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DOD Allots $160M More for Microelectronics Hub Investment
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DOD Allots $160M More for Microelectronics Hub Investment

The Department of Defense has added $160 million to the funding for its Microelectronics Commons program implementing the CHIPS and Science Act. Most of the investment — $148 million — has been allocated to the eight universities and research institutions earlier selected as part of the department-supported Microelectronics Commons Hubs, the DOD said Friday.

The hubs, which secured a $238 million total award in their initial launch in September 2023, are focused on building infrastructure, operations support and workforce development, the department added.

New Funding Breakdown

The hubs and their new funding awards are as follows:

  • California Defense Ready Electronics and Microdevices Superhub led by the University of Southern California — $27 million
  • Commercial Leap Ahead for Wide Bandgap Semiconductors Hub led by the North Carolina State University — $23.7 million
  • The Northeast Microelectronics Coalition Hub led by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative — $18.7 million
  • Southwest Advanced Prototyping Hub led by the Arizona board of regents on behalf of Arizona State University — $18.7 million
  • Silicon Crossroads Microelectronics Commons Hub led by the Applied Research Institute in Indiana — $16.6 million.
  • California-Pacific-Northwest AI Hardware Hub led by the board of trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University in California — $15.3 million
  • Midwest Microelectronics Consortium Hub in Ohio — $12.3 million
  • Northeast Regional Defense Technology Hub led by the Research Foundation for the State University of New York — $10.6 million

The DOD is also adding $10 million for a cross-hub enablement solution to enhance the sharing of vital electronic design automation and cloud computing tools.

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GSA Official on How Agency Is Enabling Accelerated Tool Delivery
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GSA Official on How Agency Is Enabling Accelerated Tool Delivery

David Shive, the General Services Administration’s chief information officer, said focusing on the needs of users enabled the agency to deliver new tools to its business units in at least 14 days, Federal News Network reported Thursday.

On the sidelines of the American Council for Technology-Industry Advisory Council’s Imagination conference, Shive shared that GSA’s human-centered design approach has evolved over the last five years, noting that the agency is considering the future needs of users in buying, developing and delivering the capabilities they require.

In an interview during a Federal News Network podcast, the CIO shared that the agency was able to provide new business tools to the Public Bidding Service in a little over 14 days by using low-code or no-code platforms that allow rapid application development. 

Acknowledging that future requirement predictions may not be 100 percent accurate, he said the approach must be combined with agility to respond to unforeseen needs.

Improving Data Management for AI-Related Technology Programs

GSA is continuously improving its technology programs, including by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence. Shive said that enhancing data management is one of his top priorities for 2025, noting how poor data hinders technology programs, particularly those using AI. “If the underlying data is poor and generates all types of hallucinations and problems, then it affects the effectiveness of those spaces,” he explained.

According to the official, he worked with the GSA’s chief data officer to create an enterprise data strategy designed to protect cybersecurity and privacy and achieve good AI outcomes safely and ethically.

“We’re pouring tons of time and attention into that space, so that our agency partners, so that the users within GSA, so that citizens that interact with government through GSA products and services can feel confident about the systems that they’re using, that they’re doing things that they were designed to do and only the things they were designed to do,” Shive said.

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IHS Posts Solicitation for Adverse Event Reporting System
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IHS Posts Solicitation for Adverse Event Reporting System

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Indian Health Service has issued a solicitation for a commercially available off-the-shelf—or COTS—incident reporting and investigation system that can support IHS facility and field operations.

The adverse event reporting system should be open for modifications, must be Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program-certified and can address patient-safety-related and non-patient-safety-related safety incidents, according to a Friday notice posted on SAM.gov.

What IHS Is Looking For

Planned for deployment across the IHS enterprise 24 hours a day and seven days a week, the COTS would be utilized by 1,200 users to investigate incidents. To meet the agency’s requirements, the service provider should possess technical experience and expertise in patient safety, medication errors, occupational safety, physical security and risk management.

The contractor is also expected to provide granular access control to users, ensure 99 percent of system availability, meet federal accessibility requirements and deploy a help desk service with a toll-free number, email address and instant chat functions.

The contract’s work requirements include a one-year base performance period and four one-year option periods. Proposals will be accepted until Nov. 23.

IHS Posts Solicitation for Adverse Event Reporting System

On Dec. 11, join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Healthcare Summit to explore the transformative trends and innovations shaping the future of the healthcare sector. Reserve a spot today!

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Frank Kendall Gives Information Warfare Updates at AFCYBER
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Frank Kendall Gives Information Warfare Updates at AFCYBER

Frank Kendall, secretary of the U.S. Air Force and a 2024 Wash100 awardee, traveled to the Sixteenth Air Force, or Air Forces Cyber, to hear and give updates on the information warfare organization. 

