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Federal CISO, CDO Councils Unveil Zero Trust Data Security Guide
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Federal CISO, CDO Councils Unveil Zero Trust Data Security Guide

The Federal Chief Information Security Officer, or CISO, Council and the Federal Chief Data Officers, or CDO, Council have issued a document to guide federal agencies as they operationalize data security using a zero trust framework.

“This guide represents insights from agency practitioners who are in the trenches working to implement zero trust and secure their organization’s data,” Kirsten Dalboe, chair of the CDO Council, said in a statement published Thursday.

“We’re building a cooperative relationship between data and cyber to tackle this government-wide challenge and ultimately ensure the public’s data is secured,” added Dalboe, who also serves as CDO for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

More than 30 federal departments and agencies helped create the Federal Zero Trust Data Security Guide.

A working group of security and data experts developed the 42-page document in accordance with an Office of Management and Budget memorandum that seeks to advance the adoption of zero trust cybersecurity principles within the U.S. government.

About the Guide

The document addresses the zero trust data security into three chapters: define the data, secure the data and manage the data.

The second chapter, for instance, discusses the implementation of security monitoring and controls for data and integration of risk management and identity, credential and access management to ensure data security.

The guide also outlines several zero trust data security principles, including adopting a data-centric view, promoting data resiliency and integrity and implementing standardized least privilege and access control.

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DIU Launches TACTILE Program, Demonstrates Capability
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DIU Launches TACTILE Program, Demonstrates Capability

The Defense Innovation Unit has unveiled the Tactical Launch Effort, or TACTILE, program in response to the emerging demand for low-cost, long-range suborbital energetics.

The program is intended to enhance the development of suborbital launch capabilities using technological advancements, DIU said Monday.

Objectives of the TACTILE Program

The TACTILE program is a Department of Defense initiative that aims to accomplish the following goals:

  • Integrate advanced manufactured solid propellant, or AMSP, to the commercial prototype modular launch system as an alternative to liquid and cryogenic rocket fuels
  • Test an AMSP printed motor in a relevant flight environment and assess its scalability and flexibility
  • Develop and evaluate affordable system design capable of high-cadence launches using a commercially available launch service.

TACTILE Program Demonstration

X-Bow Systems, the primary contractor, held a demonstration on Sept. 12 to showcase a 3D-printed AMSP motor. The XB-32 rocket, using the 3D-printed propellant, was launched and reached an altitude of 32,000 feet. It was also able to travel at a speed of Mach 1.2.

The DIU worked with the Space and Missile Defense Command to conduct the launch and evaluate the AMSP-printed rocket motors. The demonstration was focused on the potential of lowering labor expenses, transporting and storing fuel safely and operating efficiently.

Major General Steve Butow, space portfolio director at DIU, stated, “The successful demonstration of 3D-printed propellant through the TACTILE program is a major step forward in delivering low-cost, rapidly deployable suborbital solutions, including in hypersonics.”

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USAF Leaders Discuss Re-optimization for Great Power Competition
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USAF Leaders Discuss Re-optimization for Great Power Competition

U.S. Air Force leaders pushed for re-optimization and structural reorganization to better counter threats, particularly from China, amid the Great Power Competition. 

At the 56th Airlift/Tanker Association Symposium, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, a Wash100 awardee, said the United States must adapt to evolving tactics. 

“For a long time, we’ve been able to operate relatively freely,” he told the audience. “China has, like the Soviet Union, adapted. So must we.” 

Air Force Modernization

The Air Force began the process of reoptimizing for the Great Power Competition in early 2024 with the release of a plan that detailed changes that will enable the service to maintain superiority against adversaries. 

During the symposium, Gen. Johnny Lamontagne, head of the Air Mobility Command, gave an update on the AMC’s structure and capabilities. He shared that the command will review the effectiveness of its employment of aeromedical evacuation and global air mobility support systems. He also revealed that the next iteration of Mobility Guardian, AMC’s flagship exercise, will be held in mid-2025 in the Pacific. 

Meanwhile, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin pointed to the newly established Integrated Capabilities Command as part of the service’s re-optimization initiatives. The ICC will oversee and accelerate force modernization efforts. 

