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Brig. Gen. Douglas Schiess: Patrick AFB Eastern Range to Ramp Up Launch Rate
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Brig. Gen. Douglas Schiess: Patrick AFB Eastern Range to Ramp Up Launch Rate


Jeff Brody
Douglas Schiess

Brig. Gen. Douglas Schiess, director of the Eastern Range at Patrick Air Force Base, said the range is preparing to launch 40 rockets in 2020, Space News reported Wednesday.

The Florida-based range will require the help of commercial launch service providers to reach the of 48 launches yearly, said Schiess, who also commands the U.S. Air Force’s 45th Space Wing. Schiess said he expects 2019 to end with a total of 30 launches at the range; however, the 45th Space Wing faces chances of some delays.

The range would have to change its infrastructure and administrative approaches to pursue more launches and streamline operations, the director said. A new scheduling system would better help launch providers identify optimal lift-off times, Schiess noted.

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Commerce Dept Continues Work on Software Bill of Materials
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Commerce Dept Continues Work on Software Bill of Materials


Jeff Brody

The Department of Commerce has created a Software Bill of Materials that details the origins of components used in developing software for applications such as internet-of-things technology, FCW reported Wednesday.

Allan Freidman, director of cybersecurity at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, said at the Black Hat conference in Las Vegas that the SBOM group is currently working on improving information sharing, identifying trusted sources for data storage and establishing ways to process such information.

Cheri Caddy, director of public-private partnerships at the National Security Agency, noted during a recent Atlantic Council event that vulnerable and risky software can be a major benefit to adversaries and malicious actors.

“The problem is we all make risk decisions on different bases, so what is red flags and alarm bells in the national security community in terms of risk might just yield a shrug from certain private-sector partners,” she added.

Freidman and Caddy’s comments come as the government continues its oush to prohibit products from Chinese telecommunications firms Huawei and ZTE as well as Russian software company Kaspersky.

NNSA Assigns New Consortia Under STEM Program
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NNSA Assigns New Consortia Under STEM Program


Jeff Brody

The National Nuclear Security Administration has assigned 12 schools into four new consortia as part of efforts to expand the Minority Serving Institution Partnership Program.

MSIPP seeks to support tribal colleges, Hispanic-serving institutions and historically black colleges and universities in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics through access at NNSA plants, laboratories and sites, the Department of Energy said Wednesday.

The new consortia will focus on energy sciences, cybersecurity training, additive manufacturing and nuclear security technologies.

“It creates opportunities for students to explore fields that are highly competitive in the job market while also introducing them to the incredible missions of NNSA,” said Frank Lowery, associate administrator for management and budget at NNSA.

Kirstjen Nielsen Joins Nat’l Infrastructure Advisory Council
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Kirstjen Nielsen Joins Nat’l Infrastructure Advisory Council


Jeff Brody
Kirstjen Nielsen

President Trump has appointed former secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen to serve on the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, the White House said Wednesday. Nielsen, a former Wash100 Award recipient, announced her intent to resign as DHS secretary in April.

Kevin McAleenan, who serves as commissioner of DHS’ Customs and Border Protection component and is a fellow Wash100 Award winner, assumed Nielsen’s role on an interim basis.

Prior to her confirmation in 2017, Nielsen served as chief of staff to former DHS Secretary John Kelly and held leadership roles at Suneisis Consulting and Civitas Group LLC. NIAC is comprised of industry and government entities that work to conduct research and develop recommendations on protecting critical infrastructure from physical and cyber threats in line with the president’s goals.

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ViON Named Finalist in the 16th Annual Stevie Awards; Tom Frana Quoted
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ViON Named Finalist in the 16th Annual Stevie Awards; Tom Frana Quoted


Jeff Brody

ViON announced on Thursday that the company has been named a finalist in the 16th Annual Stevie Awards, the worlds’ premier business awards created to honor the achievements of organizations and working professionals worldwide.

