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.”

Renee Wynn, chief information officer of NASA, said agencies should work with the Office of Management and Budget to come up with policies with regard to mobile communications, FedScoop reported Tuesday.

“OMB is already beginning to think about what policies need to change in order to enable this because otherwise CIOs like myself are going to have to make risk-based decisions that are outside some of the policy frameworks because they don’t match up,” Wynn said Tuesday at an Advanced Technology Academic Research Center event.

She mentioned the Trusted Internet Connections 3.0 guidance and provided updates on the space agency’s mobile priorities including acquisition and mobile security.

A group of cybersecurity experts formed a nonprofit organization to protect U.S. presidential campaigns from foreign interference. U.S. CyberDome will offer cybersecurity services to campaigns for the 2020 presidential elections, the organization said Tuesday.

Jeh Johnson, former secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, chairs CyberDome’s board of advisers. Advisers include James Clapper, former director of national intelligence and a two-time Wash100 Award winner; Michael Morell, former CIA director; Michael Chertoff, former DHS secretary; and Francis Taylor, former undersecretary for intelligence and analysis at DHS.

“All candidates should have the freedom to speak their minds, without fear of retaliation or meddling by a foreign adversary,” said Joseph Drissel, founder of U.S. CyberDome. “We are providing the best protection from the best cyber minds in the country so they can do just that.”