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NASA Awards Contracts for Space Comms & Exploration Tech
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NASA Awards Contracts for Space Comms & Exploration Tech

Intuitive Machines and Aalyria Technologies have received contracts from NASA to conduct studies aimed at advancing space communications and exploration technologies. 

NASA said Tuesday the firm fixed-price, milestone-based contracts, under the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships-2 Broad Agency Announcement Appendix Q, are intended to provide NASA insights into capabilities and technologies commercial communications and navigation providers can offer.

Intuitive Machines has been awarded $647,600 to conduct a study on lunar user terminals and network orchestration. This potential moon surface terminal will be used for exploration and to ensure compatibility with LunaNet service providers.

Aalyria received $393,004 to study the potential of a network orchestration and management system, which is intended to integrate commercial and government service providers into the Near Space Network.

Greg Heckler, new capability lead for the Space Communications and Navigation program, pointed out that the awards are part of NASA’s efforts to build commercial partnerships for high-demand space missions. “Seamless interoperability across networks, from here on Earth to cislunar space, is an essential element of SCaN’s emerging ‘one network’ approach. These awards will move us one step closer to realizing that future.”

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US Partners With Allies on Operational Technology Cybersecurity Guidebook
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US Partners With Allies on Operational Technology Cybersecurity Guidebook

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, National Security Agency, the FBI and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center have collaborated with counterparts in Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea to establish guidelines on creating and maintaining a safe and secure environment for operational technology. 

The 14-page document titled “Principles of Operational Technology Cybersecurity” outlines six principles to help organizations pinpoint business decisions with potential adverse impact on OT cybersecurity, according to CISA, which announced the guidebook’s release on Monday.

One of the principles cited in the guidance covers the supply chain and suggests that it has to be subject to an assurance program encompassing large and small suppliers of equipment and software, vendors and managed service providers.

Another guidebook principle focuses on expanding the internal segmentation and segregation of OT networks from the internet and from IT networks to include connections with outside organizations. 

The Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre authored the guidance, with the co-seals of the U.S. agencies and other partners from the six allied countries.

Join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Homeland Security Summit on Nov. 13 to learn more about technology initiatives and advancements to protect the United States amid the evolving geopolitical landscape.

US Partners With Allies on Operational Technology Cybersecurity Guidebook
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BAE Systems Awarded DARPA Contract for Autonomous Software Communications
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BAE Systems Awarded DARPA Contract for Autonomous Software Communications

BAE Systems has received a $6 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to produce autonomous software capabilities for military communications.

Under Phase 2 of the Mission-Integrated Network Control, or MINC, program, BAE Systems’ Fast Labs research and development unit aims to improve algorithms and software that predict and align network services, the aerospace and security company announced Wednesday.

Brian Decleene, chief scientist at FAST Labs, said, “The technology we are maturing will act as the brains of this highly complex and mission-critical networked communications system.”

MINC is designed to create a system that fosters a secure communication apparatus to aid multi-domain operations. 

“This award allows us to continue our work to deliver the right information to the right user at the right time across multiple domains,” Decleene added. 

BAE Systems will perform the work in Burlington, Massachusetts, and Arlington, Virginia.

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OIG Report Calls on FAS to Scrutinize Pricing When Consolidating MAS Contracts
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OIG Report Calls on FAS to Scrutinize Pricing When Consolidating MAS Contracts

The Federal Acquisition Service should closely scrutinize pricing when consolidating multiple award schedule contracts to secure the lowest cost for government agencies, according to the General Services Administration’s Office of Inspector General.

FAS did not always use the government’s buying power when performing price analyses for MAS contract consolidation processes, the OIG said in a Monday audit report.

After studying 19 consolidated contracts from fiscal year 2022, the office found that FAS’ contract consolidating practice contradicts GSA policy and discourages contracting personnel from fully exercising their responsibilities.

Notably, FAS contracting personnel resorted to pricing comparisons with other government contracts instead of using transactional data reporting when performing price analyses.

The OIG report observed that FAS’ price analyses are inconsistent and ineffective, thus restricting the government’s target of establishing reasonable pricing for products and services under consolidated contracts.

The audit concluded that FAS failed to fully comply with the GSA guidance and federal regulations when carrying out its contract consolidation initiative.

