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DoD Unveils Digital Engineering Goals; Michael Griffin Comments
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DoD Unveils Digital Engineering Goals; Michael Griffin Comments


DoD Unveils Digital Engineering Goals; Michael Griffin Comments
Michael Griffin

The Defense Department has established five goals for an initiative to modernize DoD’s systems design, development, delivery, operation and sustainment processes with the use of digital technology.

DoD said Thursday it aims to integrate technological innovation into engineering practices and formalize the adoption of models that can support enterprise and program decision-making efforts as part of the Digital Engineering Strategy.

The strategy also calls for the establishment of a supporting infrastructure and ecosystem for department personnel to collaborate and communicate with private sector stakeholders.

The department also seeks to transform its organizational culture and workforce to implement digital engineering practices across life cycle activities.

“This strategy is the result of extensive research and collaboration among the DoD components and academic partners, as well as interactions with industry, professional societies and defense acquisition associations,” Michael Griffin, defense undersecretary for research and engineering and a 2018 Wash100 recipient, said in a statement.

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NNSA Selects Texas A&M University to Lead Low-Energy Nuclear Science CoE
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NNSA Selects Texas A&M University to Lead Low-Energy Nuclear Science CoE


NNSA Selects Texas A&M University to Lead Low-Energy Nuclear Science CoEThe Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration has selected Texas A&M University to administer a center of excellence on low-energy nuclear science under a five-year, $10 million agreement.

The university will manage the Center for Excellence in Nuclear Training and University-based Research in support of the Stewardship Science Academic Alliances program, DOE said Thursday.

Sherry Yennello, a professor in the university, will lead CENTAUR to conduct experimental and theoretical efforts that revolve around nuclear structure and reaction properties.

Initiatives will primarily focus on radioactive beam applications. Florida State University, Washington University, the University of Washington and Louisiana State University serve as CENTAUR’s academic partner institutions.

The SSAA program intends to support research and development efforts that contribute to NNSA’s mission of manage nuclear stockpiles.

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Paul Tibbits: VA to Adopt Cloud Platform for Consolidated Financial Management System
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Paul Tibbits: VA to Adopt Cloud Platform for Consolidated Financial Management System


Paul Tibbits: VA to Adopt Cloud Platform for Consolidated Financial Management System
Paul Tibbits

Paul Tibbits, deputy chief information officer at the Department of Veterans Affairs, has said VA plans to consolidate all financial management systems into a single cloud environment, Federal News Radio reported Thursday.

He told the station the department will implement cloud technology as part of the Financial Management Business Transformation program in efforts to protect systems from cyber risks.

“We’re going to a more modern system with stronger security controls built into it. We’re going to a cloud environment,” added Tibbits, who also serves as FMBT program executive officer.

He said he believes assigning a single individual to manage a consolidated network of tagged data is key to manage cybersecurity and workflow.

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Report: Pentagon CIO Dana Deasy to Lead DoD’s Cloud Procurement Efforts
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Report: Pentagon CIO Dana Deasy to Lead DoD’s Cloud Procurement Efforts


Report: Pentagon CIO Dana Deasy to Lead DoD's Cloud Procurement Efforts
Dana Deasy

Defense Department Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy will head the Pentagon’s efforts to procure an enterprise-wide cloud computing system from the private sector, FedScoop reported Thursday.

Defense Deputy Secretary Patrick Shanahan, in a June 22 internal memo, tasked “the DoD Chief Management Officer [Jay Gibson], in conjunction with the DoD CIO, and with coordination with the DoD General Counsel, to prepare a prompt and orderly transition of authority, direction and control of the Joint Enterprise Defense Cloud Initiative to the CIO, including transitioning the Cloud Computing Program Office of the CIO.”

The memo makes it clear that Deasy is being told to lead the department’s cloud efforts in a much more enterprising and creative manner, rather than in an ad hoc method, as is what is being done with over 500 cloud efforts in the department, so as to “enable economies of scale, improve security practices, and maintain the ability to make smarter decisions about our applications and data”.

The Pentagon was scheduled to release its JEDI contract in May and originally planned the award of a single contract to a commercial cloud provider in September, according to the report.

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NIST to Conduct Workshop on Federal IoT Security, Risk Management
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NIST to Conduct Workshop on Federal IoT Security, Risk Management


NIST to Conduct Workshop on Federal IoT Security, Risk ManagementThe National Institute of Standards and Technology will hold a workshop on July 11 to gather stakeholder insights on cybersecurity and risk management for devices connected to the internet of things.

The Considerations for Managing IoT Cybersecurity and Privacy Risks Workshop will help NIST develop federal guidelines on the protection of connected devices and environments in relation to the NIST Special Publication 800-53 and the Cybersecurity Framework, the event agenda detailed.

Topics for discussion include the use of information technology cybersecurity controls; risk considerations, identification and management; baselines and overlays; a model proposal and botnet report roadmap.

The NIST intends to provide publications on the Cybersecurity for IoT Program and the Privacy Engineering Program to assist agencies in efforts to comply with the Federal Information Security Modernization Act.

