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DHS’ Benson Macon Discusses New Cybersecurity R&D Program
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DHS’ Benson Macon Discusses New Cybersecurity R&D Program

The Department of Homeland Security is working to defend U.S. cybersecurity through a research and development program called the Cyber Analytics and Platform Capabilities research initiative, according to Benson Macon. The initiative aims to support the defense of U.S. cyber and physical infrastructure through the development of various technologies and curriculums, Macon, a program manager in the DHS Science and Technology Directorate’s Office of Mission & Capability Support, said in an article published Tuesday on the DHS S&T website.

Initiative Collaborators

The CAPC initiative focuses on four primary areas, namely: cyber risk analysis, the automated analysis of malware and software vulnerabilities, R&D gap analysis and cloud telemetry analysis. The initiative involves the collaboration of various academic, private and government partners, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the National Nuclear Security Administration and the National Security Agency.

Ongoing CAPC Work

Work under the CAPC is already ongoing. This past spring, the initiative held a two-day technical exchange where participants sought to discuss inventions and research trends in various areas, including cybersecurity, training and data analytics. Publications will be released that summarize the best practices and lessons learned that emerged from the event.

The initiative is also running two research projects. The first, titled Fleet Vehicle Cybersecurity Research, seeks to identify cybersecurity gaps affecting the IT systems and networks enabling the fleet of vehicles operated by the U.S. Secret Service. The project also seeks to develop training and tools that will help safeguard the vehicles and their operators.

The second research project, titled Cybersecurity Training for Law Enforcement, seeks to determine the impact of cyber threats to Internet of Things devices and machine learning tools on the capabilities of first responders, particularly those working on federal criminal investigations. The results of the research project will be used to enhance law enforcement cybersecurity training curricula.

DHS' Benson Macon Discusses New Cybersecurity R&D Program

Hear from various speakers to learn more about the various security concerns facing the U.S. and what’s being done to address them at the Potomac Officers Club’s Annual Homeland Security Summit, which will take place on Nov. 13. Register now to attend this important event!

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OMB Seeks Input on Protection for Commercially Available Info
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OMB Seeks Input on Protection for Commercially Available Info

The Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, or OIRA, is soliciting public input on issues and concerns arising from government collection, use and sharing of commercially available data with personally identifiable information. 

The research is in accordance with President Joe Biden’s executive order on the safe, secure and trustworthy development and use of artificial intelligence that seeks to mitigate potential risks in the collection or use of individual information through AI, the OMB said Tuesday.

The office noted the lack of transparency on the volume of sensitive data when third parties are tapped for commercially available information with personal identification. 

During a White House roundtable on data broker practices in August 2023, participants revealed ways by which data brokers gather detailed personal data even without the subjects’ consent, the OMB also said.

Public input on OIRA’s request for information will support the OMB’s continuing efforts on AI risk mitigation through privacy guardrails and other safety standards.

The office, in pursuing Biden’s EO on agency management of AI risks, earlier issued an RFI on privacy impact assessments, as well as a memorandum on responsible AI acquisition in government.

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Army Unveils Generative AI Pilot Program
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Army Unveils Generative AI Pilot Program

The U.S. Army has introduced a pilot program that seeks to explore generative artificial intelligence and its potential applications in supporting the military branch’s acquisition activities.

The Army said Tuesday the program will use LIGER, a generative AI tool that delivers tailored responses and improves the efficiency of information retrieval and analysis.

“By utilizing LIGER, we aim to streamline our acquisition processes while enhancing the accuracy of information,” said Jennifer Swanson, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for data, engineering and software.

“The ability to query curated document sets for generating new content, along with providing citations, will ensure that our outputs are not only accurate but also easily fact-checked,” she added.

In September, LMI launched the LIGER platform to help federal agencies streamline government operations and provide them with actionable insights and recommendations to address complex challenges.

Generative AI Pilot Program’s Objectives

The pilot program aims to streamline access to critical data relevant to acquisition activities using LIGER, facilitate collaboration to promote sharing of best practices and insights regarding AI integration and improve accuracy by ensuring the verifiability and integrity of generated content.

The initiative includes the use of customizable user-access controls to safeguard “need to know” information and will focus on identifying erroneous outputs or “hallucinations” to strengthen the reliability of AI-generated content.

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DOD Issues Updated Space Policy
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DOD Issues Updated Space Policy

The Department of Defense has released an updated directive establishing policy and assigning responsibilities for DOD space-related activities in accordance with several strategies and policies, including the National Space Policy, the U.S. Space Priorities Framework and the National Cislusnar Science and Technology Strategy.

The updated DOD Space Policy, which took effect Tuesday, recognizes space as a priority domain of national military power, protects and defends the use of space for U.S. national security purposes, promotes long-term sustainability of the space environment and enhances the department’s partnership with the Intelligence Community to strengthen unity of effort and enhance the effectiveness of space operations. 

