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Texas Tech University System, FBI Partner to Enhance National Security
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A handshake that represents partnership. TTU and FBI have joined forces to strengthen the nation's security through a CRADA.

The Texas Tech University System has partnered with the FBI to enhance national security, cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection. The partnership was formalized through the signing of a cooperative research and development agreement at the institution’s System Building in Lubbock, Texas, on Aug. 18, TTU said Monday.

The representatives who signed the agreement include FBI Operations Director of the Criminal and Cyber Branch Chad Yarbrough, Congressman Jodey Arrington, TTU President Lawrence Schovanec, Angelo State University President Ronnie Hawkins and TTU System Vice Chancellor of Innovation and Collaboration Stephen Bayne.

Texas Tech University System, FBI Partner to Enhance National Security

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FBI Cooperative Research & Development Agreement Details

The newly signed CRADA seeks to provide more advanced research, better student training, and stronger defenses for sectors like energy, healthcare, water and defense. Under the agreement, the FBI will use TTU’s Critical Infrastructure Security Institute, or CISI, for research on protecting vital systems, including water utilities, military assets, communication systems, the electric grid and other infrastructure. The agreement also allows FBI to use ASU’s national security resources, including its work with Goodfellow Air Force Base, cybersecurity programs certified by the National Security Agency and its Regional Security Operations Center, which provides real-time defense for West Texas communities and training for students.

FBI’s Chad Yarbrough, Texas Tech University’s Lawrence Schovanec Share Thoughts

Commenting on the partnership, Yarbrough said that protecting Americans includes safeguarding critical infrastructures from foreign and domestic enemies.

“Working with academic partners like the Texas Tech University System is just one of the many ways the FBI seeks to mitigate these threats and advance cybersecurity and the security of critical infrastructure,” he said, adding that the FBI looks forward to a continued partnership with TTU.

Schovanec said, “Texas Tech University is proud to stand alongside the FBI and Angelo State University in this important partnership to strengthen the security of our nation’s critical infrastructure.”

“This collaboration builds on our university’s research strengths and our commitment to preparing the next generation of leaders who will protect and serve our country,” he added. 

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DISA Building Cyber Defense With Custom Analytics
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DISA seal. DISA is strengthening cyber defense by developing custom analytics.

The Defense Information Systems Agency has revealed that it is developing unique cyber analytics to reinforce the protection of over 2.4 million users of the Defense Information Systems Network and around 600 cybersecurity service provider—a.k.a. CSSP—mission partners.

The agency said Wednesday CSSP Defensive Cyberspace Operations analysts are building customized tools or analytics to monitor data from network traffic, system logs and intelligence sources. These frequently updated analytics, when deployed to Security Information and Event Management systems, create alerts pinpointing potential cyberthreats or system vulnerabilities.

Enhancing Cyber Defense Through Tagging & Collaboration

A key component of the DISA CSSP analytics is the disciplined use of metadata tagging, which allows analysts to monitor for advanced threat indicators. With the addition of detailed information to each analytic, analysts can deploy the right tools to combat large datasets and different formats.

DISA’s Cyber Analytics Users’ Group

The Cyber Analytics Users’ Group fosters collaboration by enabling cybersecurity teams to explain new detection analytics, share concepts, troubleshoot problems and avoid duplicate work. The CAUG uses a disciplined tagging approach to continue creating baseline analytics for specific missions. This bolsters the cyber defense of the DISN and its mission partners.

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OIG Finds Unremediated Vulnerabilities in DOE Unclassified Cybersecurity Program Review
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Department of Energy logo. The DOE has not resolved cyber vulnerabilities, according to the agency's OIG

The Department of Energy’s Office of Inspector General has warned that the DOE has yet to address a number of previously identified cyber vulnerabilities.

In its report published Tuesday, the OIG said failure to remediate vulnerabilities may expose the department’s information systems and data to malicious cyber actors.

What Did DOE OIG Find?

The OIG assessed the effectiveness of the DOE’s unclassified cybersecurity program to protect the department’s data and information systems, a requirement under the Federal Information Security Modernization Act, or FISMA, of 2014.

