SBA Deploys Cloud Tech for CDM Pilot Program
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SBA Deploys Cloud Tech for CDM Pilot Program


Jeff Brody

The Small Business Administration has concluded a pilot program to implement continuous diagnostics and mitigation in an effort to improve data security, Federal News Network reported Monday. The program, conducted with the Department of Homeland Security, saw SBA deploy a “dashboard” for visualizing the agency’s networks and potential vulnerabilities.

According to Maria Roat, chief information officer of SBA, the agency’s deployment of cloud technologies, artificial intelligence and machine learning will provide benefits such as predictive capabilities for assessing network activity and a “360-degree view” of SBA customers.

“Enterprise transformation, there’s multiple pieces and parts to it, because it’s not just about putting one tool in place,” she said. “It’s looking at the entire ecosystem of technology, as well as the people and processes to really drive that digital transformation that we are in the midst of.”

SBA is working to implement its 2018 IT workforce strategy and is planning to fund efforts to consolidate its IT service desks, Roat noted.

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S&T-Developed Tech Supports Hurricane Dorian Recovery Operations
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S&T-Developed Tech Supports Hurricane Dorian Recovery Operations


Jeff Brody

The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate deployed various tools based on internet of things and automated technology to help communities impacted by Hurricane Dorian. 

William Bryan, acting undersecratry for science and technology at DHS, wrote in a blog post published Monday that the hurricane warranted a “whole-of-government response” to support emergency response efforts in the Bahamas and prepare coastal communities such as those in Florida and North Carolina.

S&T-developed technologies used during recovery operations include a situational awareness tool for tracking first responders and a hurricane evacuation planning platform that runs on a web interface. The directorate also developed a forecasting tool for coastal flooding and storm surges, IoT-based flood sensors and the Single Automated Business Exchange for Reporting designed to provide real-time information on business disruptions and restoration efforts.

According to Bryan, the tools can be used for a range of future emergency response activities such as locating survivors, coordinating recovery teams and sharing information on hurricane behavior, dam failures and inland flooding.

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New Army-Supported Research Paves Way to Shape-Changing Robotics
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New Army-Supported Research Paves Way to Shape-Changing Robotics


Jeff Brody

Researchers from academia worked with the U.S. Army to create small robots that would join together to form larger structures. The 3D printed robots, known as smart active particles or smarticles, may serve as a stepping stone towards the development of shape-changing, multi-modal systems, the Army said Friday.

“For example, as envisioned by the Army Functional Concept for Maneuver, a robotic swarm may someday be capable of moving to a river and then autonomously forming a structure to span the gap,” said Sam Stanton, program manager for complex dynamics and systems at the Army Research Office.

The smarticle robots feature two flappable arms, motors, limited computing power and simple sensors, and are able to form a combined, moving structure when joined together in a circular confinement. The robots’ combined form, known as a supersmarticle, moves in response to light or sound stimuli via sensors.

“These are very rudimentary robots whose behavior is dominated by mechanics and the laws of physics,” said Dan Goldman, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the effort’s principal investigator.

Goldman’s team from Georgia Tech and Northwestern University published the project’s findings in the Science Robotics journal here.

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NSA Launches 2019 Cyber Competition for Students
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NSA Launches 2019 Cyber Competition for Students


Jeff Brody

The National Security Agency invites undergraduate and graduate students to join this year’s edition of an annual cybersecurity competition. The 2019 Codebreaker Challenge would allow participants to showcase software reverse-engineering, blockchain analysis and other cyber skills in scenarios that resemble real-world cyber terrorism, NSA said Friday.

Participating students would work to reverse-engineer and exploit TerrorTime, an Android messaging app that the challenge’s fictional terrorists use to communicate. Efforts under the challenge would aim to spoof and decrypt messages and enable user masquerades within the app. The challenge is ongoing and will continue to run through Jan. 10, 2020.

“The Codebreaker Challenge closely mirrors the real world scenarios we deal with every day at NSA,” said Eric Bryant, the challenge’s creator. “It gives students the opportunity to test their knowledge, build new skills and develop experience in areas typically not covered by course curricula in cybersecurity,” he added.

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Kshemendra Paul Named VA Chief Data Officer
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Kshemendra Paul Named VA Chief Data Officer


Jeff Brody
Kshemendra Paul

Kshemendra Paul, a more than 14-year information technology veteran in the federal government sector, has been appointed chief data officer and executive director for data governance and analytics at the Department of Veterans Affairs. The department said Monday that Paul will lead business intelligence as well as data governance and analytics operations to help inform decision-making across the VA enterprise.

Previously, Paul worked for the Department of Homeland Security where he served as cloud action officer and led strategy development for information sharing efforts. He held a similar role at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and served in chief architect positions at the Department of Justice and Office of Management and Budget. His appointment comes as part of VA’s efforts to comply with the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018.

“President Trump is delivering on his promises to improve care for our veterans and make government work better for the American people,” noted Robert Wilkie, VA secretary and 2019 Wash100 Award winner. “We will continue to build on this progress by leveraging data as an asset to better deliver the care and services veterans expect and deserve.

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DoD JAIC, NSIN Jointly Host Predictive Maintenance Contest; Jack Shanahan Quoted
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DoD JAIC, NSIN Jointly Host Predictive Maintenance Contest; Jack Shanahan Quoted


Jeff Brody
Jack Shanahan

The Department of Defense’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center and the National Security Innovation Network have partnered to administer a three-day challenge on predictive aircraft maintenance. Over 50 hackers from industry and academia gathered at the Into the Dataverse challenge to employ artificial intelligence in military aircraft maintenance, DoD said Monday.

