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DHS/News
DHS Issues Solicitation for SBIR 20.1; William Bryan Quoted
by Brenda Marie Rivers
Published on December 20, 2019
DHS Issues Solicitation for SBIR 20.1; William Bryan Quoted


William Bryan
William Bryan

The Department of Homeland Security is looking for proposals from small businesses seeking to address the department’s needs in nine technical areas. DHS said Thursday it released its solicitation for the Small Business Innovation Research 20.1 effort on the SAM.gov website.

“I encourage small businesses, women-owned small businesses, and socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses to submit their best innovative proposals for the DHS SBIR Solicitation, so that together we can address critical homeland security technology needs,” said William Bryan, acting DHS undersecretary for science and technology.

Topic areas covered by the solicitation include content analysis technology, sensor data protection, digital paging, security systems for crowded areas, unamnned aerial vehicle tracking,  imaging technology and detection systems for illicit drugs and explosives.

Interested parties may submit proposals until Jan. 22.

Cybersecurity/Executive Moves/News
Jeffrey Voth Named USDA Chief Cybersecurity Architect
by Brenda Marie Rivers
Published on December 20, 2019
Jeffrey Voth Named USDA Chief Cybersecurity Architect


Jeffrey Voth Named USDA Chief Cybersecurity Architect

Jeffrey Voth, former branch chief for cybersecurity, administration and operations at the Department of Agriculture’s forest service, has been promoted to chief cybersecurity architect of the department, G2Xchange ETC reported Thursday. Voth brings over 30 years of systems security experience in the public and private sectors to his new role.

Prior to joining USDA, Voth served as information systems security manager at Tampa, Fla.-based electronics manufacturer Sypris Electronics. He held a similar role at Honeywell and spent time at the U.S. Air Force earlier in his career.

He holds a master’s degree in systems management and information systems from the Florida Institute of Technology, a master’s certification in project management from Villanova University and a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from the University of South Florida.

Executive Moves/News
David Bottom Joins SEC as CIO; Jay Clayton Quoted
by Matthew Nelson
Published on December 20, 2019
David Bottom Joins SEC as CIO; Jay Clayton Quoted


David Bottom
David Bottom

David Bottom, formerly chief information officer at the Department of Homeland Security, has assumed the same role at the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Bottom will manage the security and functionality of SEC’s information technology platforms under his new position, the agency said Thursday.

Prior to his previous capacity, Bottom served as chief data officer at DHS’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis and worked at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency for 10 years.

“David’s substantial experience working with complex information technology systems, including in the intelligence sector, will serve the agency well as we continue to focus on the security and operational effectiveness of our systems at the SEC,” said Jay Clayton, SEC chairman.

DHS/Government Technology/News
DHS Requests for Info on Secret Service IT Sustainment
by Nichols Martin
Published on December 20, 2019
DHS Requests for Info on Secret Service IT Sustainment


DHS Requests for Info on Secret Service IT Sustainment

The Department of Homeland Security seeks sources for information technology operations and sustainment in support of the U.S. Secret Service.

DHS plans to award an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for services to sustain an IT network infrastructure that supports USSS’ investigative and security operations, the department said Wednesday in a SAM.gov notice.

Services under the future contract would cover the operation, maintenance and repair of network, storage, application and database, security and mobility infrastructures.

The contractor would also support data, joint operations and enterprise research innovation centers and other related services.

Interested parties may ask questions through Jan. 7, 2020 and submit requested information through Jan. 14.

Government Technology/News
GAO: NASA Should Document Rationale for Lunar Plans
by Jane Edwards
Published on December 20, 2019
GAO: NASA Should Document Rationale for Lunar Plans


GAO: NASA Should Document Rationale for Lunar Plans

The Government Accountability Office has recommended that NASA come up a document stating its rationale for how it selected its lunar architecture and lunar programs and develop a cost estimate for the moon landing mission in 2024.

“Without a documented rationale, NASA is ill-positioned to effectively communicate its decisions to stakeholders and facilitate a better understanding of its plans,” GAO said in its report published Thursday.

The congressional watchdog also called on NASA to schedule and define reviews that align requirements across lunar programs.

According to the report, the space agency has identified orbiting Gateway platform, human landing system, Orion crew vehicle and Space Launch System as the three systems for the 2024 moon landing. The Gateway program has three components: habitation, power and propulsion and logistics.

GAO made the recommendations after it found lapses in the agency’s efforts, including the lack of cost estimate for the first mission and failure to define reviews to ensure that requirements are align across initiatives.

News
Inspector General’s Office Audits OPM’s FISMA Compliance Efforts
by Jane Edwards
Published on December 20, 2019
Inspector General’s Office Audits OPM’s FISMA Compliance Efforts


Inspector General's Office Audits OPM's FISMA Compliance Efforts

An inspector general report evaluated the Office of Personnel Management’s security program and practices in compliance with the Federal Information Security Modernization Act and offered 47 recommendations to OPM, Nextgov reported Thursday.