“The ICC will allow us to build one Air Force, one force design, by building the systems first and ensuring different capabilities can be integrated into them,” said Allvin. 

He added that the process would enable the military branch to adapt more quickly. 

David Flosi, chief master sergeant of the Air Force, urged airmen to focus on the mission amid reorganization, adding that mobility forces play a crucial role in rapid global mobility.

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Jennifer Kron on NSA’s Hybrid Compute Initiative
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Jennifer Kron on NSA’s Hybrid Compute Initiative

Jennifer Kron, chief financial manager at the National Security Agency, said NSA’s hybrid cloud environment, also known as the Hybrid Compute Initiative, is now operational and that its goal is “all about finding the right compute solution for each mission, the right option for every distinct problem and for every distinct purpose,” Federal News Network reported Friday.

“This year it went live, and we are deploying mission with our partner,” Kron said of the initiative during a conference on Oct. 29 in Omaha, Nebraska. “That’s our core mission services, our IC GovCloud, which provides hundreds of programs and systems that are used not only by NSA, but across the IC and [the Defense Department].”

In July 2021, Amazon Web Services won a $10 billion cloud computing contract from NSA as part of the agency’s Hybrid Compute Initiative. In 2022, NSA moved to reaward the contract to AWS after it reevaluated bid submissions.

According to FNN, the increasing volume of data has driven NSA to consider and adopt more cloud offerings from commercial sources.

“The long term reasons why we made this shift is the increased reliability, increased performance, ultimate scalability and modularity, the efficiency,” Kron said.

“So there was no way we could get where we needed to go in [signals intelligence] and cyber without those partnerships,” added the former deputy chief information officer at NSA.

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Expected Location Chosen for 2nd CHIPS for America R&D Facility
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Expected Location Chosen for 2nd CHIPS for America R&D Facility

The Department of Commerce and Natcast, operator of the National Semiconductor Technology Center, have introduced the second site of the CHIPS for America research and development hub.

The department said Monday the second facility, the CHIPS for America Design and Collaboration Facility, or DCF, will be built in Sunnydale, California. The DCF is positioned to be instrumental in boosting the government’s semiconductor innovation and collaboration efforts.

CHIPS for America Design and Collaboration Facility

The NSTC facility will be utilized for conducting semiconductor research, particularly in chip design, electronic design automation, chip and system architecture and hardware security. It will also help enhance workforce development, investment and collaboration across the ecosystem.

In addition, the facility is expected to drive collaborations among industry leaders, investors and government partners. The DCF can host gatherings and events where these groups and individuals can interact and forge relationships. NSTC members can also access physical and digital assets in the DCF to develop semiconductor innovation.

Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said the proposed facility in California provides access to research and tools while creating job opportunities.

“The research and development component of the CHIPS and Science Act is fundamental to our long-term national security and ensuring the U.S. remains the most technologically competitive place on earth,” said Raimondo.

The EUV Accelerator, CHIPS for America’s first flagship facility, is located in Albany, New York and was announced earlier this week. The location for the NSTC Prototyping and National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program Advanced Packaging Piloting Facility has yet to be announced.

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House Bill Aims to Eliminate Bias in AI Systems
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House Bill Aims to Eliminate Bias in AI Systems

Democratic lawmakers have proposed legislation seeking to remove bias and discrimination in artificial intelligence and algorithmic systems, particularly those used in critical sectors such as health care, finance and public services.

Introduced by Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., and Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., the Eliminating Bias in Algorithmic Systems Act aims to confront racial and gender discrimination and other unjust treatment of individuals or groups associated with AI-powered systems such as facial recognition, Lee’s office said in a press release on Friday.

Office of Civil Rights Establishment

The proposed law would require the creation of a civil rights office within each government agency tasked with identifying, preventing and addressing algorithmic bias. Every two years, the office would be required to submit a report to Congress that outlines AI systems’ risks and the actions taken to mitigate the risks and recommends related legislative or administrative measures. The Eliminating BIAS Act would also establish an interagency working group that will facilitate AI best practices and coordination across federal agencies to protect civil rights.