The OIG found that while the department has taken actions and resolved 19 of 63 cyber-related recommendations from previous audits, 44 remained unaddressed. The agency watchdog also identified 79 new recommendations throughout the fiscal year related to DOE’s cybersecurity programs.

One of the vulnerabilities cited in its report involves management processes in some department sites that the inspector general found were “not fully effective in identifying, addressing, and/or remediating vulnerabilities.”

The report also revealed that some DOE sites did not fully develop or maintain adequate policies and procedures for the design and implementation of security controls.

The OIG advised DOE to close findings from prior years and implement the latest federal cybersecurity requirements to protect data and information systems.

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NSF Launches Pilot Program to Accelerate National Security Technology
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NSF logo. NSF has launched a new pilot program to accelerate the development of national security technologies.

The U.S. National Science Foundation has launched a new pilot program designed to fast-track the development and integration of emerging technologies into national defense systems.

The agency said Wednesday that NobleReach Foundation will spearhead the program through its Science to Venture platform and collaborate with two NSF Innovation I-Corps Hubs focused on helping with commercialization, building local capabilities, developing a talent network and promoting capital catalyzation.

End-to-End Support for University Technologies

The multi-year pilot program will identify high-potential research, build a talent pipeline and support commercialization for the technology. It will provide comprehensive support for university innovations by leveraging technology translation approaches including best practices, continuous evaluation and proven frameworks for research commercialization.

The program aims to guide 12 to 20 projects over a two-year period through a structured development process to deliver reusable frameworks and artificial intelligence-powered assets that can be adapted and extended across the lab-to-market ecosystem.

Comments From NSF Executive

“With this effort, we can accelerate the translation of NSF’s investments in basic research to commercially-promising products that drive local economic growth and improve national security,” said Erwin Gianchandani, NSF assistant director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships.

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GSA Addresses Revolutionary FAR Overhaul’s Impacts on SAM.Gov
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Government contracting. GSA addressed the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul initiative’s impacts on SAM.gov.

The General Services Administration announced that changes to the Federal Acquisition Regulation, or FAR, as part of the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul, or RFO, initiative will impact the System for Award Management website.

GSA said Monday SAM.gov includes three types of certifications and representations that a company attests to in order to do business with the government: Type 1: entity-level; Type 2: procurement-specific; and Type 3: By Submission of Offer representations and certifications.

SAM.gov to Stop Collecting Procurement-Specific, By Submission of Offer Representations & Certifications

Under RFO, SAM.gov will continue to collect Type 1 certifications and representations, but will stop gathering Type 2 and Type 3 certifications and representations.

Once removed from SAM.gov, Types 2 and 3 representations and certifications will be included in solicitations and resultant contracts in the future. 

At the earliest, GSA noted that SAM.gov system changes are not expected to occur before January 2026.

The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council and the Office of Federal Procurement Policy are working with the GSA Office of the Integrated Award Environment and the Procurement Committee for e-Government to evaluate the RFO’s impacts on SAM.gov. In the next fiscal year, the FAR Council will issue plans for system changes and implementation timelines and a list of impacted provisions, representations, certifications and clauses.

Until the changes are made in SAM.gov, companies may still be required to submit information that is no longer enforced or required. As agency RFO deviations are issued, contracting officers will likely be required to use the updated clauses and provisions. 

Benefits of RFO Changes to Government, Industry Stakeholders

According to GSA, the RFO initiative will bring significant benefits to government and industry participants in the federal procurement process in the long run.

The agency said industry can anticipate a more streamlined registration process in SAM.gov and fewer requests to update company information in the website once procurement-specific certifications and representations are moved to individual solicitations.

Meanwhile, the government can expect more traceable and accurate terms and conditions specific to each procurement as a result of the RFO initiative.

Model Deviation Text for FAR’s 6 Sections

In mid-August, the FAR Council released model deviation text for six parts of the FAR as part of the RFO initiative.

The overhauled FAR parts include sections related to administrative and information matters; required sources of supplies and services; acquisition of commercial products and commercial services; and information security and supply chain security. 

