Branko Bokan, an official under the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s cybersecurity division, said the agency is deploying a new approach that uses an adversary viewpoint to address network security issues, Nextgov reported Tuesday.

Bokan noted during an event in Washington, D.C. that the Cybersecurity Architecture Review of the .gov domain, also known as “.govCAR”, was based on a Department of Defense approach and enables the Department of Homeland Security component to identify bad actors’ cyber capabilities by enacting threat-based activities.

“With this methodology, we can put ourselves in the shoes or in the position of an adversary to look at our cyber capabilities,” he said.  “And the first thing we do is enumerate all the threats—all the actual threats that we see in the wild today.”

Bokan’s comments come ahead of CISA’s planned release of a white paper on cybersecurity best practices. According to the report, agencies must implement and integrate mobile threat defense, mobile application vetting and enterprise mobility management to improve their security posture.

Air Force Space Command presented a new enterprise data strategy that organizes and integrates activities across multiple data sources. AFSPC unveiled the new strategy at the command’s Chief Data Office Innovation Summit that took place July 30 to 31 at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado, Patrick AFB said Tuesday.

The summit served as a venue for discussion on strategy’s construction, rationale and potential benefits to the warfighter. The strategy serves as a framework for an integrated, agile data enterprise designed to support space domain awareness and multi-domain missions.

“The strategy will act as a clear roadmap outlining how AFSPC will structure and manage data,” said Maj. Gen. Kimberly Crider, mobilization assistant to the AFSPC commander, who co-hosted the summit.

Mark Brady, AFSPC chief data officer and the event’s other co-host, said his team conducted an assessment to determine the needs across the command’s space operations. The assessment covered 19 sites and found the command lacks an enterprise-level architecture that ties all data together. The strategy aims to address this finding.

Students from the Air University’s Squadron Officer School have recommended potential solutions to the U.S. Air Force’s organizational challenges as part of the school’s redesigned SOS Think Tank elective program. The Air Force said Tuesday that students from the latest batch proposed the use of virtual assistants to train maintenance personnel in handling complex weapon systems and their components.

“We’re now much more selective for both the faculty and the students,” said Lt. Col. Jason Trew, dean of academic affairs at the Squadron Officer School. “Facilitators must have experience with design thinking, and students must be eager to play with wild ideas and do so as a team.”

Another proposal involved implementing artificial intelligence to simplify permanent-change-of-station notifications for service members. The SOS Think Tank elective, which has been in place since 2013, also allows select faculty members to enroll in innovation design courses including those under the Joint Special Operations University and Stanford University.

The Department of Homeland Security’s science and technology directorate has partnered with the Israel government’s Ministry of Public Security to carry out an initiative that seeks to address concerns in maritime and border cargo security. The Low Cost Disposable Electronic Seals Pilot program aims to create technologies that will work to protect cargo shipments from tampering attempts and optimize supply chain security processes, DHS said Tuesday.

DHS and MOPS tapped wireless tracking provider Hi-G-Tek to develop electronic seals that will prevent bypass and detachment activities through the use of radio frequency identification technology. Additionally, the seals can store and communicate customer information to port authorities to confirm if the cargo shipments require inspection.

The team is set to collaborate with Sandia National Labs to assess data from the electronic seals and develop a final report based on the results of the pilot.

The Architect of the Capitol’s inspector general released a report stating that the agency failed to properly oversee an information technology services task order under a blanket purchase agreement. The BPA, which includes orders for app development and engineering support, covers work such as maintenance services, information assurance, network infrastructure management and help desk services.

While AOC awarded the BPA in line with contracting regulations, the agency failed to provide documentation for cost estimates and lacked oversight as well as a quality assurance plan for contractor performance, according to the report.

The IG recommended AOC to establish “effective internal controls” for monitoring contractor performance. The contracting officer must also ensure that program documentation includes evidence that the agency receives supplies and services “at fair and reasonable prices.”