The challenge took place at the University of Michigan’s School of Aeronautical Engineering. Participants exchanged ideas with DoD representatives to present AI systems that classify and measure maintenance activities, with respect to focus areas of data collection and user interface. A group of officials from government and academia served as judges to evaluate entries based on demonstration level, market viability, validation and potential impact.

“This hackathon brought together a diverse group of incredibly talented and innovative people who, in a very short time, developed and presented creative solutions to a challenging problem,” said Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, JAIC director, 2019 Wash100 Award winner and one of the judges.

Winners secured up to $15,000 in funds to continue development of their entries.

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Raytheon Providing Radar Warning Receivers for U.S. Air Force Tankers; Stefan Baur Quoted
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Raytheon Providing Radar Warning Receivers for U.S. Air Force Tankers; Stefan Baur Quoted


Jeff Brody

Raytheon announced on Tuesday that the company will provide 111 ALR-69A systems, including spares, to outfit the U.S. Air Force’s newest tanker, the KC-46 Pegasus.

ALR-69A – the world’s first all-digital radar warning receiver – alerts tanker aircrews to imminent airborne threats and allows them to take evasive action. To date, 50 ALR-69A systems for the KC-46 have been delivered to Boeing. Raytheon will complete radar warning receiver deliveries by 2025 under the contract with Boeing.

“Today tankers fly closer to the fight than ever before,” said Stefan Baur, vice president of Raytheon Electronic Warfare Systems. “The all-digital ALR-69A receiver warns pilots faster and across greater distances so they can get their job done and return home safely.”

In 2018, the U.S. Air Force awarded Raytheon an IDIQ to outfit their fleet of tactical air and large body aircraft with ALR-69A. Since that award, ALR-69A has gone through significant enhancements, including frequency extensions that detect and identify threats across the spectrum. It is also installed on the U.S. Air Force C-130H and is being tested on the F-16.

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2018 sales of $27 billion and 67,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 97 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5I products and services, sensing, effects and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries.

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Dr. William Vantine of SPA Named GovCon Awards Finalist; Julie Coons Quoted
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Dr. William Vantine of SPA Named GovCon Awards Finalist; Julie Coons Quoted


Jeff Brody

Dr. William Vantine, president and CEO of Systems Planning and Analysis (SPA), was named a finalist in the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the Professional Services Council (PSC) Government Contractor (GovCon) Awards program, SPA announced on Tuesday. 

“I am extremely honored to be named a finalist in the Executive of the Year category,” Dr. Vantine said. “Any success I am recognized for is a direct result of the incredible team we have working at Systems Planning and Analysis, providing critical support to our clients as they make national security decisions every day.”

Presented annually, the purpose of the GovCon Awards is to honor the exceptional work of the leaders and businesses in the region’s government contracting sector and for the second year in a row Dr. Vantine was named a finalist as Executive of the Year for companies with $75 million to $300 million in revenue.

The winners will be named during the 17th annual awards gala on Nov. 6 at the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner, the premier awards event for the Washington area government contracting community.

“The 2019 Greater Washington Government Contractor Award finalists are the pre-eminent leaders in the government contracting community,” said Julie Coons, Northern Virginia Chamber president and CEO. “The selection process is highly competitive, and all finalists should be very proud of this achievement.” 

About SPA:  

Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc. provides timely and objective analysis and integrated technical, operational, programmatic, policy, and business solutions in support of important national objectives.  SPA’s distinguished reputation for over 45 years is based on high caliber work supporting national security and national defense customers.

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Raytheon Developing High-Power Microwave System for U.S. Air Force
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Raytheon Developing High-Power Microwave System for U.S. Air Force


Jeff Brody

Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) will deliver a prototype high-power microwave system for troops overseas under a contract with the U.S. Air Force, the company announced on Tuesday.

Troops will use the HPM system to destroy hostile drones. Raytheon’s HPM system uses directed energy to take down drones. HPM’s wide beam can disable multiple targets at one time. The contract follows a separate Air Force contract in which Raytheon will build two prototype high-energy laser systems, also to be deployed overseas.

“There’s more than one way to defeat a drone,” said Dr. Thomas Bussing, Raytheon Advanced Missile Systems vice president. “We are delivering the world’s first defensive directed energy systems that can be used alone or in tandem to defeat enemy drones at the speed of light.”

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2018 sales of $27 billion and 67,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 97 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5I products and services, sensing, effects, and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries.

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PSC Hosting Webinar on E-Verify Federal Contractor Rule Featuring Wash100 Award Winner David Berteau
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PSC Hosting Webinar on E-Verify Federal Contractor Rule Featuring Wash100 Award Winner David Berteau


Jeff Brody

The Professional Services Council (PSC) will be hosting a webinar on Thursday, Sept. 26th at 8:30 a.m. for a discussion regarding  the E-Verify federal contractor rule and how it applies to the federal contractor community, including subcontractors. Other topics to be discussed include: 

  • What the E-Verify federal contractor rule is;

  • Resources to assist in your employment eligibility verification processes;

  • Real day-to-day examples of the E-Verify process;

  • Answers to participant questions.

David Berteau, president and CEO of PSC and 2019 Wash100 Award recipient, will be featured as a speaker along with Dave Basham, Form I-9 and E-Verify Speaker, USCIS, DHS. 

This webinar is intended for companies who do business with the federal government, but interested media are invited to participate. Please email PSC Media Relations Director Ashlei Stevens to confirm your attendance by 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 25, 2019.

About Professional Services Council: 

PSC is the voice of the government technology and professional services industry. PSC’s more than 400 member companies represent small, medium and large businesses that provide federal agencies with services of all kinds, including information technology, engineering, logistics, facilities management, operations and maintenance, consulting, international development, scientific, social, environmental services, and more. Together, the trade association’s members employ hundreds of thousands of Americans in all 50 states.

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