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US, Poland to Further Strengthen Cybersecurity Cooperation
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US, Poland to Further Strengthen Cybersecurity Cooperation

The United States and Poland will further boost their partnership in cybersecurity and emerging technologies under a memorandum of understanding signed between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Polish Ministry of Digital Affairs on Monday. 

The MOU’s focus areas include increasing exchanges in cyber policies and strategies, as well as developing safe and secure artificial intelligence technologies, DHS said Thursday.

DHS entities, such as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Science and Technology Directorate, will contribute to the MOU’s implementation. MDA units, including the Polish national research institute NASK, will also be mobilized in the cooperative agreement. 

Conveying pride on signing the MOU, DHS Undersecretary for Policy Robert Silvers said: “Through our strong public–private partnerships, DHS is the key link domestically for cybersecurity and critical infrastructure, and we’re increasingly becoming that link for global partners facing similar threats.”

In March, DHS announced an agreement with the European Commission’s Directorate General for Communications, Networks, Content and Technology to collaborate on streamlining cyber incident reporting for victim organizations, particularly multinational companies.

The signing of the U.S.-Poland cybersecurity MOU coincided with Monday’s opening of the four-day Counter Ransomware Initiative Summit of nearly 70 countries, which includes 18 new members.

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OMB Memo Promotes Responsible Government AI Procurement
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OMB Memo Promotes Responsible Government AI Procurement

The Office of Management and Budget has issued new guidance directing federal agencies to advance the responsible procurement of artificial intelligence systems.

The White House said Thursday the new memo offers recommendations around three strategic goals as agencies acquire AI technologies: managing AI risks and performance, promoting a competitive AI market with innovative acquisition and ensuring collaboration across the federal government.

The document requires the early involvement of agency privacy officials in the AI procurement process to enable them to identify and manage privacy risks, promotes the use of outcomes-based acquisition techniques and instructs agencies to negotiate contractual requirements to ensure vendors provide sufficient information for them to assess vendor claims and manage risks.

The OMB memo directs agencies to integrate acquisition principles to minimize vendor lock-in when developing contractual requirements and consider transparency and interoperability during market research, development of requirements and vendor evaluation processes.

According to the document, agencies should foster collaboration by prioritizing AI investments that best serve their mission and fostering the adoption of cross-functional best practices.

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JPEO A&A Inaugurates New 155mm Metal Parts Production Facility
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JPEO A&A Inaugurates New 155mm Metal Parts Production Facility

The U.S. Army’s Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition has launched a new 155mm metal parts production facility during a ribbon-cutting ceremony held in Ingersoll, Canada, on Oct. 2.

The Army said the newly commissioned IMT Precision Production Facility, capable of producing 15,000 shell bodies per month, will be operated by the IMT Group.

The new facility will utilize advanced automation, digital data capture and high flexibility in its production lines to produce metal parts for the M795 and the M1128 155mm projectiles.

The Army intends to increase the production of 155mm artillery munitions to 100,000 artillery shots produced per month by fiscal year 2026. To achieve this goal, the service has opened a new metal parts facility in Mesquite, Texas and is on track to unveil three other facilities in Illinois, Florida and Arkansas.

Maj. Gen. John Reim, JPEO Armaments and Ammunition officer, said, “This IMT Precision Facility, with its new and advanced forging, furnaces, non-destructive testing and machining capabilities, is further proof of that progress.”

Cheryl Hacking, CEO of IMT Group, focused on the company’s history of supporting the defense industry. “Our history of service with the defense industry dates back to the First World War. We are proud to be a part of that important history that made us uniquely suited for this project.”

Guests at the ceremony included representatives from both the Canadian and U.S. armies, elected officials from Ingersoll and industry leaders.

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DOJ Announces New Strategy for Combating AI-Enabled Crime
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DOJ Announces New Strategy for Combating AI-Enabled Crime

Nicole Argentieri, the principal deputy assistant attorney general for the Criminal Division within the Justice Department, delivered a keynote speech at the recent Artificial Intelligence in the Department of Justice symposium during which she announced her division’s Strategic Approach to Countering Cybercrime.