The document highlights the need to improve intelligence, space domain awareness and command and control capabilities, expand intelligence support in coordination with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, integrate space into national, joint and combined operations and shape the strategic environment to improve deterrence and stability in the space domain.

The directive also outlines the space-related duties and responsibilities of several DOD officials, including the assistant secretary of defense for space policy, director of the Defense Technology Security Administration, defense under secretaries for acquisition and sustainment and research and engineering and director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Kathleen Hicks, deputy DOD secretary and a 2024 Wash100 awardee, approved the space policy document.

The policy is an update to the directive issued in 2022.

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FedRAMP Launches Help Center
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FedRAMP Launches Help Center

The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program has introduced a new help center to provide additional support for agencies, cloud service providers—a.k.a. CSPs—acquisition professionals, third-party assessment organizations and other stakeholders as they comply with FedRAMP and cloud security requirements.

The program said Tuesday that the FedRAMP Help Center will serve as a central repository of tools, information and resources meant to help stakeholders address their questions and enable them to understand their role in the FedRAMP ecosystem.

FedRAMP Help Center’s Key Resources

The help center includes knowledge base guides and technical articles, best practices, a section for frequently asked questions and a glossary of FedRAMP-specific acronyms and terms.

With the new platform, acquisition professionals can learn how to integrate FedRAMP standards into their solicitations, source selection and contract management to protect government data.

Meanwhile, federal agencies can use the FedRAMP Help Center to gain insights into how the program impacts their procurement processes and how their implementation groups can make secure choices when deploying cloud service offerings.

Through the help center, CSPs can also secure information on how to implement and document FedRAMP requirements.

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HHS Wants to Transform Healthcare Delivery via New IT Approach
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HHS Wants to Transform Healthcare Delivery via New IT Approach

The Department of Health and Human Services has unveiled the final copy of the 2024–2030 Federal Health IT Strategy. 

Through the strategy released on Sept. 30, HHS aims to improve care procedures for patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, public health officials and others throughout the healthcare community using IT. 

HHS Wants to Transform Healthcare Delivery via New IT Approach

You can learn more about the recent developments of the federal health IT strategy from the health professionals working to make it possible at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Healthcare Summit on Dec 11. At the event, healthcare industry luminaries will discuss the future of telehealth while navigating the transforming regulatory landscape, so secure your tickets now!

The assistant secretary for technology policy within the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology worked alongside more than 25 federal agencies to produce the strategic roadmap. They then turned to members of industry for comments on the March-published draft.

The 4 Tenets of HHS’ IT Strategy

The HHS health IT plan focuses on four goals — promoting health and wellness, enhancing the delivery and experience of care, accelerating research and innovation and connecting health systems with health data.

Micky Tripathi, assistant secretary for technology policy and national coordinator for health IT at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, said, “The release of our latest health IT strategy is a culmination of partnerships across the federal government to examine the forces shaping the healthcare ecosystem today and to craft a set of strategies to guide how to prioritize resources, align and coordinate federal health IT initiatives and activities, signal priorities to industry and benchmark and assess progress over time.”

The fourth goal, which aims to bring connectivity throughout all domain areas, will promote advanced communication principles for caregivers and physicians. 

Michele Ellison, general counsel of the Federal Communications Commission and chair of the company’s Connect2Health task force, said, “The plan recognizes how our health system can benefit from cutting-edge communications infrastructure, particularly in rural and underserved areas – enabling us to better engage individuals, their caregivers and physicians across the care continuum and drive high-quality care while lowering cost.”

Claim your spot at the 2024 Healthcare Summit before it’s too late to join the conversation and gain insight into how IT modernization is changing the landscape of healthcare procedures!

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NSF, German Innovation Org Partner to Boost Tech Initiatives
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NSF, German Innovation Org Partner to Boost Tech Initiatives

The National Science Foundation, through the Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, is collaborating with the German Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation, or SPRIND, to enhance technological advancements in key areas. 

The NSF said Friday a memorandum of understanding was signed between the NSF TIP and SPRIND during the latter’s fifth-anniversary celebration in Leipzig, Germany.

The transatlantic partnership will leverage the SPRIND Challenge model to streamline the process of selecting and conducting translational research and establish the foundation for new industries. Through the MOU, U.S. and European innovation ecosystems will come together to support unconventional problem-solving approaches and turn research into tangible applications and products.  

Erwin Gianchandani, NSF assistant director for TIP, said the partnership enables the sharing of talents, ways of thinking, policy environments, facilities and markets between the two nations.