The council also announced the removal of FAR Part 51, Use of Government Sources by Contractors, and FAR Part 38, Federal Supply Schedule Contracting.

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NASA, Aloft Sensing Develop Compact Radar to Observe Changes to Earth’s Surface
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Aloft Sensing's HALE InSAR. The NASA-funded compact radar instrument can observe Earth’s surface deformation.

NASA and Aloft Sensing have developed a compact radar system designed to detect and observe ground deformation, topography, vegetation and other minute changes to Earth’s surface.

The space agency said Tuesday the radar instrument uses high-altitude, long-endurance—or HALE—vehicles equipped with Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar, or InSAR, to help researchers measure and observe dynamic Earth systems.

Advancing HALE InSAR Through NASA ESTO Funding

Funded by NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office, or ESTO, the compact radar instrument called HALE InSAR features a flat phased array antenna, which eliminates the need for gimbles and other heavy components by enabling users to steer the radar beam electronically.

“This technology has been critically enabled by ESTO, and the benefit to science and civil applications is huge,” said Lauren Wye, CEO of Aloft Sensing and principal investigator for HALE InSAR.

“It also exemplifies the dual-use potential enabled by NASA-funded research. We are seeing significant military interest in this capability now that it is reaching maturity. As a small business, we need this hand-in-hand approach to be able to succeed,” added Wye.

HALE InSAR weighs less than 15 pounds and uses advanced positioning algorithms. It can reportedly locate itself without GPS, making it ideal for missions in GPS-denied environments.

Aloft Sensing’s Plans for HALE InSAR

Aloft Sensing has demonstrated the radar aboard an airship at 65,000 feet and small stratospheric balloons.

The company will use a fixed-wing HALE aircraft to test the instrument, which could be integrated into a small satellite in low Earth orbit.

“All of the design features that we’ve built into the instrument are starting to showcase themselves and highlight why this payload in particular is distinct from what other small radars might be looking to achieve,” said Wye.

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SSC Demonstrates Protected Tactical Waveform Capability to Secure Warfighter Comms
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Space Systems Command logo. SSC demonstrated Protected Tactical Waveform satellite communications.

The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command has demonstrated Protected Tactical Waveform, or PTW, satellite communications with joint warfighters, marking several first-time achievements in secure satellite connectivity.

Held July 14 to 16, the test event used Boeing-developed subsystems integrated into the Protected Tactical Enterprise Service, or PTES, program.

Accomplishments included frequency hopping under variable interference, over-the-air operations via five PTW-enabled terminals, a secure Voice Over Internet Protocol call and a ground bounce via a commercial satellite.

“This demonstration culminates years of industry and government partnership to realize a modern, anti-jam, low probability intercept waveform that will underpin future tactical SATCOM operations,” said Erin Carper, senior program director for the PTW family of systems. “Adversaries and allies understand the criticality of SATCOM in the modern battlefield, and the threats to SATCOM have evolved accordingly. The PTES Program will ensure that U.S. and allied warfighters can operate through these threats.”

Protecting Communications in Contested Environments

Space Force is developing PTES, a software-intensive ground system, to enable worldwide, anti-jam protected communications for tactical warfighters using the PTW. The PTES program is part of SSC’s Military Communications and Positioning, Navigation and Timing Program Executive Office.

With PTW, warfighters could operate through evolving electronic warfare threats. Production-representative PTW modems will be fielded separately by each military service and international partners. Initial PTW deployment will use the Wideband Global SATCOM system, followed by commercial satellites and the Protected Tactical SATCOM system.

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Coast Guard Launches New Program Executive Office for Robotics & Autonomous Systems
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Coast Guard seal. The U.S. Coast Guard launched a new Program Executive Office for robotics and autonomous systems.

The U.S. Coast Guard has unveiled the Initial Operating Capability of the Robotics and Autonomous Systems, or RAS, Program Executive Office as part of efforts to boost operational readiness and effectiveness.

