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Five Eyes Alliance Unveils Secure Innovation Guidance
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Five Eyes Alliance Unveils Secure Innovation Guidance

The members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance have released shared security guidance to help emerging technology companies protect their organizations from national security threats, including those from nation-state actors.

Secure Innovation

The joint security guidance issued by the Five Eyes member countries Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K. and the U.S. seeks to provide the tech sector with recommendations to help startups safeguard their ideas, reputation and future success.

Businesses across all Five Eyes countries can use a set of Secure Innovation resources and related products to safeguard their organizations amid the evolving security threat landscape.

Downloadable resources include documents containing security advice for emerging tech companies and investors, scenarios and mitigating actions, and due diligence guidance.

“The Five Eyes partners face unprecedented threats to our emerging tech ecosystems. So, today we’re arming tech firms across our nations with guidance on how to secure the innovation so critical to our future,” said Mike Casey, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

“This guidance is designed to help tech startups protect their innovation, reputation, and growth, while also helping tech investors fortify their portfolio companies against security risks,” Casey added.

State Dept OKs Swiss $450M Missile Sustainment FMS Request
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State Dept OKs Swiss $450M Missile Sustainment FMS Request

The State Department has approved the foreign military sale request of Switzerland for the purchase of PATRIOT sustainment support and related equipment worth $450 million.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Monday RTX, Lockheed Martin and Leidos will serve as the principal contractors for the potential deal.

The possible deal covers the procurement of five PATRIOT Fire Units and missile inventory, which are intended to strengthen Switzerland’s national and territorial defense and enhance interoperability with U.S. and other European forces.

Switzerland will also acquire non-major defense equipment, or MDE, items, including general electronic test station equipment and program sets, modification and upgrade kits, unclassified and classified repair and return, unclassified and classified spares and classified missile processing. The European country also requested for foreign liaison officer support, field surveillance program, international engineering services, publications and technical documentation, transportation, training and U.S. government and contractor technical, engineering and logistics support services.

Under the proposed deal, 10 contractor representatives will be assigned to Switzerland to provide technical support for an extended period.

The DSCA notified Congress of the potential sale Monday.

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DHA Director Discusses My Military Health, TRICARE Implementation
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DHA Director Discusses My Military Health, TRICARE Implementation

The head of the Defense Health Agency emphasized the importance of improving healthcare delivery to military patients and medical forces at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting. Army Lt. Gen. Telita Crosland, a Wash100 awardee, said at the recent event that she has led efforts at the DHA to utilize the latest technologies to improve healthcare access and convenience. 

“Over the last several years, I’ve had an opportunity as a senior leader to hear from many of you on our health care system and things we can do better,” the agency director shared. “There is a consistent message—we all deserve good care, and we all have an expectation to be met where we’re at.” 

Digital Transformation

One key action that the DHA has undertaken to improve healthcare delivery is the launch of My Military Health, which provides a suite of online applications and tools that aim to improve patient physical and emotional well-being. According to Crosland, the DHA has identified and begun rolling out My Military Health to five locations as part of My Military Health’s pilot testing. 

The agency official revealed that each site has access to three My Military Health capabilities: SilverCloud, a behavioral health platform and a secure video tool for online medical appointments. 

TRICARE Contract Implementation

Crosland also discussed the next-generation TRICARE, or T-5, contract that is set to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025. The DHA director pointed out that the T-5 “has been 10 years in the making” and the agency has made changes to address previous challenges, such as frustration over provider directories. 

The official revealed that T-5 will offer financial incentives to improve the accuracy of provider directories. Moreover, contractors will guide beneficiaries in navigating specialty care referrals.

Hear industry leaders and experts discuss the trends and innovations that are transforming the healthcare sector at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Healthcare Summit on Dec. 11.

DHA Director Discusses My Military Health, TRICARE Implementation
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MRIC Conducts Quick Reaction Assessment
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MRIC Conducts Quick Reaction Assessment

The U.S. Marine Corps’ Medium Range Intercept Capability, or MRIC, conducted a quick reaction assessment, known as a QRA, last month involving Marines from the ­­1st Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion.

The USMC said Monday the QRA supports the service’s initiatives to develop modern capabilities like ground-based air defenses, cruise missile defense, counter-small unmanned aircraft systems and counter-fixed wing and rotary wing to defend against rapidly emerging threats in the modern battlefield. The event marked the first time that the full kill chain was executed by the Marines using MRIC in a realistic operational setting.