“Our historic partnership with SPRIND offers a transformative new approach to accelerating the development and translation of breakthrough technologies for maximum national, societal and geostrategic impacts,” said Gianchandani, adding, “Our partnership with SPRIND will help us find new ways to advance TIP’s mission as codified in the ‘CHIPS and Science Act of 2022’ and ultimately contribute to the U.S. economy.”

Rafael Laguna, founding director of SPRIND, stated that the agency was established in 2019 to bridge the gap between research and commercial viability.

“Inspired by DARPA and adapted to our mission to help innovators until the project can stand on its own, we developed comprehensive tools to finance new technologies at a stage when private investors are not yet ready to take on the financial risk,” commented Laguna.

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NASA Launches Mission to Probe Life Signs on Jupiter Moon
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NASA Launches Mission to Probe Life Signs on Jupiter Moon

NASA has sent into space its Europa Clipper spacecraft for an anticipated seven-year journey seeking to probe life-sustainment signs on Jupiter’s ice-covered moon Europa.

The spacecraft lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket Monday at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA said.

The voyage of Europa Clipper, the agency’s largest spacecraft built for a mission to another planet, is expected to cover 1.8 billion miles. It will travel on a trajectory that will tap gravity assists from a Mars flyby in four months and then another flyby assist back to Earth in 2026. The spacecraft is anticipated to start orbiting Jupiter in April 2030 to set 49 flybys over Europa.

Europa Clipper’s science experiments on the moon flybys, programmed to as close as 16 miles to the surface, is scheduled to start in 2031. The spacecraft carries nine science instruments, with cameras and ice-penetrating radar among them. The science instruments will operate in concert to investigate Europa’s icy surface, deep interior and thin atmosphere.

NASA deployed in the spacecraft its largest solar arrays ever used in an interplanetary mission to power Europa Clipper’s instruments.

Maxar Technologies’ SSL unit, one of the companies that secured a NASA contract for the Europa Clipper instrumentation, was tasked to provide a remote engineering unit providing an interface between the spacecraft’s flight computer, thermal sensors and attitude control systems.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, a 2024 Wash100 Award winner, congratulated the Europa Clipper team on the launch that he described as the start of “the first journey to an ocean world beyond Earth.” He added, “By exploring the unknown, Europa Clipper will help us better understand whether there is the potential for life not just within our solar system, but among the billions of moons and planets beyond our sun.”

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GAO Audits SSA’s Anti-Fraud Service
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GAO Audits SSA’s Anti-Fraud Service

The Government Accountability Office found that the Social Security Administration is facing challenges in recovering the $62 million it spent on a service launched in 2020 to combat synthetic identity fraud due to a low number of industry subscribers.

SSA aims to recover all Electronic Consent Based Social Security Number Verification service rollout costs by the end of fiscal year 2027 in compliance with a 2018 law; however, it only collected about $25 million in user fees as of the end of FY 2023, meaning it will need to collect about $14 million annually to meet its goal, GAO said in a report released on Thursday.

The government watchdog also found that the agency did not follow guidance and best practices for service cost estimation.

Subscription data through December 2023 showed that the service has not significantly increased users since enrollment opened in FY 2022. Collections also decreased after the SSA increased fees in July 2023.

Despite the challenges, SSA officials told GAO that they did not plan to take significant steps to increase the use of the service which, according to subscribers, provides difficult-to-interpret verification results.

To resolve the issue, GAO made recommendations to the SSA, including implementing appropriate controls over IT investments, updating cost estimation guidance and developing strategies to expand service use.

The agency concurred with all recommendations.

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DOE to Build Supercomputing Pipeline for Data-streaming, Analysis
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DOE to Build Supercomputing Pipeline for Data-streaming, Analysis

The Stanford Linear Accelerator Center is collaborating with the Department of Energy laboratories to build a new data-streaming pipeline that would allow researchers to analyze data in real time.

The project aims to integrate artificial intelligence and machine learning-powered software into computing systems to achieve faster and more accurate results for scientific experiments, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory said Monday.

Called Intelligent Learning for Light Source and Neutron Source User Measurements Including Navigation and Experiment Steering, or ILLUMINE, the five-year project is part of efforts to expand connections between DOE computing centers and research facilities under the U.S. national laboratory system.

According to Jana Thayer, technical research manager at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, ILLUMINE aims to transmit experimental data to a remote computing facility without saving any information to a disk.

The project attempts to realize the ability to analyze the data of an ongoing experiment for optimal research results, which means “faster times to solutions and more accurate science,” Thayer said.

Additionally, the project will get a boost from high-performance computing centers, which would “expedite the data analysis process and alleviate in-house data storage issues,” Valerio Mariani, head of the LCLS Data Analytics Department at SLAC, explained.

Currently, the ILLUMINE project is using the Summit supercomputer at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility and will soon shift to Frontier, which take over from Summit when it is decommissioned by the end of 2024.

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