Coast Guard Launches New Program Executive Office for Robotics & Autonomous Systems

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Coast Guard Modernization

The RAS PEO, a central part of the Force Design 2028 plan, is intended to integrate new RAS technologies by fast-tracking their development, procurement, deployment and sustainment across the service, the Coast Guard said Tuesday. This development signifies a major transformative shift for the service.

The new PEO aims to operationalize the Unmanned Systems Strategic Plan by rapidly acquiring robotics and autonomous systems to enhance the Coast Guard’s operations, enabling it to boost border security, maritime commerce and contingency response. The office will also prioritize integrating counter-unmanned aircraft systems into the Coast Guard’s operations, including defending the U.S. Marine Transportation System and safeguarding National Special Security Events.

The new office aims to achieve RAS Full Operating Capability to accelerate the procurement process for advanced technologies. The PEO will oversee the entire lifecycle of a capability, including defining and prioritizing the requirements, handling procurement and contracting, and developing and deploying systems and sustainment plans.

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DISA Issues RFI for Military Sealift Command Cybersecurity Support Services Contract
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DISA seal. DISA issued a request for information for the Military Sealift Command Cybersecurity Support Services contract.

The Defense Information Systems Agency has issued a request for information seeking potential vendors for the Military Sealift Command Cybersecurity Support Services, or MSC CSS, contract.

DISA Issues RFI for Military Sealift Command Cybersecurity Support Services Contract

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MSC CSS Contract Scope & Details

According to the sources sought notice posted on SAM.gov Tuesday, DISA is soliciting information on small and large businesses with the technical capability to deliver services supporting cybersecurity operations, risk management and compliance. The potential deal requires cybersecurity-related services, such as conducting cybersecurity site visits to help mariners patch and scan their systems and networks, conducting risk assessments for operational technology assessment and authorization, and doing compliance visits to evaluate individual ship or department’s cybersecurity readiness.

The contract requires a deep knowledge of existing Department of the Navy and Department of Defense cybersecurity directives and procedures.

The potential contract is structured to include a 12-month base period with four 12-month options. The project will run through May 14, 2031 if all four options are exercised. The contractor will perform work primarily in its facilities, though meetings will be conducted in Norfolk, Virginia. Visits to other MSC, U.S. Navy, Transportation Command or Department of Defense installations may also be required.

Responses to the RFI are due by Sept. 4. The notice is open to certified 8(a) small disadvantaged businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, HUBZone small businesses and woman-owned small businesses.

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Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey Appointed FBI Co-Deputy Director
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Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey. Bailey has stepped down to become the FBI's co-deputy director.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has announced that he will be stepping down on Sept. 8 and taking on the role of co-deputy director of the FBI. In a press release issued Monday, he said it has been a privilege to serve as the 44th attorney general of Missouri.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey Appointed FBI Co-Deputy Director

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Commenting on his new role, he said, “I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to serve as the Co-Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I extend my deepest gratitude to President Trump and U.S. Attorney General Bondi for the privilege to join in their stated mission to Make America Safe Again.”

Bailey will be working with FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel, per Fox News Digital.

According to Politico, his appointment comes after Bongino and Bondi clashed over the management of the files linked to the case of Jeffrey Epstein.

Before President Trump’s inauguration, he was choosing between Bailey and Patel to head the FBI, CNN reported. He interviewed both of them at Mar-a-Lago last year, but ultimately went with Patel. Trump said Bailey “didn’t fit that mold” of an FBI director.

Who Is Andrew Bailey?

Prior to his appointment and serving as Missouri’s attorney general, Bailey became an armored cavalry officer in the U.S. Army, based on his profile. He previously served in the Missouri Governor’s Office as a general counsel, after becoming its deputy counsel. He also worked as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Warren County and served as the general counsel for the Missouri Department of Corrections. He started his legal career as an assistant attorney general at the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. He finished his studies at the University of Missouri.

Department of Justice’s Pam Bondi Shares Thoughts

“I am thrilled to welcome Andrew Bailey as Co-Deputy Director of the FBI,” Bondi said.

“He has served as a distinguished state attorney general and is a decorated war veteran, bringing expertise and dedication to service. His leadership and commitment to country will be a tremendous asset as we work together to advance President Trump’s mission,” she added. 

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