Kendall reportedly held an all-call to answer questions regarding Air Forces Cyber, known as AFCYBER, elevation in response to cyber forces’ impact on gaining an advantage in the Great Power Competition, the Air Force said Thursday. 

“We are in a Great Power Competition and we must treat it very seriously. I do not want to live in a world where we back down. If we don’t prepare ourselves and demonstrate that we’re here to fight, and if we do fight, we’re here to win,” Kendall said.

Air Forces Cyber 

AFCYBER is an information warfare organization that supports the Air Force by implementing capabilities throughout service branches operations, activities and investments. 

During Kendall’s Sixteenth Air Force visit, he witnessed how AFCYBER organizations use distinct systems to counter enemies in the information landscape. The DAF Secretary received mission briefings on the Sixteenth Air Force 616th Operations Center and the 67th and 688th Cyberspace Wing. 

Lt. Gen. Thomas Hensley, Sixteenth Air Forces Cyber commander, said, “Secretary Kendall has the responsibility of overseeing the Department of the Air Force, as well as the Space Force and I think we’re all tracking his top three priorities: China, China, China.”

“Looking at the current strategic environment, and looking at the future strategic environment,” Hensley added, “he has a very aggressive goal based on his vision of reoptimizing the entire Air Force for Great Power Competition.”

As part of Kendall’s plans to reoptimize for Great Power Competition, he believes that advancing cyber systems is the next step in gaining a competitive advantage over adversaries. 

 “At the end of the day what drives the decision is going to be what’s going to make us more competitive, what’s going to put us in a better position to compete with China, not just in near term, but over long-term strategic competition,” noted Kendall.

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TSA Proposes New Cybersecurity Rules
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TSA Proposes New Cybersecurity Rules

The Transportation Security Administration has released a notice of proposed rulemaking aimed at enhancing cybersecurity strategies for surface transportation owners and operators. 

TSA’s Proposed Cybersecurity Rule Changes

The agency said Wednesday the proposal will mandate cyber risk management and reporting requirements for particular surface transportation operators.

Under the proposal, certain pipeline, freight railroad, passenger railroad and rail transit owners and operators are required to establish and maintain a cyber risk management program. The owners and operators of the surface transportation systems also need to report cybersecurity incidents to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency previously, they were only required to report to the TSA. Finally, each high-risk pipeline owner and operator will designate a physical security coordinator to report physical security issues to the TSA.

Performance-Based Cybersecurity Requirements

TSA will continue leveraging performance-based requirements previously issued in 2021 through the annual Security Directives. The potential rule change utilizes the cybersecurity framework developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the cross-sector cybersecurity performance objectives of CISA.

TSA Administrator David Pekoske, stated, “TSA has collaborated closely with its industry partners to increase the cybersecurity resilience of the nation’s critical transportation infrastructure. The requirements in the proposed rule seek to build on this collaborative effort and further strengthen the cybersecurity posture of surface transportation stakeholders.”

Register now to join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Homeland Security Summit and learn more about the country’s most significant threats and what’s being done to thwart them.

TSA Proposes New Cybersecurity Rules
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NSA Releases Trusted Platform Module Usage Guidance
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NSA Releases Trusted Platform Module Usage Guidance

The National Security Agency has recommended using the version 2.0 of Trusted Platform Modules, or TPM, on the Department of Defense’s enterprise infrastructure to defend against malicious actors seeking to steal credentials and stored data.

In a TPM usage guidance NSA released on Thursday, the agency highlighted how the TPM security solution, embedded in most enterprise computing systems, protects encryption keys and passwords and verifies the integrity of operating systems and firmware.

“TPM is a vital component to mitigate vulnerabilities affecting user credentials, boot security, and static data,” said Zachary Blum, an NSA analyst of platform security.

TPMs are required for many devices, particularly those used for protecting user credentials and data at rest, across the DOD as required by the DOD Instruction 8500.01 and the Defense Information Systems Agency’s Security Technical Implementation Guides, or STIGs.

The NSA guidance identifies additional use cases in which TPMs can be integrated, including managing assets, auditing the hardware supply chain and monitoring system integrity.

NSA advises DOD components to integrate TPM into their infrastructure for use cases achievable today to further secure DOD missions. According to the agency, more TPM use cases are expected to become requirements in the future as TPM-supporting technologies mature for more complex use cases.

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NCCoE Seeks Comments on Paper About Hospital-at-Home Cyber Risks
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NCCoE Seeks Comments on Paper About Hospital-at-Home Cyber Risks

The National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence is soliciting public comments on the draft version of National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity White Paper 34, titled, “Mitigating Cybersecurity and Privacy Risks in Telehealth Smart Home Integration.”