The strategic approach forms part of the division’s plan to counter criminal activities enabled by emerging technologies like AI, the DOJ said Thursday.

As part of the strategic approach, Argentieri said her division supports the United Nations Convention on Cybercrime. The convention, which addresses the need for international cooperation to combat cybercrime, was negotiated by the DOJ and interagency partners.

Also as part of the approach, Argentieri said her division will work to foster the responsible use of vulnerability testing and reporting by updating the Vulnerability Disclosure Framework of the computer crime and intellectual property section, a.k.a. CCIPS. The update to the framework also covers the need for security research into AI systems.

The symposium took place on Oct. 2 at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., and was co-sponsored by the DOJ Criminal Division’s CCIPS.

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NSF Selects 7 Projects to Develop Digital Twins for Healthcare
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NSF Selects 7 Projects to Develop Digital Twins for Healthcare

The National Science Foundation has awarded over $6 million in research funding across seven projects to advance digital twin technologies for biomedical applications.

The grants will help develop mathematical models for virtual clinical trials of cardiovascular medical devices and statistical tools for analyzing ethical artificial intelligence use, NSF said Thursday.

The effort will also explore digital twin-based studies of neurodegenerative diseases and AI-informed decision-making linked to glucose metabolism in diabetic people, the agency added.

The fundings are provided through the Foundations for Digital Twins as Catalyzers of Biomedical Technological Innovation program, established to develop digital twin models with AI capabilities.

A collaborative effort involving NSF, the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration, the program also promotes innovations in mathematics, statistics, computational sciences and engineering to support digital twin development.

According to Yulia Gel, program director of the NSF Division of Mathematical Sciences, digital twins can potentially eliminate the medical risks in patient monitoring and treatment.

“Real-world use of these complex models could streamline clinical trials for safer development of drugs and medical devices,” Gel noted.

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Siemens Government Technologies Elevates Aaron Johns to VP of Digital Solutions
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Siemens Government Technologies Elevates Aaron Johns to VP of Digital Solutions

Siemens Government Technologies has elevated Aaron Johns to the company’s vice president of digital solutions.

In his new role, Johns will leverage more than 27 years of digital transformation experience to oversee software and hardware hardware efforts within the Siemens Digital Industries Xcelerator arsenal.

John Ustica, president and CEO of SGT, said, “Aaron possesses a unique ability to effectively bridge complex technologies with easily translatable concepts and real-world challenges for our customers.”

Since joining SGT in 2020, Johns has overseen various software-powered modernization projects for U.S. military clients. Prior to being appointed VP of digital solutions, he served as the director of technical strategy and pre-sales for the unit.

“Recognized for both his technical insights and hands-on approach to digital transformation initiatives for our customers, Aaron will be a tremendous addition to our executive leadership team,” Ustica, a multiple-time Wash100 Award winner, added.

Johns also served as the U.S. Navy technical account manager for Siemens Digital Industries Software. In this position, he targeted Department of Defense’s organic industrial base business and worked to strengthen the supply chain while utilizing engineering, simulation and manufacturing technologies.

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DCSA Adjudication & Vetting Services Transitions to Working Capital Fund Fee-for-Service Program
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DCSA Adjudication & Vetting Services Transitions to Working Capital Fund Fee-for-Service Program

The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency has announced the transition of Adjudication and Vetting Services to a fee-for-service program under DCSA’s Working Capital Fund, providing a full-cost recovery financial operating model designed to improve business efficiency.

DCSA said Tuesday AVS’ transition to WCF, which kicked off on Oct. 1, is expected to improve transparency into validating and tracking service and product-related costs, align customer demand and mitigate budgetary risk due to improved service management.

“It will promote consistent operational and financial processing across the federal government through a unified service approach,” DCSA Financial Operations Chief Jack Jibilian said of the move. “The working capital fund program will provide valuable insights with detailed financial reporting that can reduce our overall program costs.”

