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Dale Cabaniss Steps Down as OPM Director
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Dale Cabaniss Steps Down as OPM Director
Dale Cabaniss
Dale Cabaniss

Dale Cabaniss, director of the Office of Personnel Management, immediately resigned from her post Tuesday, Politico reported.

Michael Rigas, deputy director at OPM, will lead the agency on an interim basis, according to a spokesperson for OPM.

Cabaniss was confirmed by the Senate in September. She previously served as chairwoman of the Federal Labor Relations Authority and spent more than two decades in Senate and civil service roles.

Her resignation comes as OPM works to find ways how to handle the federal workforce as the government deals with the COVID-19 pandemic.

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DARPA Tackles Photonics-Driven Data Processing in New Program
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DARPA Tackles Photonics-Driven Data Processing in New Program
DARPA Tackles Photonics-Driven Data Processing in New Program

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is pursuing an effort to study and develop optical signaling technology for defense use.

DARPA said Monday its Photonics in the Package for Extreme Scalability program aims to produce data transfer technology that keeps up with modern applications.

PIPES would address system architecture and scalability needs in support of commercial and defense applications that require intensive data activity.

The effort would incorporate new high-bandwidth photonics and optical signaling technology into programmable gate arrays and application-specific integrated circuits.

“The integration of photonics within the package will have enormous benefits for commercial and defense applications, but it comes with considerable challenges," said Gordon Keeler, DARPA's program manager for PIPES.

The agency has chosen Sandia National Laboratories; University of California, San Diego; University of California, Santa Barbara; Columbia University; and the University of Pennsylvania to perform work under PIPES.

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NIST Revises Information Security Publication; Ron Ross Quoted
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NIST Revises Information Security Publication; Ron Ross Quoted
Ron Ross
Ron Ross

The National Institute of Standards and Technology wants to update guidance on operational and asset cybersecurity.

NIST said Monday it listed hundreds of system protection measures, services and products in the fifth revision of the publication titled "Security and Privacy Controls for Information Systems and Organizations."

The new revision tackles privacy, supply chain and state-of-the-practice controls.

The agency seeks public feedback as it revises the document after the last update seven years ago. The guidance covers all types of cyber-affected systems including internet of things devices and industrial control systems.

“Our objective is to make the information systems we depend on more resistant to cyberattacks,” said NIST Fellow Ron Ross, who also contributed author duties to the publication.

Interested parties may submit comments on the publication through May 15.

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Air Force Eyes Unified Center for Global Info Warfare Operations
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Air Force Eyes Unified Center for Global Info Warfare Operations
Air Force Eyes Unified Center for Global Info Warfare Operations

The U.S. Air Force plans to stand up an information warfare operations center that will coordinate cyber, weather, electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance activities across 178 global units, C4ISRnet reported Monday.

The new center will combine the functions of the 616th, 624th and 625th Operations Centers and initially process data from units such as the 16th Air Force’s information warfare cell in Texas. The cell handles activities on behalf of the U.S. Cyber Command for European Command.

Col. James Weaver, commander of the 616th Operations Center, told C4ISRnet that the center will serve as a “focal point” for bringing key warfighting capabilities together.

“By working those multidomain operations and converging on problems identified by air components on behalf of combatant commanders, and/or both, we think that we will be able to provide capabilities, options and even maybe expose malign actors influence across the globe as we work,” said Weaver.

 “As we work problems that cross combatant commands, or whether it be Russia or even China in some cases where it crosses combatant commands, we will have a role in deconfliction,” he added.

NASA Picks 4 Astrophysics Research Proposals for ‘Explorers’ Program
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NASA Picks 4 Astrophysics Research Proposals for ‘Explorers’ Program
NASA Picks 4 Astrophysics Research Proposals for 'Explorers' Program

NASA has chosen four astrophysics studies for the Explorers Program meant to support low-cost space access and provide insight into stellar flares, planetary atmosphere, cosmic explosions and the resulting debris.

The agency said Tuesday it selected two studies on ultraviolet flare analysis and spectrometer-based imaging of the Milky Way for the “Small Explorer” increment of the program. Each proposal will receive $2 million to conduct research for nine months.

The second program increment, Missions of Opportunity, will allocate $500,000 to two teams that will work on a nine-month conceptual study.