During the assessment, the marines were able to set up and operate the MRIC system efficiently and managed to detect, track, assess and target cruise missiles and other targets. The next step is to analyze the data gathered from the QRA with the help of the Marine Corps Operational Test and Evaluation Activity. The data includes system logs, photos and videos of the system performing and feedback from the Marines.

The results of the analysis will determine if the program executive officer will allow the MRIC to be fielded to marine units. A prototype is expected to be deployed by the second or third quarter of fiscal year 2025 to conduct complete training with Marine Corps operators.

Matthew Beck, MRIC product manager, said, “This was an important step towards delivering the much-needed capability to the fleet and we were able to collect critical data points, both qualitative and quantitative, which will continue to enhance the system.”

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NIST Selects 14 Digital Signature Algorithms for PQC Standardization
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NIST Selects 14 Digital Signature Algorithms for PQC Standardization

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has selected 14 candidates to advance to the second round of additional digital signatures for the post-quantum cryptography standardization process.

The advancing digital signature algorithms include CROSS, FAEST, HAWK, LESS, MAYO, Mirath, MQOM, PERK, QR-UOV, RYDE, SDitH, SNOVA, SQIsign and UOV, NIST said Friday.

For winning spots in the second round, the candidates will be allowed to update their encryption algorithms, such as specification adjustments and tweak implementations. During the second phase, the digital signatures will be evaluated and reviewed and the process will run up to 18 months.

The PQC standardization process is part of NIST’s efforts to produce quantum-resistant algorithms that would enhance the security of digital information in the United States. The program started gaining progress in July 2022 with the selection of the first batch of encryption algorithms designed to resist a future quantum computer attack.

NIST intends to integrate the selected digital signature algorithms into its evolving PQC standard, which is set to be finalized in 2024 at the earliest.

Treasury Dept Finalizes Outbound Investment Security Program
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Treasury Dept Finalizes Outbound Investment Security Program

The Department of the Treasury has released a final rule to implement a 2023 executive order that seeks to address U.S. investments in certain national security technologies and products from countries of concern.

Outbound Investment Security Program

The Treasury said Monday the final rule, which will take effect on Jan. 2, establishes a program to prohibit or require notification of certain types of outbound investments by U.S. persons into certain entities with ties to countries of concern.

The newly created Office of Global Transactions within the Treasury’s Office of Investment Security will administer the Outbound Investment Security Program, which will apply the prohibition and notification requirement for products within the semiconductors and microelectronics, quantum information technologies and artificial intelligence sectors that countries of concern may use to threaten U.S. national security.

Final Rule’s Key Elements

The final rule offers details on a U.S. person’s obligations regarding a covered transaction, categories of covered and excepted transactions, technical specifications for certain technologies and products within the three tech areas and information that a U.S. individual is required to submit to the Treasury as part of a notification.

“Artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and quantum technologies are fundamental to the development of the next generation of military, surveillance, intelligence and certain cybersecurity applications like cutting-edge code-breaking computer systems or next generation fighter jets,” said Paul Rosen, assistant secretary of the Treasury for investment security.

“This Final Rule takes targeted and concrete measures to ensure that U.S. investment is not exploited to advance the development of key technologies by those who may use them to threaten our national security,” added Rosen.

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USAF Issues RFI on Satcom Operations Support Services
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USAF Issues RFI on Satcom Operations Support Services

The U.S. Air Force’s Space Acquisitions and Integration Office is conducting market research to determine the standards for its planned Commercial and Military Satellite Communications Operations Support, or COSMOS, contract on non-commercial, non-personal services. 

SAIO is developing the COSMOS award as a follow-on contract for the Wideband Satellite Communications Operations and Technical Support II, or WSOTS II contract, expected to end on Jan. 31, 2027, according to a SAM.gov post.

The new contract will continue the WSOTS II support to the Space Operations Command, 53rd Space Operations Squadron and the Satellite Communications Office. 

L3Harris Technologies holds the current WSOTS II contract with a potential value of $218 million to extend support on such satcom services as planning, management and control. 

The USAF’s request for information includes industry feedback on whether to revise the current contract’s one-year base period and seven one-year options. The RFI also seeks recommendations on the COSMOS contract structure, which under WSOTS II is a cost-plus-fixed-fee for labor and cost reimbursable for travel and other direct costs.

Interested parties will have to submit answers to a questionnaire about their work similar to COSMOS performance work standards under contract for more than $50 million. Other questionnaire subjects include inventory management system capabilities to interface with relevant Department of Defense and Air Force systems.