DCSA noted that the AVS conversion to WCF supports its efforts to optimize the delivery of personnel security services and products to the Department of Defense and other federal agencies.

In January, Jibilian and his team informed AVS customers of the upcoming changes and offered guidance on the WCF transition.

“The efficiencies of a single WCF model versus multiple ones (general fund and WCF) and its optimization potential will provide us with opportunities to ultimately reduce program costs and avoid new expenses resulting in savings we can pass on to our customers,” Jibilian stated.

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New Bill Seeks to Prevent Delays in Microchip Plant Construction
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New Bill Seeks to Prevent Delays in Microchip Plant Construction

President Joe Biden has signed into law the Building Chips in America Act of 2023, which seeks to simplify the national government’s permitting procedures for microchip manufacturing projects.

The legislation intends to eliminate delays in constructing microchip manufacturing facilities supported by the CHIPS and Science Act, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said in a Wednesday statement.

In a release announcing the enactment, the White House noted that the bill would exempt specific semiconductor production projects from environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.

According to Kelly, the new law will prevent delays in building microchip factories to ensure that semiconductor manufacturing will return to the United States.

The senator added the legislation would support thousands of high-paying jobs and reduce the United States’ “reliance on foreign supply chains for this critical technology.”

Kelly introduced the bill in July 2023 and garnered enough bilateral support from senators for its eventual passage in December.

Last week, the House of Representatives approved the measure, allowing it to reach the president’s desk.

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NASA & DCMA Partner to Advance Remote Verification Technologies
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NASA & DCMA Partner to Advance Remote Verification Technologies

NASA and the Defense Contract Management Agency are adding a new dimension to their collaboration: enhancing remote verification technologies.

DCMA said Wednesday the partnership is meant to streamline operations and leverage expertise from a distance through the adoption of the National Aerospace Standard 413, which provides guidance for implementing remote verification processes.

Todd Outten, a DCMA Center integrator, noted that integrating virtual reality contract administration services through NAS413 will enable warfighters, astronauts and other end-users to capture clear images of defects on their government-delivered assets. This enables them to receive localized advice for tackling the issue.

The Joint Strategic Quality Assurance Council held a demonstration at the Goddard Space Flight Center showcasing the use of virtual reality in conducting remote surveillance. The capabilities exhibited during the event included onscreen overlay and drawing, audio reception, high-resolution video and photo sharing.

Gery Mras, director of lifecycle management at the Aerospace Industries Association, presented the concept of virtual hubs operating under the DCMA that will provide centralized expert support to locations worldwide using advanced visualization technologies.

These hubs will utilize virtual prototype modeling and immersive design centers to facilitate augmented reality collaboration between customers and suppliers.

Craig Bennett, DCMA’s NASA team lead, said, “Model-based quality assurance and acquisition, with VR and artificial intelligence, digital twin, machine learning and modeling tools will serve as the foundation for future partnerships and the achievement of DCMA’s strategic initiatives and future contract deliverables.”

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ODNI & UVa Collaborate to Boost IC’s Use of Emerging Tech
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ODNI & UVa Collaborate to Boost IC’s Use of Emerging Tech

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has partnered with the University of Virginia to boost the use of emerging technologies by the Intelligence Community.

ODNI said Wednesday the collaboration aims to establish the National Security Data and Policy Institute, which will spearhead the utilization of emerging technologies in collecting, analyzing and managing data for the IC’s foreign intelligence mission.

According to Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, a four-time Wash100 Award winner, the partnership will enhance the IC’s ability to identify and leverage open-source data and advanced analytical tools for national security objectives using unclassified information.

“Today, not only is an astounding amount of open-source data available to the public, but various actors, including foreign adversaries, also have access to increasingly advanced analytic tools that rely on, among other things, artificial intelligence, to exploit such information in new ways that exacerbate existing threats such as cybersecurity challenges,” said Haines. 

University of Virginia President Jim Ryan expressed his gratitude for ODNI’s investment in the university.

“It’s an honor to pursue our public service mission by capitalizing on academic strengths from across the University in addressing security and policy challenges that face our nation,” Ryan said.

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