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Report: Trump Administration Plans Use of Federal Regulations for Global Cyber Governance
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Report: Trump Administration Plans Use of Federal Regulations for Global Cyber Governance


Report: Trump Administration Plans Use of Federal Regulations for Global Cyber GovernanceAn official of the State Department said in a Nextgov report published Monday that government officials plan to present to President Donald Trump regulatory actions along with traditional approaches to cyberattacks sponsored by adversary nations.

The State Department recommended to the administration in May the development of broad, proactive and customized methods for the deterrence of cyber adversaries, the report said.

Current government responses to cyber threats include the Federal Communications Commission‘s plans in March to restrict the access to U.S. contract opportunities of countries that pose national security risks, the publication noted.

The Treasury Department had previously implemented sanctions against Russian officials for the NotPetya malware and the U.S. election interference. Sanctions were also imposed against North Korean officials for the cyber breach against Sony Pictures Entertainment, the report detailed.

The Justice Department has also charged since 2014 state-sponsored hackers from China, Iran and Russia for attacks against the U.S., the publication said.

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Jason Matheny: IARPA Explores Human-Machine Collaboration to Forecast Events
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Jason Matheny: IARPA Explores Human-Machine Collaboration to Forecast Events


Jason Matheny: IARPA Explores Human-Machine Collaboration to Forecast Events
Jason Matheny

Jason Matheny, director of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, has said IARPA has begun efforts to advance predictive analysis through five research initiatives that explore the combinations of machine learning and human judgments, MeriTalk reported Tuesday.

“Ultimately, we think that a combination of analytic tools, machine learning approaches and human judgment are needed for most of the important intelligence questions,” Matheny said at Defense One’s Tech Summit.

He said one of the agency’s programs involved approximately 30,000 analysts who work to generate 5 million predictions on geopolitical events.

Sean Roche, associate deputy director for digital innovation at the CIA, discussed the need to pursue predictive and prescriptive analytics.

Natalie Laing, deputy director of operations at the National Security Agency, noted about how threat actors use data to launch cyber offensive operations and how intelligence agencies can leverage data as a strategic asset.

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Army Brigade Combat Team Receives New Electronic Warfare Tech
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Army Brigade Combat Team Receives New Electronic Warfare Tech


Army Brigade Combat Team Receives New Electronic Warfare TechThe U.S. Army has provided an electronic warfare system prototype to the 1st Brigade Combat Team’s 1st Infantry Division as part of efforts to equip and train brigades to counter near-peer adversaries.

The team became the first military unit within continental U.S. to receive the technology after the service branch completed a fielding effort in February to select Europe-based units, the Army said June 28.

The system consists of mounted, dismounted and command and control tools designed to help users manage electronic sensing and jamming functions.

The brigade’s EW officers were trained to use the platform as an opposing force at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin in California.

The Army’s Rapid Capabilities Office and Project Manager for EW and Cyber constructed and delivered the EW equipment in a move to address operational needs of U.S. Army Europe.

Europe-based 2nd Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade and 2nd Armored Brigade have already used the system in operational exercises.

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Gen. Vincent Brooks Hosts Opening Ceremony for New U.S. Forces Korea HQ
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Gen. Vincent Brooks Hosts Opening Ceremony for New U.S. Forces Korea HQ


Gen. Vincent Brooks Hosts Opening Ceremony for New U.S. Forces Korea HQ
Vincent Brooks

Army Gen. Vincent Brooks, commander of U.S. Forces Korea and United Nations Command, led the opening of a new USFK/UNC headquarters Friday at Camp Humphreys in South Korea, DoD News reported Tuesday.

Both commands’ relocation from Seoul to Camp Humphreys is part of a $10.7 billion investment, the report noted.

Army Garrison Yongsan has served as USFK and UNC’s homebase since the end of Korean War hostilities.

South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo joined Gen. Brooks and Sgt. Maj. Steven Payton during the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new HQ building.

Representatives from UNC’s 17 sending states attended the event that also honored Army Gen. John William Vessey Jr., the first commander of the Combined Forces Command.

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USAF Aims to Create Satellite Protection Tactics via Simulation Exercise
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USAF Aims to Create Satellite Protection Tactics via Simulation Exercise


USAF Aims to Create Satellite Protection Tactics via Simulation ExerciseThe U.S. Air Force will conduct a simulation exercise in August as part of efforts to train airmen on how to defend U.S. and allied satellites from potential adversarial threats,  Aerospace America reported Tuesday.

The report said Space Flag will involve a “blue team” comprised of USAF service members who will work to defend virtual satellites from civilian aggressors that compose a “red team.”

Col. Stuart Pettis, Space Flag’s organizer, told the publication the service branch aims to create strategies to protect the country’s satellites in low- and medium-Earth and geosynchronous orbits through the upcoming event.

The game is based on exercises that were created in 1975 and focused on air combat tactics, according to the report.

USAF has broadened the scope of scenarios for the wargame to include space and cybersecurity domains.

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