Hospital-at-Home Deployments

The paper discusses the cybersecurity risks associated with the various telehealth solutions that come with hospital-at-home, or HaH, deployments, the NIST Computer Security Resource Center said Thursday. HaH refers to a form of telehealth that provides patients with care and monitoring at their place of residence with the help of various medical and communication devices, including hospital-grade tools provided by healthcare delivery organizations—or HDOs—and commercial Internet of Things devices provided by patients, which would operate side by side.

Purpose of the Paper

The paper looks into the risk of attackers targeting a patient’s commercial IoT device or network to infiltrate an HDO’s environment. The paper also offers recommendations to address such risks.

Interested parties have until Jan. 6, 2025, to submit comments.

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GSA Urges Agencies to Acquire LEO Satellite Internet Service
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GSA Urges Agencies to Acquire LEO Satellite Internet Service

The General Services Administration is urging government agencies to consider low Earth orbit satellites, noting they are reliable and affordable connectivity solutions.

Recent innovations have made LEO satellites more accessible, Laura Stanton, assistant commissioner at GSA’s Office of Information Technology Category, said in a blog post on Thursday, adding that the service features faster response times and more dependable data exchange.a

Benefits of LEO Satellites

LEO satellites also offer greater scalability and flexibility, which allow agencies to configure the services based on their requirements to ensure uninterrupted operations. In addition, the service’s affordability and accessibility make it a reliable connectivity solution for agencies operating in remote areas.

According to Stanton, government agencies can acquire LEO or software-defined wide-area network services through GSA’s enterprise infrastructure solutions and multiple award schedule IT contract vehicles. With EIS, customers will enjoy a simplified procurement process and potential savings due to aggregated federal buying and increased competition among suppliers​​​.

Meanwhile, agencies will discover more acquisition options through MAS-IT, thanks to its broad offerings of products and services, including managed network services and cloud-based solutions​​​.

Stanton said that the GSA Federal Acquisition can help the agencies select the best solutions that suit their needs. GSA solutions brokers provide technical support for an efficient procurement process​​​​.

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DLA Aviation Presents Annual Operating Plan for FY25
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DLA Aviation Presents Annual Operating Plan for FY25

Leaders of the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation presented their organization’s annual operating plan, or AOP, for fiscal year 2025 on Tuesday at Defense Supply Center Richmond in Virginia. Brig. Gen. Chad Ellsworth, commander of DLA Aviation, said the plan will keep his team accountable and guide future actions. 

“It won’t just be a plan that goes on the shelf … at any time, we can say this is where we stand,” he told DLA Director Lt. Gen. Mark Simerly and other agency officials. 

DLA regularly reviews the AOP of its major subordinate commands.

DLA Aviation’s Workforce Challenges

During the presentation, Martha Tuck, director of procurement process support at DLA Aviation, discussed the command’s strategy to improve recruitment, retention and training of personnel. 

She shared that the overall attrition rate for the MSC in fiscal year 2024 is 10 percent, which seems good, but about 40 percent of the employees who stepped down from their roles were from the contracting field. Tuck also warned that GS-13 employees are also leaving at a higher rate, with some directorates seeing 30 percent attrition at the GS-13 level. 

Agency-Wide Objectives

As part of his presentation, Ellsworth discussed how the Aviation MSC’s plan complies with the objectives and expected timelines for the agency’s recently released 2025-2030 Strategic Plan. The plan is designed to address military logistics challenges across the land, sea, air, space and cyber domains. 

Simerly noted during Tuesday’s meeting in Virginia that cross-function integration is crucial to meet the objectives of the strategic plan and commended Ellsworth for the detailed presentation. 

“Our necessity to think differently, to act differently and to operate differently is embedded in our strategy,” the agency director commented. 

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MDA Seeks Vendors to Support Radar Surveillance System
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MDA Seeks Vendors to Support Radar Surveillance System

The Missile Defense Agency is conducting market research to identify qualified vendors that can support future requirements of the Army Navy/Transportable Radar Surveillance and Control Model-2 system.

The upcoming MDA requirements include development services, which cover software maintenance and upgrades, system hardware modernization, system engineering, and modeling and simulation, according to a Thursday notice posted on SAM.gov.

The AN/TPY-2, a mobile defense radar system designed to detect, track and intercept ballistic missiles, also requires manufacturing support. They include production components, system engineering, integrated logistics, program management, test functions, radar operations and logistics services, and sustainment engineering services.

Interested parties are invited to submit responses that address all or portions of the specified project requirements. MDA’s Ground Sensors Directorate also calls on businesses to provide recommendations on contracting strategies, such as the potential advantages of offering the opportunity exclusively to small businesses.

Submissions of white papers and capability statements will be accepted no later than Jan. 7, 2025.

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