To address the problem, the OIG called on FAS to establish an oversight process for contract consolidation to ensure that agency personnel adhere to GSA policy and assess all supporting contract documents.

The report also urged FAS to revisit previously consolidated MAS contracts to check if their products and services met federal regulations and GSA policy requirements.

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Kathleen Hicks Announces Launch of Defense Security Cooperation Service
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Kathleen Hicks Announces Launch of Defense Security Cooperation Service

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said the establishment of the Defense Security Cooperation Service is one of the results of a tiger-team review aimed at improving the foreign military sales process and other security cooperation efforts.

“Now, the launch of the Defense Security Cooperation Service comes at a pivotal moment for America’s security cooperation enterprise. Because the assistance you provide our allies and partners is more in-demand than ever before,” Hicks said Tuesday during her speech at the Pentagon.

“Why so much demand? It’s because like-minded nations and democracies around the world, from Eastern Europe to the western Pacific, are worried about naked aggression in their own backyards, to an extent that they haven’t contemplated in a long time,” added the 2024 Wash100 awardee.

Federal News Network reported that DSCS will help ensure that security cooperation officers are better prepared to work with allies and partners during the foreign arms transfer process and will provide a range of services, including human resources training, budgeting, policy support and family care.

“Launching the DSCS has been a priority for two reasons. First, it’s a critical pathway to strengthen relationships with allies and partners, which is a key component of our national defense strategy. And second, DSCS will develop a workforce that can adapt to the dynamic geopolitical environment while simultaneously bringing expertise into the security cooperation environment,” said Amanda Dory, acting under secretary of defense for policy.

Register now to attend the Potomac Officers Club’s GovCon International Summit on Oct. 10. Listen to speakers as they discuss how international partnerships, emerging technologies and coalition warfare are reshaping the defense landscape and how the U.S. can stay ahead of the curve.

POC - GovCon International Summit
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PEO EIS Changes Name to PEO Enterprise
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PEO EIS Changes Name to PEO Enterprise

The U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems has changed its name to Program Executive Office Enterprise.

PEO Enterprise said the change became official on Tuesday and was approved on Sept. 4 by Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology Douglas Bush, a 2023 Wash100 Award winner.

The name change aligns with the PEO’s mission of delivering enterprise business offerings that drive U.S. Army dominance. The new name and modernized branding coincide with the organization’s digital transformation initiative.

The rebranding follows the PEO Optimization in October 2023 when the PEO EIS network portfolios were transitioned to other PEOs. This enabled the PEO EIS to focus on mission-critical Army software and new enterprise requirements, including the United Data Reference Architecture.

The new name was first previewed during AFCEA TechNet Augusta in August 2024.

Bill Hepworth, program executive officer of the PEO, noted that simplicity is one of the core pillars of the organization, said, “The new PEO Enterprise branding has been simplified to reflect a more modern, agile organization with a mission that’s broad and flexible enough to include enterprise software and technology services, both now and in the future.”

The organization, known as the Program Executive Office, Standard Army Management Information System when it was established in 1987, changed its name to PEO EIS in 2001.

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Pentagon Issues Instruction on Value Engineering Program
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Pentagon Issues Instruction on Value Engineering Program

The Department of Defense has released a document establishing policy and outlining the authorities for the administration of DOD’s Value Engineering Program.

The latest DOD Instruction took effect Tuesday, Oct. 1, and was approved by Heidi Shyu, DOD’s undersecretary for research and engineering and a 2024 Wash100 awardee.

Value engineering, or VE, allows DOD components to analyze the functions of projects, programs, systems, products and services, among others, and reportedly plays a key role in helping the department meet its mission of providing the military with the equipment and other systems needed to deter war and protect national security.

The issuance states that DOD components should implement a VE program to foster innovation, enhance value and reduce costs over the acquisition and operation life cycle.

A component VE program has two areas: a government-only program using VE proposals to implement changes and a government contractor process that uses contractor-initiated VE change proposals, or VECPs, to implement government-approved changes.

The instruction outlines the responsibilities of the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering—or USD R&E—and DOD component heads, as well as those of the two governance bodies: the department’s VE executive steering group and the VE management advisory group.