The deadline for the submission of RFI responses is on Nov. 18.

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Armis Closes $200M Investment, Reaches $4.2B Valuation
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Armis Closes $200M Investment, Reaches $4.2B Valuation

Cyber company Armis has reached a total company valuation of $4.2 billion after closing a $200 million investment round.

With the Series D round of investment, Armis will continue its five-year plan of building a multi-generational cybersecurity company through global go-to-market programs, product innovation and inorganic growth opportunities, Armis announced Monday.

Yevgeny Dibrov, CEO and co-founder of Armis, said, “My Co-founder Nadir Izrael and I are incredibly grateful for the support of General Catalyst and Alkeon Capital as well as Brookfield and Georgian.” 

“Their investment and belief in Armis’ future reflect the strength of our platform and the market need for a comprehensive Cyber Exposure Management platform — from asset management and Cyber-Physical systems security to Remediation of vulnerabilities and issues from IT to cloud and the CI/CD pipeline. We remain confident that this is just the beginning for Armis, and we look forward to delivering on our vision of a safer digital world,” Dibrov added.

Armis’ New Investors

New investors General Catalyst and Alkeon Capital join existing investors, including Insight Partners, CapitalG, Georgian, Brookfield Technology Partners and One Equity Partners. 

Mark Crane, a partner at General Catalyst, and Abhi Arun, a managing partner at Alkeon Capital, expressed their excitement about the investment. 

“We see Armis as a powerful force in cybersecurity, with tremendous potential to scale rapidly and drive meaningful innovation in the industry,” Crane stated. “We are excited to support them on their path to becoming a public company.”

“With a proven track record and rising demand for its solutions, Armis is uniquely positioned to redefine industry standards in the cybersecurity market. We’re excited to collaborate with Armis as it accelerates on its remarkable upward trajectory,” Arun noted.

New Investment Goals for Armis

This new round of funding comes after Armis surpassed the $200 million annual recurring revenue, or ARR, mark, growing ARR by an additional $100 million in less than 18 months. 

Armis is also targeting a future initial public offering, with a set milestone of reaching the $500 million threshold on the journey to $1 billion ARR.

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GovCon Index Slipped Back Into Negative Territory Last Week
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GovCon Index Slipped Back Into Negative Territory Last Week

Executive Mosaic’s GovCon Index closed with an average of $5,491.81 last week, a 2.29% decrease from the previous week that brought an end to a five-week winning streak.

GovCon Index allows users to follow the stock market performance of 30 major government contracting organizations in real-time. With the data it provides, individuals can gain an understanding of the financial status of each tracked company while getting a broader view of key trends shaping today’s GovCon marketplace.

Multiple companies were able to grow last week despite overall losses. Booz Allen Hamilton took the top spot with gains of 9.90%. Palantir (+4.21%) was second in the ranks, and CACI (+2.94%) came in third. Fourth and fifth place were taken by AeroVironment (+1.78%) and L3Harris (+1.59%), respectively.

GovCon Index spent almost all of last week in decline. On Friday, it flipped back into positive territory with a small increase of 0.23%, but was unable to fully recover from its earlier losses.

Check out last week’s market reports to get a closer look at daily GovCon Index performance. To unlock the complete list of tracked organizations, visit  GovConIndex.com.

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OFFP Issues Memo for Contracting Talent Recruitment, Retention
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OFFP Issues Memo for Contracting Talent Recruitment, Retention

The Office of Budget and Management’s Office of Federal Procurement Policy, or OFPP, has issued a memorandum that establishes a blueprint to recruit, develop and retain contracting professionals.

The memo, released on Wednesday, outlines recruitment and retention initiatives, including establishing an acquisition workforce advisory committee, requiring the development of strategic workforce plans at each agency, conducting leadership and soft skills training across the contracting workforce, and helping chief human capital officers and chief financial officers develop strategic workforce plans and retention programs.

Chartered under the Federal Acquisition Institute’s board of directors, the advisory committee will comprise experts and thought leaders from federal agencies to guide efforts to address key issues, share best practices and remove hiring roadblocks.

According to the document, the federal government relies on the contracting workforce to purchase goods and services, making it the most important element of the federal acquisition system. However, the memo cited research stating that the number of early contracting professional careers lags behind the number of early careers for federal professionals. 

Sustaining the acquisition workforce will support the implementation of the OFFP’s Better Contracting Initiative, or BCI, which promotes an enterprise-wide approach to buying common goods and services to get better value from high-risk and other high-priority contracts, among other benefits.

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