“The evolution of the ViON MarketPlace was definitely a team effort led by Elizabeth Anthony, our SVP of Marketing, Andy Flick, who directed our Cloud PMO Development Team and Scott Aukema, who led the digital communications effort,” explained Tom Frana, ViON’s chairman and CEO. 

Finalists were selected based on the average scores of more than 150 professionals worldwide on six specialized juries. Their scores will ultimately determine the Gold, Silver, and Bronze placements of the Finalists and results will be announced on Friday, November 15 in New York City.

ViON is one of six finalists in the category of best new product or service for the ViON MarketPlace, a platform that enables enterprise organizations to access IT solutions as-a-Service via one interface.

The innovative platform reduces complexity and provides a streamlined way for customers to research, procure and manage technology, which accelerates the path to IT modernization in the public and private sectors.

“The team developed the platform with one goal in mind: simplify the customer experience amid the complexity of a rapidly changing IT industry. I am extremely proud of the work they have done to meet the demands of our market at a time when IT modernization is so critical to success and customers are requiring a better experience,” Frana added. 

About ViON Corporation

ViON Corporation is a cloud service provider with over 38 years’ experience designing and delivering enterprise data center solutions for government agencies and commercial businesses. The company provides a large portfolio of IT as-a-Service, including infrastructure, multi-cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. Focused on supporting the customer’s IT modernization requirements, ViON’s Enterprise Cloud is changing cloud management for the market, providing a streamlined platform to audit and control technology in an evolving multi-cloud world.

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DMI Awarded $8M Artificial Intelligence Contract from the U.S. Army; Jay Sunny Bajaj Quoted
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DMI Awarded $8M Artificial Intelligence Contract from the U.S. Army; Jay Sunny Bajaj Quoted


Jeff Brody

Digital Management (DMI) has been awarded an $8 million contract to leverage its AIQUS artificial intelligence and machine learning portfolio to modernize the U.S. Army’s Interactive Personnel Electronic Records Management System, known as iPERMS, DMI announced on Thursday.

DMI will support HRC by leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to scan personnel file metadata, ensuring proper indexing, filing and management of this data, as well as a reduction in errors, within the iPERMS system.

iPERMS is a mission-critical, centralized records management program chartered to redesign the U.S. Army’s business processes surrounding the management of official military personnel records used by commanders and human resource managers for decision-making about soldiers’ continued service and careers.

“We’re thrilled to bring these emerging technologies to the U.S. Army’s HRC office in Fort Knox, Kentucky,” said Jay Sunny Bajaj, founder and CEO of DMI. “We’re actively incorporating our AIQUS portfolio across the full spectrum of DMI solutions for government and commercial clients alike to optimize operations, cut costs and transform business for DMI’s valued customers.”

The iPERMS system houses 250 million personnel file artifacts, such as birth certificates, marriage licenses, college transcripts and deployment orders. Nearly two million artifacts are processed every month.

About DMI 

DMI is a global digital transformation company purpose-built to reinvent business for today’s mobile and connected world. At DMI, we take a human-centric, mobile-first approach to help our clients disrupt their markets and evolve their business models. We’re a new breed of partner that brings together the innovation and design-thinking of a digital agency with the rapid and iterative delivery of a modern IT services partner.

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SAIC Helps Raise Over $205K to Address Food Insecurity; Tom Wofford Quoted
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SAIC Helps Raise Over $205K to Address Food Insecurity; Tom Wofford Quoted


Jeff Brody

Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) partnered with Feeding America to provide meals to people in need, address food waste and promote awareness of the issue of hunger during September’s Hunger Action Month. SAIC raised $205,638 in employee donations and company contributions, or the equivalent of more than two million meals for those in need, SAIC announced on Thursday. 

“Each year, I look forward to Hunger Action Month and the opportunity it brings to serve alongside my SAIC colleagues, raising funds for combating hunger and volunteering across the country. It is inspiring to meet our local partners and learn more about how they are creating more efficient and effective ways to distribute food to people in need,” said Tom Wofford, SAIC senior vice president of Internal Audit and the company’s executive champion for Hunger Action Month.

