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OMB Moves to Reestablish Chief Data Officer Council
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OMB Moves to Reestablish Chief Data Officer Council

The Office of Management and Budget has issued a memorandum to reestablish the Chief Data Officer, or CDO, Council to continue its efforts to enhance the management, protection, dissemination, generation and use of data in government decision-making and operations.

The memo dated Wednesday was signed by OMB Director Shalanda Young.

What Are the Functions of the CDO Council?

According to the document, the council should establish governmentwide best practices for the protection, dissemination, generation and use of data; promote data sharing agreements between agencies; and identify ways in which agencies can improve upon the production of evidence for use in policymaking.

The CDO Council should identify and assess new technologies to improve data collection and use and consult with the public and other stakeholders on how to improve access to the federal government’s data assets.

The council’s executive committee should submit to the OMB director an implementation plan for the re-established organization, including revisions to the June 2020 charter.

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Steven Hernandez Named New CISO, Deputy CIO at USAID
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Steven Hernandez Named New CISO, Deputy CIO at USAID

The U.S. Agency for International Development has appointed Steven Hernandez as its new chief information security officer and deputy chief information officer, bringing over two decades of IT security experience to the post.

In a LinkedIn on Tuesday, Hernandez announced his new government role, serving under current USAID CIO Jason Gray.

Federal IT and Cybersecurity Expertise

Before his new assignment, the new appointee held the same job at the Department of Education, where he managed a billion-dollar IT portfolio for more than seven years. Hernandez has also served as co-chair of the Federal Chief Information Security Officer Council since October 2018.

While serving at the Education Department, the new CISO played a key role in increasing the agency’s Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act rating and achieving cyber excellence. Earlier, Hernandez was the Office of Inspector General CISO at the Department of Health and Human Services, occupying the post for over seven years.

Academic Credentials

Hernandez earned a master’s and bachelor’s degree in business administration, with a focus on information security, from Idaho State University. In December 2019, he completed a certificate in national and international security, international relations and national security studies offered by the Harvard Business School’s Executive Education wing.

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Comments Sought on Proposed Rule on Controlled Unclassified Info
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Comments Sought on Proposed Rule on Controlled Unclassified Info

The Department of Defense, NASA and the General Services Administration have begun soliciting comments on a proposed rule to implement the National Archives and Records Administration’s final rule on the Federal Controlled Unclassified Information Program as it relates to performance under federal contracts.

According to a notice published in Federal Register, public comments on the proposed rule, which was introduced as an amendment to the Federal Acquisition Regulation, are due March 17.

What Is the Purpose of the Proposed Rule?

The proposed policy seeks to introduce a new standard form to establish a uniform process for communicating the information contractors must manage and protect.

The rule identifies responsibilities and roles for agencies and contractors when controlled unclassified information, or CUI, is located on federal information systems within a government facility or resides on or transits through vendors’ data systems.

It also includes two new clauses and a provision to facilitate contractor reporting and compliance responsibilities in federal solicitations and contracts.

Questions for Respondents

DOD, NASA, and GSA are asking commenters about specific situations in which their organizations will be required to report on different timelines to comply with the CUI incident reporting requirements outlined in the proposed rule.

Responders can also provide additional guidance or information they view as necessary to effectively comply with the rule.

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DOE Announces $625M Funding Opportunity for QIS Research Centers
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DOE Announces $625M Funding Opportunity for QIS Research Centers

The Department of Energy’s Office of Science has announced the availability of $625 million in funding to establish national research centers to help accelerate advances in new quantum-based technology platforms to support the development of capabilities in quantum information science, or QIS.

DOE said Tuesday the funding opportunity is open only to the department’s national laboratories.

Pre-proposals are required and are due March 12.

DOE set a June 4 deadline for final proposals.

What Is the Purpose of the National QIS Research Centers?

The proposed National QIS Research Centers will deliver tech prototypes, capabilities, and other breakthroughs that can be further developed into new resources or capabilities in support of the QIS research and development community.

The centers will integrate basic research, engineering, technical development and other innovations in a co-design framework.

Technical Areas of Interest

The centers will focus on several technical areas, including quantum computing and simulation, quantum communications, quantum devices and sensors, quantum foundries and materials, and chemistry for QIS systems and applications.

Each technical area has subtopics. Under quantum communications, subtopics include fundamental limits on information transfer in quantum systems; tools and techniques to address transduction and network integration; and facilities to support network development and testing.

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NASA Launches Science & Technology Moon Mission
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NASA Launches Science & Technology Moon Mission

NASA has launched Blue Ghost Mission 1 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 15. It is expected to land on the Moon on March 2.