“With the Eliminating BIAS Act, we’re demanding transparency, accountability, and protection from technologies that—without oversight—could cause irreversible harm to Black, brown, low-income, and other vulnerable communities,” said Lee.

Mirroring Lee’s statement, Markey said the increasing deployment of AI highlights the need for the federal government to protect the marginalized communities “that have already been facing the greatest consequences from Big Tech’s reckless actions.”

The bill is a companion proposal to the Senate legislation Markey introduced in December.

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CENTCOM CTO Schuyler Moore Stepping Down
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CENTCOM CTO Schuyler Moore Stepping Down

Schuyler Moore is stepping down from her role as chief technology officer of U.S. Central Command to join the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet as an intelligence officer.

In a LinkedIn post published Friday, Moore said CENTCOM will soon announce the next CTO.

In her post, she acknowledged the accomplishments of her CTO team since she joined the command in 2022, including the number of digital exercises, hackathons, innovation competitions, senior digital training offsites and artificial intelligence and counter-unmanned aircraft systems exercises conducted.

The 2024 Wash100 Award recipient thanked the entire CENTCOM “for being excellent partners and teachers as we constantly learned about their work to find technologies that might help.”

“From the headquarters to the Components, we could not have asked for better collaborators. The office looks forward to continuing that partnership and support!” Moore added.

Moore’s Career History

Before joining CENTCOM as its first CTO, Moore was chief strategy officer at Task Force 59 within U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.

She also served as director of science and technology for the Defense Innovation Board, where she offered recommendations on the military uses of AI, biotechnology and cyber capabilities.

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ONC’s Steven Posnack to Keynote 2024 Healthcare Summit
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ONC’s Steven Posnack to Keynote 2024 Healthcare Summit

On Dec. 11, healthcare thought leaders and industry luminaries will gather at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Healthcare Summit to give insight into how digital modernization, IT transformation and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence are reshaping the healthcare sector.

As one of the event’s keynote speakers, Steven Posnack, the principal deputy assistant secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, will share his thoughts on funding opportunities and the recent implementation of health IT in behavioral health. You won’t want to miss out on this conversation, so secure your tickets for the 2024 Healthcare Summit now!

ONC’s Steven Posnack to Keynote 2024 Healthcare Summit

Steven Posnack’s Background 

Posnack’s role as the ONC’s principal deputy assistant secretary involves supporting the national coordinator, facilitating the execution of missions and representing the agency’s interests at the national and international levels. He spearheads ONC’s federal coordination, public and private efforts and the implementation of standard authorities and requirements.

During his more than 15-year tenure with ONC, Posnack has developed initiatives in numerous technology and policy leadership roles, including working as the executive director of the Office of Technology, director of the Office of Standards and Technology, director of the federal policy division and a senior policy analyst.  

Prior to ONC, Posnack served as a systems security intern at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

Posnack’s Work in Behavioral Health

Posnack has supported numerous behavioral health IT programs during his time with the ONC, including the Health Data, Technology and Interoperability: Patient Engagement, Information Sharing and Public Health Interoperability, or HTI-1 and 2, proposed rule and the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement, or TEFCA, released in April. 

He also led the development of the U.S. Core Data for Interoperability task force, a standardized set of health data classes for national interoperable health information exchange. In an interview with GovCIO, Posnack discussed how these programs will transform the healthcare landscape over the next few years. 

“They’ve all been various different puzzle pieces in terms of both establishing new policy and new technical infrastructure advancing some of the standard requirements that we have,” Posnack stated. “One of the big standard baseline increases that we had in the HTI-1 regulation was moving the United States Core Data for Interoperability from version one to version three as of Jan 1. 2026, so that’ll be a new step up for industry.”

ONC’s Steven Posnack to Keynote 2024 Healthcare Summit

Posnack’s Thoughts on AI in Healthcare

With AI becoming increasingly prevalent throughout healthcare services, Posnack also gave his thoughts on the recent surge of the capability throughout the industry and how it will affect healthcare policy.

“We are AI optimists, as our national coordinator would say. So there are a number of federal agencies within HHS that have AI responsibilities or an intersection within their mission,” Posnack said. 

