle Management System

The U.S. Air Force, Army and Navy held a three-day joint exercise to demonstrate the capabilities of a suite of tools designed to augment situational awareness capabilities.

The service branches employed the Advanced Battle Management System and the Joint All-Domain Command and Control approach in response to a cruise missile attack simulated by a QF-16 Full Scale Aerial Target, USAF said Friday.

The JADC2 approach will enable the U.S. military and its allies to conduct missions within land, air, space and cyber domains. The Air Force noted a tool within ABMS will simultaneously receive, incorporate and manage large volumes of data to help achieve the approach.

“In order to develop the right capability that the operator needs at speed, we partner with combatant commanders every four months to ensure that what we are building addresses the array of challenges presented by the National Defense Strategy across the globe,” said Preston Dunlap, chief architect at the Air Force.

USAF eyes to conduct joint exercises every four months to address the results of each demonstration.

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Senate OKs Bill to Address Automatic Scam Calls; John Thune Quoted
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Senate OKs Bill to Address Automatic Scam Calls; John Thune Quoted


John Thune
John Thune

The Senate has passed a bill that aims to address bot-generated scam calls, following the House’s earlier approval, Stateline reported Friday.

The Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence or TRACED Act would direct service providers to block these calls without mandating additional charges.

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said scammers cause businesses to pay large fines. State lawyers attribute a large fraction of complaints to these scam calls.

State-level laws have not been able to completely address this issue due to calls originating from outside the state, the report noted.

Congress will send the TRACED Act bill to President Donald Trump for signing.

US, Japan Sign Joint Quantum Science R&D Agreement
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US, Japan Sign Joint Quantum Science R&D Agreement


US, Japan Sign Joint Quantum Science R&D Agreement

The U.S. has entered into an agreement with Japan to promote collaborative research and development activities on quantum information science.

The U.S. Embassy in Japan said Thursday the agreement will support joint R&D efforts and promote international conferences and other events related to the development of next-generation information science capabilities.

In a separate statement, the Japanese state department said that the resulting activities would support the use of quantum information science and technology to develop supercomputers, sensors and communication systems.

Research activities would focus on promoting QIST studies, expanding the QIST field through personnel exchanges and developing advanced tools for various applications encompassing verification, validation and characterization.

Both countries will also work to promote multidisciplinary research and the sharing of research methodologies to help inform decisions involving international policies.

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DoD Creates Space Force; Mark Esper Quoted
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DoD Creates Space Force; Mark Esper Quoted


Mark Esper
Mark Esper

President Trump has authorized the establishment of the U.S. Space Force as the sixth service branch as stated in the fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, the Department of Defense said Friday.

Gen. Jay Raymond, chief of space operations and commander of the U.S. Space Command, said Space Force’s creation will support the command as it seeks to exploit the space domain. Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett added that the new military branch will “singularly focus on protecting our U.S. national interests and security in space.”

“In military operations, space is not just a place from which we support combat operations in other domains, but a warfighting domain in and of itself,” said Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “Our adversaries are building and deploying capabilities to threaten us, so we can no longer take space for granted.”

According to Defense Secretary and 2019 Wash100 winner Mark Esper, Space Force will address emerging threats in a space environment and ensure the nation’s capacity to “deter aggression, defend our national interests and outpace potential adversaries.”

In a memo dated Dec. 20, Esper noted that Space Force will “organize, train, and equip military and civilian personnel to maintain freedom of operation in, from, and to space.” The Department of Defense will also transfer all space missions, capabilities and relevant personnel from across the service branches to Space Force.

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DynCorp Earns Record $6.9B Backlog, New Awards in 2019; George Krivo Quoted
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DynCorp Earns Record $6.9B Backlog, New Awards in 2019; George Krivo Quoted


DynCorp Earns Record $6.9B Backlog, New Awards in 2019; George Krivo Quoted

DynCorp International (DI) achieved a record backlog of $6.9 billion in the third quarter of 2019 while also expanding its customer base and securing new awards. 

“A successful year starts with winning new business and I am especially pleased with all of our wins this year,” said George Krivo, chief executive officer.  “We also refinanced, paid down company debt to the lowest level since the Cerberus acquisition, and importantly, had $6.9 billion in backlog at the close of Q3 – by far the highest number I have seen for that indicator in my ten years with DI.” 

Significant contract wins for the company included both Aviation Field Maintenance contracts for the U.S. Army, one in the East Region and one in the West Region; a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) contract to provide National Aviation Maintenance and Logistics Services; a U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command contract for Aviation Command and Control Operations and Maintenance Services; a U.S. Army contract to provide Maintenance, Logistics, and On-the-Job Training for the Peshmerga Military; the Naval District Washington Base Operations Support Services contract; and the Security Ministries of Afghanistan program.

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