The first proposal involves UV capabilities and small satellites that visualize gravitational waves from stars, while the second would be sent to the International Space Station to assess gamma-ray phenomena resulting from the death of stars.

"From studying stars and planets outside our solar system to seeking answers to the largest cosmic mysteries, I look forward to the breakthrough science from these modest size missions,” said  Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate.

NASA plans to select two among the four proposals that will become official missions slated for 2025. SMEX costs may reach up to $145 million each, while MO missions may each incur a maximum of $75 million.

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GAO: DoD Needs Redesign Strategy for F-35 Logistics Info System
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GAO: DoD Needs Redesign Strategy for F-35 Logistics Info System

GAO: DoD Needs Redesign Strategy for F-35 Logistics Info System

The Government Accountability Office has discovered that the Department of Defense is yet to establish a strategy for redesigning a logistics system that handles operations and maintenance activities for the F-35 fighter jet.

GAO said in a report published Monday that the Autonomic Logistics Information System⁠—which helps users manage missions, training and maintenance activities⁠—performs well and quickly processes data at the five locations the agency visited.

However, GAO found that ALIS sometimes produces inaccurate and insufficient data that may lead to challenges such as grounding flight-ready aircraft.

According to the watchdog, DoD “has not answered critical questions about the future system” and should establish performance metrics for ALIS as well as methods for determining the impact of system challenges to fleet readiness.

GAO noted that a good program strategy will help DoD “coordinate various ALIS design-improvement initiatives” that could support long-term system modernization efforts.

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William Lietzau to Lead Defense Counterintelligence Security Agency
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William Lietzau to Lead Defense Counterintelligence Security Agency
William Lietzau
William Lietzau

William "Bill" Lietzau, who leads the Department of Defense's Personnel Vetting Transformation Office, has been appointed to serve as director of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency.

Lietzau will succeed Charles Phalen who has been filling the role on an acting basis since 2019, DoD said Monday.

Phalen led National Background Investigations Bureau's transition from the Office of Personnel Management to DCSA.

Lietzau's experience includes work with DoD where he supported implementation of detainee policy and addressed related issues such as law development, arms control, contractor accountability and anti-corruption.

“Bill’s leadership experience within the military, government and industry, combined with his role leading DCSA transformation efforts, make him the ideal candidate to hit the ground running and lead the DCSA,” said Joseph Kernan, undersecretary of defense for intelligence and security.

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PV Puvvada, President of Unisys Federal, Receives Sixth Wash100 Award From Jim Garrettson, CEO of Executive Mosaic
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PV Puvvada, President of Unisys Federal, Receives Sixth Wash100 Award From Jim Garrettson, CEO of Executive Mosaic
PV Puvvada, President of Unisys Federal, Receives Sixth Wash100 Award From Jim Garrettson, CEO of Executive Mosaic

Jim Garrettson, founder and CEO of Executive Mosaic, presented Venkatapathi “PV” Puvvada, president of Unisys Federal, his sixth Wash100 Award as a part of the 2020 selection.

Executive Mosaic recognizes Puvvada for advancing information technology (IT) modernization, cloud and other capabilities for federal agencies while also driving revenue for Unisys.

Under Puvvada’s leadership, the company saw great success and growth by securing contract awards across the sector, including an overall total of $252 million from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) in March 2019 that pushed Puvvada’s missions towards IT and cloud applications. 

In addition, Unisys also received a contract from the VA to provide cloud advisory services to accelerate its transition to the cloud and support the department’s goals of delivering secure digital experiences to benefit the U.S. veteran community. Unisys will apply CloudForte, tailored to VA requirements, to create a strategy that accelerates the secure move of data to the cloud. 

“This series of contract wins highlights the value Unisys is providing to U.S. Federal agencies with best-in-class commercial solutions and deep domain expertise,” said Puvvada. “Unisys is deeply proud of its role in successfully delivering modern digital services that provide better mission outcomes for these agencies and the citizens they serve.”

More recently, Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) has agreed to buy Unisys’ federal business unit for $1.2 billion in cash as of Feb. 6th, 2020. SAIC expects the deal to enhance its capabilities in modernizing IT, cloud migration, managed services, development, security and operations.