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Brian Mazanec on Cybersecurity Division Within HHS Administration
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Brian Mazanec on Cybersecurity Division Within HHS Administration

Brian Mazanec, deputy director for the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response’s Center for Preparedness within the Department of Health and Human Services, said a cybersecurity division within the Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection serves as the focal point for ASPR’s cyber work with the healthcare sector, Federal News Network reported Tuesday.

According to Mazanec, the cyber division has employed an “initial tranche” of federal personnel and incident response is one of its core responsibilities.

For instance, the ASPR team will work with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the FBI to help respond and provide support in the event of a cyber attack on a major hospital.

“We come in and try to understand, well, what are the patient impacts, what systems are down, what things can we offer to potentially help or be monitoring, to maybe take further actions to again, blunt those patient impacts,” the deputy director said.

Mazanec noted that “communication and education” is another key facet of the cyber division within ASPR, which he said is bolstering its proactive outreach efforts on cyber issues within the health sector.

In December 2023, HHS released a concept paper outlining the planned steps to improve cyber resilience and ensure patient safety as part of its cybersecurity strategy for the healthcare sector.

Attend the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Healthcare Summit on Dec. 11, and explore the transformative trends and innovations shaping the future of the U.S. health care sector. Register now!

POC - 2024 Healthcare Summit
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NASA Launches LunaRecycle Challenge for Space Waste Management Innovations
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NASA Launches LunaRecycle Challenge for Space Waste Management Innovations

NASA has launched the LunaRecycle Challenge, a competition aimed at developing possible waste management services for deep space missions.

The agency said Monday interested teams, vying for $3 million in prizes, are expected to develop energy-efficient, low-mass and low-impact recycling systems for turning physical waste streams like food packaging, old clothes and science experiment materials into usable products.

Innovators interested in joining the competition should tackle the following technological needs:

  • Logistics tracking, clothing and trash management for habitation
  • In-space and on-surface manufacturing of parts and products
  • In-space and on-surface manufacturing from recycled and reused materials

The challenge is also intended to support NASA’s initiatives of achieving long-duration human space travel and building a sustained human presence on the Moon.

NASA’s LunaRecycle Challenge features two tracks: the Prototype Build track for developing hardware for recycling solid waste materials on the lunar surface and the Digital Twin Track, which focuses on creating a virtual replica of the recycling system.

Amy Kaminski, program executive for prizes, challenges and crowdsourcing program at NASA, said, “Operating sustainably is an important consideration for NASA as we make discoveries and conduct research both away from home and on Earth.”

Kim Krome, acting program manager for NASA’s Centennial Challenges, added, “We are eager for this challenge to serve as a positive catalyst for bringing the agency and humanity, closer to exploring worlds beyond our own.”

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Deloitte & NASCIO Release 2024 Report on Cyber Threat Landscape
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Deloitte & NASCIO Release 2024 Report on Cyber Threat Landscape

Many state chief information security officers say the increase in sophistication of cybersecurity threats is outpacing the amount of resources states are allocating to address them, according to the 2024 edition of the Deloitte-NASCIO Cybersecurity Study.

Deloitte said Monday that it and the National Association of Chief Information Officers have been conducting the study every two years since 2010 with the aim of updating state leaders concerning the cybersecurity threat landscape. The 2024 study, which was completed this spring, covers input from the CISOs of all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Of the CISOs surveyed, four said less than one percent of their state’s IT budget is allocated for cybersecurity while more than a third said they do not have a budget dedicated specifically for cybersecurity. In contrast, federal agencies allocate over 10 percent of their budgets for that purpose.

CISOs have nevertheless undertaken efforts to mitigate cyber risks, including by onboarding specialists who can focus on cybersecurity-related matters, according to NASCIO Deputy Executive Director Meredith Ward.

“In addition to growing their teams, our research found these leaders are determined to find creative solutions to protect their organizations and the public,” Ward, who co-authored the 2024 report, added.

The same report reveals that many state CISOs have turned to generative artificial intelligence to bolster security operations, even though the same technology is seen as a potential source of threats.

“The attack surface is expanding as state leaders’ reliance on information becomes increasingly central to the operation of government itself, and CISOs have an increasingly challenging mission to make the technology infrastructure resilient against ever-increasing cyber threats,” commented Srini Subramanian, the global government and public services consulting leader at Deloitte and co-author of the 2024 report.

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