Blue Ghost Mission 1 Objectives

The agency said Wednesday the mission, Firefly Aerospace’s first Commercial Lunar Payload Services flight for NASA, is bringing scientific and technology demonstrations to the Moon to gain insights into its environment. The mission also aims to test and assess technologies that will enable Artemis astronauts to land safely on the Moon to conduct lunar exploration. Furthermore, the Blue Ghost mission is meant to determine the possible effects of space weather on Earth.

10 NASA Science and Technology Instruments

NASA intends to evaluate and demonstrate several technologies on the lunar surface. Some of the tests will involve drilling on the Moon’s surface, collecting regolith or lunar rocks and soil samples, using navigation satellite systems, implementing radiation-tolerant computing and mitigating lunar dust.

The 10 NASA payloads included in the mission are:

  • Lunar Instrumentation for Subsurface Thermal Exploration with Rapidity of Texas Tech University 
  • Lunar PlanetVac of Honeybee Robotics  
  • Next Generation Lunar Retroreflector of the University of Maryland
  • Regolith Adherence Characterization of Aegis Aerospace 
  • Radiation Tolerant Computer of Montana State University 
  • Electrodynamic Dust Shield of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center 
  • Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Boston University and Johns Hopkins University 
  • Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder of Southwest Research Institute
  • Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment of NASA Goddard, Italian Space Agency
  • Stereo Camera for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies of NASA’s Langley Research Center 

NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, a 2023 Wash100 Award winner, said “This mission embodies the bold spirit of NASA’s Artemis campaign – a campaign driven by scientific exploration and discovery. Each flight we’re part of is a vital step in the larger blueprint to establish a responsible, sustained human presence at the Moon, Mars and beyond.”

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CISA Playbook Offers New Microsoft Cloud Logs for Cybersecurity
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CISA Playbook Offers New Microsoft Cloud Logs for Cybersecurity

Public and private sector users of the standard Microsoft Purview Audit can now access new logging capabilities designed for cybersecurity through the Microsoft Expanded Cloud Log Implementation Playbook that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released Wednesday. The log capabilities were previously accessible to Audit Premium subscribers only, CISA said.

The guidance was released in partnership with the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of the National Cyber Director and Microsoft, the agency added.

Through the 60-page playbook, users can familiarize themselves with each of the Microsoft cloud security logs introduced in the guidance and their operationalization to support threat detection and incident response. 

Microsoft 365 Logs Navigation

The guidance also provides scenario-based approaches to help analyze the common tactics used in identity theft attempts. In addition, users can learn from the playbook’s best practices on navigating Microsoft 365 logs for their effective use in cyber defense. 

The logging capabilities in the playbook focus on enabling users to perform forensic and compliance reviews by checking critical areas, including sent and accessed mail and search activities in SharePoint Online and Exchange Online.

Cybersecurity Tools and Resources

CISA Director Jen Easterly, a Wash100 awardee, described the playbook as a “valuable resource” and acknowledged the support of Microsoft and government partners in its release. “We are pleased to see this progress and continue work to ensure greater adoption of Secure by Design principles,” she added.

Candice Ling, Microsoft Federal senior vice president and a Wash100 winner as well, noted that the guidebook not only provides tools but also resources for cybersecurity.

“Microsoft remains committed to partnering with the federal government to prioritize security above all else,” she said.

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New Report Tackles Supply Chain Illumination at DOD
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New Report Tackles Supply Chain Illumination at DOD

Since 2022, the Department of Defense has taken multiple steps and made progress in supply chain illumination, or SCI, a process that provides visibility into and transparency regarding the entities, products, parts and raw materials comprising one’s supply chain, according to a report released recently by the Defense Business Board.

Why Is Supply Chain Illumination Necessary?

Such visibility is necessary in light of the complexities of modern supply chains, evolving threats and geopolitical disruptions, the report said. Through supply chain illumination, the DOD can work to identify risks and mitigate them and thereby ensure national security and operational readiness.

Leadership Alignment in SCI

Despite the progress made, six areas remain where the DOD can further improve, according to the report. First, the agency must work to ensure that leaders at all layers incorporate strategic supply chain illumination objectives into their respective operational practices.

Centralizing SCRM Data Management

Second, directives must be updated in order to empower the centralization of supply chain risk management, or SCRM, data governance, management and integration. Decentralization undermines not only supply chain illumination but also the DOD’s ability to generate actionable insights.

Outcome-Driven Approach to SCI

Third, the DOD should shift to a more focused, outcome-driven approach to illumination. The agency’s broad-based approach to enterprise-wide visibility slows down the securing of essential supply chain nodes due to the prioritization of comprehensive datasets over the addressing of critical risks.