“We’ve included certain regulatory requirements as part of our certification program in our HTI-1 final rule,” Posnack added. “So increasing transparency and understanding the explainability and opportunity for clinical users to get a better sense of these tools that are built into the product that may not necessarily be that easy to figure out what’s going on behind the scenes.”

Steven Posnack to Keynote 2024 Healthcare Summit

Steven Posnack will deliver a keynote address on Dec. 11 to open the 2024 Healthcare Summit. The summit will feature healthcare officials discussing the role of IT and AI in the industry. Secure a seat now before it’s too late!

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Air Force Unveils Squadron Innovation Fund Marketplace
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Air Force Unveils Squadron Innovation Fund Marketplace

The U.S. Air Force has unveiled the Squadron Innovation Fund Marketplace, an initiative intended to enhance the process of funding innovations and nurturing them within the service.

What Is the SIF Marketplace?

The SIF Marketplace is a virtual platform that enables airmen to actively develop ideas to support operations and other processes in the service, the Air Force said Friday. Under the new platform, squadron commanders receive $100 worth of virtual coins that can be allocated to innovative ideas. These virtual funds enable the commanders to have more control over the resources and work with other units to have more resources to fund larger initiatives.

How to Join the SIF Marketplace

Any Air Force member with a promising idea and commanders allocating resources can participate by creating an account on the VISION Joint Innovation System platform to participate in the SIF Marketplace. They can send their proposals any day of the year while funding windows are available every quarter to ensure continuity in providing and receiving support.

An idea or initiative that has been entered into the SIF Marketplace can be seen by commanders and other members of the service. This enables them to learn about the idea and send virtual tokens as support. Interested parties can also track the development of potential projects through the SIF Marketplace.

Senior Master Sgt. Brett Kiser, senior enlisted leader at the Office of Disruptive Thinking, said the SIF Marketplace’s main objective is to create a collaborative system for solving problems at every level of the Air Force.

“One key benefit of the SIF Marketplace is its ability to break down traditional funding barriers, allowing Airmen from different units and MAJCOMs to collaborate and support each other’s initiatives,” Kiser said.

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HHS Needs Funding to Combat Healthcare-Related Cyberattacks
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HHS Needs Funding to Combat Healthcare-Related Cyberattacks

The Department of Health and Human Services is seeking additional funding to achieve the goals under the three remaining pillars of its year-old cybersecurity strategy for the healthcare sector, Federal News Network reported Thursday.

In an interview on the Ask the CIO podcast, Brian Mazanec, the deputy director of the Office of Preparedness in the HHS Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, or ASPR, shared that the agency published healthcare-specific cybersecurity performance goals in January, accomplishing the first pillar of the strategy.

The ASPR is now focused on other strategy priorities: providing resources to incentivize and implement these cybersecurity practices, implementing an HHS-wide strategy to support greater enforcement and accountability, and expanding and maturing a one-stop shop within HHS for healthcare sector cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity Tools and Funding for Healthcare Systems

Mazanec said HHS worked with the White House to include a $1.3 billion funding in the fiscal year 2025 budget request to support a program led by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services aimed at providing cybersecurity resources to the healthcare sector. The deputy director also shared that his office implements a $240 million hospital preparedness program that funds select activities of healthcare coalitions focused on cybersecurity and other preparedness initiatives.

For the development of the healthcare cybersecurity one-stop shop, the ASPR seeks $12 million in additional FY 2025 funding to have more capabilities available for combating cyberattacks.

Cybercriminals Targeting Healthcare Sector

The HHS moves to help the sector defend against cyberthreats amid the increasing cyber incidents targeting the industry. According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, a 128 percent increase in ransomware attacks that targeted the U.S. healthcare sector was seen in 2023, compared to similar incidents in 2022. Globally, ransomware hit 389 healthcare organizations in 2023, higher than the 214 entities recorded in 2022.

Join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Healthcare Summit on Dec. 11 to hear from government and industry leaders about the critical issues in the healthcare sector and the efforts to resolve them.

HHS Needs Funding to Combat Healthcare-Related Cyberattacks

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