Among the benefits that Unisys will gain from the sale, the unfunded pension deficit is expected to be reduced from $1.74 billion as of year-end 2018 to approximately $1.14 billion on a pro forma basis. Unisys will also have the flexibility to make additional discretionary contributions to future funding requirements beyond 2022.

Executive Mosaic congratulates PV Puvvada and Unisys for his 2020 Wash100 Award selection. His continued drive for excellence in the government contracting sector and focus to support federal agencies as they advance IT modernization, cloud and other capabilities while also driving revenue for Unisys. 

About The Wash100

The Wash100 Award, now in its seventh year, recognizes the most influential executives in the GovCon industry as selected by the Executive Mosaic team in tandem with online nominations from the GovCon community. Representing the best of the private and public sector, the winners demonstrate superior leadership, innovation, reliability, achievement and vision.

Visit the Wash100 site to learn about the other 99 winners of the 2020 Wash100 Award. On the site, you can submit your 10 votes for the GovCon executives of consequence that you believe will have the most significant impact in 2020.

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Viasat Adheres to FCC’s “Keep Americans Connected Pledge in Lieu of COVID-19 Outbreak; Mark Dankberg Quoted”
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Viasat Adheres to FCC’s “Keep Americans Connected Pledge in Lieu of COVID-19 Outbreak; Mark Dankberg Quoted”
Viasat Adheres to FCC’s “Keep Americans Connected Pledge in Lieu of COVID-19 Outbreak; Mark Dankberg Quoted"

Viasat Inc. has announced today its commitment to meet the FCC's "Keep Americans Connected" pledge and will work with its residential and small business customers to keep them connected, lessening potential health and economic impacts associated with the coronavirus, the company announced on Monday. 

Mark Dankberg, chairman and CEO of Viasat commented, "We understand this is an extremely unsettling time for many of our customers as the world confronts the threat of COVID-19. Our goal is to help provide internet continuity to all of our customers who count on us to stay connected—whether at home or at work.”

In alignment with the FCC's request to all Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Viasat has pledged for the next 60 days to not terminate service to any residential or small business customers because of their inability to pay their bills due to the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

In addition, the company will waive any late fees that any residential or small business customers incur because of their economic circumstances related to the coronavirus pandemic. Viasat also plans to open its Wi-Fi hotspots, in conjunction with partners, to any American who needs them.

“We are committed to enable our customers to stay informed, productive and connected to friends, family, colleagues and loved ones," added Dankberg. 

About Viasat

Viasat is a global communications company that believes everyone and everything in the world can be connected. For more than 30 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the world communicate. Today, the Company is developing the ultimate global communications network to power high-quality, secure, affordable, fast connections to impact people's lives anywhere they are—on the ground, in the air or at sea.

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How COVID-19 Outbreak Affects DoD CMMC Implementation; Katie Arrington Quoted
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How COVID-19 Outbreak Affects DoD CMMC Implementation; Katie Arrington Quoted
How COVID-19 Outbreak Affects DoD CMMC Implementation; Katie Arrington Quoted

Katie Arrington, 2020 Wash100 Award recipient and the chief information security officer for the Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition, stated that training of third party assessors for the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program was slated to start in mid-April, but the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak may affect the projected implementation. 

"Everything was on schedule; I have no idea how this is going to impact things. I don't know if it will, I don't know if it won't because we were doing online training in some cases," Arrington said. DoD previously said the training would take place from January to June.

Arrington noted that DoD has announced that the department will stay as close to on schedule as possible while respecting health concerns. The training may implement remote training via webinars and live streams. 

The first version of CMMC was released in January with its independently-assembled accreditation body selecting a chair and standing up soon after. The CMMC Accrediting Body is now developing the curriculum for third party assessors and structuring itself to tackle issues surrounding the cyber standards governance and implementation. 

Ellen Lord, DoD's head of acquisition, also warned businesses of people claiming to be CMMC assessors, which have not been finalized. "Moving forward I am confident we will soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Accreditation Body on the accreditation, certification and approval processes relating to the Defense Supply Chain. When that happens we will make an announcement."

That date could be soon, according to Arrington concluded that deliberation had been finalized and the memo is "in queue to be signed" by Lord.

Arrington 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 among other members of the federal sector and industry.

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

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