Recommendations include assessment of skills gap, testing for data breaches, improvement in security training and recruitment of more information security personnel.

The report also found that OPM faces the risk of not being able to restore information technology systems in the event of another disaster, does not have a list of contractors that have access to the agency’s network and does not require personnel designated to privacy or “significant” security positions to undergo role-based training.

The IG report classified its audit findings and security recommendations for OPM into eight sections: risk management; configuration management; identity, credential and access management; data protection and privacy; security training; information security continuous monitoring; incident response; and contingency planning.

Executive Moves/News
Margie Graves to Step Down as Federal Deputy CIO
by Jane Edwards
Published on December 20, 2019
Margie Graves to Step Down as Federal Deputy CIO


Margie Graves
Margie Graves

Margie Graves, federal deputy chief information officer, is set to step down from her post at the Office of Management and Budget on Dec. 31 to join the private sector, Federal News Network reported Thursday.

“I’m passionate about specific things like data, IT modernization and cybersecurity, and having experiences in those areas, I’ll be able to bring my knowledge and expertise in those areas to the private sector,” Graves told the network in an interview.

She played a role in the development of the Cloud Smart strategy and federal data strategy and implementation of the Modernizing Government Technology Act, according to the report.

Graves previously served as deputy chief information officer and executive director of the enterprise business management office at the Department of Homeland Security.

She spent two decades in the management consulting industry and previously worked at several companies, including Advanced Technology, Technology Applications, A.T. Kearney and Planning and Research. She has experience in systems engineering, mergers and acquisitions, strategic planning, venture capital planning and financial management areas.

News
GAO: FAA Should Improve UAS-Related Cost Procedures
by Brenda Marie Rivers
Published on December 19, 2019
GAO: FAA Should Improve UAS-Related Cost Procedures


GAO: FAA Should Improve UAS-Related Cost Procedures

The Government Accountability Office released a report on Tuesday recommending the Federal Aviation Administration to improve its cost guidance for unmanned aerial system operations. GAO said that FAA should partner with Congress and the Trump administration to establish fee procedures to ensure that drone-related cost data remains accurate and complete.

The watchdog noted that most FAA offices are responsible for both manned and unmanned flight operations, therefore complicating cost-tracking for UAS activities. FAA’s UAS costs are not covered by registration fees the agency has been collecting since 2015, according to GAO.

“Furthermore, FAA’s future costs to conduct oversight and provide air navigation services are largely unknown due to the changing nature of the industry and its early stage of development,” the agency said. “Ensuring that information on UAS-related costs is complete and reliable now could put FAA in a better position to identify those costs as they evolve and possibly expand in the future.”

News
NIST, Army Research Lab Conduct Quantum Computing Experiment
by Brenda Marie Rivers
Published on December 19, 2019
NIST, Army Research Lab Conduct Quantum Computing Experiment


NIST, Army Research Lab Conduct Quantum Computing Experiment

The National Institute of Standards and Technology partnered with the Army Research Lab and University of Maryland to conduct an experiment on quantum interference that could support advanced computing.

NIST said Tuesday that researchers were able to establish an “internet-like” network of photons from processors in different UMD buildings. The interaction of photons may help researchers discover advanced ways of transmitting, storing and processing electrons to enable the handling of information through quantum computing.

As part of the experiment, researchers used infrared light and an optical fiber to facilitate the interaction between photons from distant buildings.

Trey Porto, a researcher for NIST and UMD’s Joint Quantum Institute, said future studies may involve photon entanglement which could lead to information transfer capabilities for quantum computers.

The study’s results have been published in a recent Physical Review Letters issue.

Government Technology/News
Lawmakers Urge HUD to Address Facial Recognition Tech in Public Housing
by Brenda Marie Rivers
Published on December 19, 2019
Lawmakers Urge HUD to Address Facial Recognition Tech in Public Housing


Lawmakers Urge HUD to Address Facial Recognition Tech in Public Housing

Democratic lawmakers are calling on the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide information on its deployment of facial recognition technology and how it ensures that citizens retain their civil rights.

The letter to HUD Secretary Ben Carson sought information on public housing and federally assisted properties, including policies implemented to regulate facial recognition technology and research conducted to support its deployment.

The lawmakers also asked Carson to provide a list of federally assisted properties that deploy facial recognition over the past five years by Jan. 24, 2020.

According to the letter, scientific studies have proven that facial recognition “misidentifies many individuals” and exacerbates risk to vulnerable communities when the data is shared with law enforcement entities.

The letter comes after reports that facial recognition has been installed in public housing units in Detroit and New York. The lawmakers noted that such technologies “could be used to enable invasive, unnecessary and harmful government surveillance of their residents.”

The eight signatories are Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and Edward Markey, D-Mass.; and Reps. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass.

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