During the Give A Meal Team Challenge, SAIC employees hosted creative events designed to raise money for Feeding America and increase awareness of hunger in the local communities. Throughout the month, employees wore orange in support of Hunger Action Month while volunteering at local food banks and food pantries, including many that are members of the Feeding America network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs.

About SAIC

SAIC is a premier technology integrator solving our nation’s most complex modernization and readiness challenges. Our robust portfolio of offerings across the defense, space, civilian, and intelligence markets includes high-end solutions in engineering, IT and mission solutions.

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Gen. Paul Nakasone: NSA Cyber Directorate Sets Sights on Defense Industrial Base Security
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Gen. Paul Nakasone: NSA Cyber Directorate Sets Sights on Defense Industrial Base Security


Jeff Brody
Paul Nakasone

Gen. Paul Nakasone, director of the National Security Agency and a 2019 Wash100 Award winner, said one of the first tasks of the new cybersecurity directorate at NSA is to help ensure the security of the defense industrial base and weapons systems amid the increasing threats facing critical infrastructure, Fifth Domain reported Wednesday.

“We must better protect our nation’s advantage and the defense sector from intellectual property theft,” he said Wednesday at the FireEye Cyber Defense Summit in Washington. “This means working closely with the defense industries and those who provide cybersecurity solutions to them.”

Nakasone said the agency can provide assistance in cryptographic materials and codes to protect sensitive government information from cyber threats.

“The new cybersecurity directorate will improve this aspect of NSA’s unique mission with a threat-driven, forward-looking mindset. We’ll be able to harden our defenses, resolve vulnerabilities,” he added.

GSA Completes Phase One of Multiple Award Schedule Consolidation Effort
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GSA Completes Phase One of Multiple Award Schedule Consolidation Effort


Jeff Brody

The General Services Administration has wrapped up the first phase of its Multiple Award Schedules program overhaul plan by reviewing its schedule contracts and reducing the number of special item numbers from more than 900 to approximately 300 SINs, Federal News Network reported Wednesday.

In November 2018, GSA announced its plan to consolidate 24 contract schedules into a single government-wide vehicle to simplify the procurement process for agencies. The initial phase included the development of a process for creating new SIN based on North American Industry Classification System codes.

“If there is a one-to-one relationship and no other SIN is using that NAICS code, that SIN number and the NAICS code will be exactly the same,” said Stephanie Shutt, director of GSA’s MAS program office. She added that the move seeks to help agencies easily find products and services offered by contractors.

The second phase will include the creation of a mass modification for current holders of schedule contracts and is expected to be completed by the end of the quarter. Shutt said phase three is expected to conclude before the end of July 2020 and will ask contract holders how they would like to integrate their schedule contracts.

GSA issued a solicitation for the consolidated schedule on Oct. 1.

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Jose Arrieta on HHS Accelerate, Behavioral-Based Identity for Network Access
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Jose Arrieta on HHS Accelerate, Behavioral-Based Identity for Network Access


Jeff Brody
Jose Arrieta

Jose Arrieta, chief information officer at the Department of Health and Human Services, told Federal Times in an interview published Wednesday about the pilot programs HHS has focused on since he joined the agency and one of those is the HHS Accelerate acquisition portal.

HHS Accelerate aims to use artificial intelligence and blockchain technology to facilitate the contracting process and achieve savings. He said the department wants HHS Accelerate to help reduce the administrative burden on industry partners, empower program managers and create value for contracting professionals.

When asked about his priorities over the next 18 months, Arrieta said he wants to test the integration of the acquisition portal with the financial system and move it to the deployment phase as well as test behavioral-based identity.

“We want to actually test behavioral-based identity at the edge of the network,” Arrieta said. “We’re brainstorming at this moment to figure out how to do that. But I want to be able to use 240 behavioral characteristics about you as an individual in terms of how you use your wireless device or data that’s taken off a wearable and I want to be able to use that to give you access to the network.”

He also mentioned the department’s work on a recurrent neural network focused on processing unstructured text and another one on structured data.

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