Need for Standardization

Fourth, the DOD should establish standardized practices for Digital Bills of Materials and Software Bills of Materials. The lack of such standards undermines the ability to trace suppliers. The agency should also establish a defined technology stack, whose absence slows progress in supply chain modernization and illumination.

Capacity-Building

Fifth, agency expertise and capacity in supply chain illumination techniques and tools must be built up. The same is true for systems integration, advanced analytics and emerging technologies. The shortage of talent in these fields limit the agency’s ability to modernize and deploy modular supply chain technologies.

SCI Vision

Finally, a cohesive long-term vision for supply chain illumination must be formulated. The lack of forward planning for SCI limits the DOD’s ability to adapt to evolving supply chain challenges.

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USAF, Boeing Agree to Accelerate T-7A Aircraft Delivery
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USAF, Boeing Agree to Accelerate T-7A Aircraft Delivery

The U.S. Air Force and Boeing have agreed to update the T-7A Red Hawk acquisition plan to meet the Air Education and Training Command’s operational requirements.

Under the modified agreement, USAF would acquire four production representative test vehicles, or PRTVs, which will be delivered in 2026 and paid for using fiscal year 2025 funds, AETC said Wednesday. The procurement would accelerate AETC’s test plan and curriculum development efforts, advancing its goal to achieve a timely initial operational capability for the Red Hawk aircraft.

To Improve T-7A Manufacturing Readiness

According to Andrew Hunter, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, the PRTV procurement would allow the USAF and Boeing to improve manufacturing readiness and reduce the possibility of costly aircraft retrofits.

“Acquisition programs cannot be stagnant, even when they are fixed-price. This is why I’ve directed the T-7A team to implement updates to reduce risk and increase our confidence in the aircraft design, all to ensure we can deliver the T-7A to the warfighter when needed,” the Wash100 Award winner explained.

Accelerated Procurement Program

The updated acquisition approach would support expanded test capacity for AETC, enabling the command to start its curriculum development activities. The adjustment would also incentivize Boeing to address emergent issues not covered in the original contract and expedite elements of the program.

The Air Force awarded Boeing a contract in 2018 to develop the T-7A and procure 350 operational units of the aircraft. The two parties’ existing acquisition plan supports the purchase of seven production aircraft under the 2025 budget submitted to Congress. The service said it is working with lawmakers on the needed adjustments to the current T-7A budget request to execute the new plan.

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NIST Issues New Document on Mitigating AI Risks
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NIST Issues New Document on Mitigating AI Risks

The U.S. AI Safety Institute within the National Institute of Standards and Technology has published the second public draft of its Managing Misuse Risk for Dual-Use Foundation Models guidelines, which aims to establish best practices for the identification and mitigation of public safety and national security risks associated with artificial intelligence. 

The US AISI said Wednesday that the updated guidelines incorporate feedback from over 70 industry, academic and civil society experts from the document’s first draft issued in July 2024.

New Draft Addresses Dual-Use Foundation Model Misuse Risks

The second draft of the guidelines adds information to support open model developers and identifies vulnerabilities across the AI supply chain. According to the federal group, although the target audience of the guidelines remains to be model developers, the US AISI expanded the document’s scope to include different players within the supply chain. The guidelines now include resources and risk management practices for all aspects of the AI supply chain. 

The updated document also comes with new appendices for measuring and managing chemical, biological and cyber misuse risks. 

In addition, US AISI made clarifications on the meaning and importance of a marginal risk framework for evaluating the potential impact of foundational models. 

Industry stakeholders and experts are encouraged to read the guidelines and submit their comments by March 15. 

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Department of Commerce Invests $70M in MACOM Facilities
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Department of Commerce Invests $70M in MACOM Facilities

The Department of Commerce has invested $70 million in MACOM Technology Solutions to enhance semiconductor supply chain resilience.

MACOM Facilities Expansion and Modernization

The department said Tuesday the two parties have signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms on a proposed CHIPS investment that will provide MACOM with the funds for the expansion and modernization of its facilities in Lowell, Massachusetts and Durham, North Carolina. The project is expected to generate 350 manufacturing and 60 construction jobs.

The facilities, designated by the Department of Defense as Category 1A Trusted Foundries, aims to boost the production of compound semiconductors, particularly 100mm Gallium Nitride and Gallium Arsenide. The proposed project is also intended to enable the facilities to produce 150mm GaN and meet potential domestic demands for radio frequency and microwave GaN technology.

These semiconductor materials are crucial in manufacturing high frequency defense systems such as airborne and ground-based radar, as well as commercial systems like telecommunications.

Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, said “Today’s announcement with MACOM is another example of how CHIPS for America is making targeted and strategic proposed investments across the semiconductor industry.”

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