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Report: NSA to Transfer ‘Sharkseer’ Cybersecurity Program to DISA
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Report: NSA to Transfer ‘Sharkseer’ Cybersecurity Program to DISA

Report: NSA to Transfer 'Sharkseer' Cybersecurity Program to DISAThe National Security Agency will hand over to the Defense Information Systems Agency a cybersecurity program that helps protect Defense Department networks against malware and zero-day threats, Fifth Domain reported Saturday.

Natalie Pittore, an NSA spokeswoman, told Fifth Domain that the Sharkseer program “better aligns” with DISA’s mission.

A defense budget deal reached by congressional appropriators July 23 contains the transition effort.

Sharkseer uses artificial intelligence to monitor traffic across DoD networks and sift through emails and documents that could pose network security risks. Congress authorized $30 million to start operations of the program back in 2014.

Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Va., said a May statement the program has identified more than two billion cyber incidents across the Pentagon’s classified and unclassified networks, Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Va., said in a May statement.

NASA Selects Five Colleges for STEM Curriculum Development Grant
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NASA Selects Five Colleges for STEM Curriculum Development Grant


NASA Selects Five Colleges for STEM Curriculum Development GrantNASA has awarded five minority-serving colleges a total of $1.4 million to develop their STEM courses under the MUREP Innovations in Space Technology Curriculum program.

The grant, awarded in partnership with the agency’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, provides the winning schools up to $330,000 and partners them with a NASA center or facility to accomplish goals outlined by the MISTC throughout a 15-month period, NASA said Saturday.

Jim Reuter, acting associate administrator for STMD, said the directorate’s partnership with MUREP will help NASA achieve exploration goals, promote STEM education and engage with minority-focused institutions.

The awardees are:

  • Bronx Community College in New York City
  • College of the Desert, in Palm Desert, Calif.
  • Los Angeles Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.
  • Passaic County Community College in Patterson, N.J.
  • Prince George’s Community College in Upper Marlboro, Md.

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Report: DoD to Train Procurement Managers in Nontraditional Contracting Approach
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Report: DoD to Train Procurement Managers in Nontraditional Contracting Approach


Report: DoD to Train Procurement Managers in Nontraditional Contracting ApproachEllen Lord, undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment at the Defense Department and a 2018 Wash100 awardee, has said that her office will train DoD procurement managers on how to buy commercial technology platforms through the nontraditional contracting process,  SpaceNews reported Sunday.

She also aims to establish a policy that would help the Pentagon exercise more freedom in prototype experimentation with the use of new congressional authorities, the report noted.

Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition and a 2018 Wash100 recipient, said he predicts the emergence of artificial intelligence technology will challenge the department to accelerate its acquisition efforts.

“For AI we’re going to need software people that are tweaking algorithms with the users,” he told reporters.

“The pace is faster, there is quicker turnover.”

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ODNI Launches New Governance Structure Under Transformation Initiative; Dan Coats Comments
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ODNI Launches New Governance Structure Under Transformation Initiative; Dan Coats Comments


ODNI Launches New Governance Structure Under Transformation Initiative; Dan Coats Comments
Dan Coats

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has established a new organizational structure and implemented new processes as part of a transformation effort unveiled in March.

“Our comprehensive approach to transformation covered many areas, including synchronizing and streamlining processes, better developing our people, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of our decisions and aligning our structure to support those outcomes,” DNI Dan Coats, a 2018 Wash100 recipient, said in a statement published Wednesday.

ODNI said the transformation initiative calls for national intelligence deputy directors to oversee four new directorates that focus on intelligence integration; facilitation of national security partnerships; resource and capability decisions; and alignment of the intelligence community’s current priority with the future strategy.

The agency’s mission-focused centers will work with the new directorates to offer insight on insider threats, terrorism, cybersecurity and other issues facing the IC through the restructuring effort.

The transformation also reflects ODNI’s updated core values, vision and mission statements.

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GAO: NIST Should Conduct Comprehensive Review of Services to Ensure Stakeholder Relevance
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GAO: NIST Should Conduct Comprehensive Review of Services to Ensure Stakeholder Relevance


GAO: NIST Should Conduct Comprehensive Review of Services to Ensure Stakeholder RelevanceThe Government Accountability Office has called on the National Institute of Standards and Technology to ensure its measurement and documentary standards services line up with and address the needs of industry.

Specifically, the NIST should make it a policy to conduct a “periodic comprehensive management review of the agency’s measurement services to assess gaps and ensure alignment with stakeholders’ needs,” the GAO said in a Congressional report published Thursday.

The report details the findings of a performance audit that the GAO had conducted on the NIST beginning July 2016.

The audit revealed that the NIST determines industry needs for measurement and documentary standards using several methods including individual outreach by NIST’s technicians, collaboration mechanisms such as consortia and the use of feedback tools like surveys.

The GAO pointed out, however, that “these assessments do not comprehensively identify and assess gaps in NIST’s services” or how well they match the requirements of the agency’s clients and partners.

A management review would augment the NIST’s efforts and would provide the agency “with greater confidence that its activities align with stakeholders’ needs,” the GAO reported.

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Rep. Gerry Connolly Introduces Bill to Revamp FedRAMP Certification Process
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Rep. Gerry Connolly Introduces Bill to Revamp FedRAMP Certification Process


Rep. Gerry Connolly Introduces Bill to Revamp FedRAMP Certification Process
Gerry Connolly

Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., has introduced a bill that would reform the government’s process for authorizing commercial cloud products and services through the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program.

Connolly’s office said Friday FedRAMP Reform Act of 2018 would also institute agency compliance measures and create new metrics to properly implement such measures.

He noted the bill seeks to clarify the responsibilities of federal and industry stakeholders, establish a process for Congress to evaluate the program’s progress and provide certainty to customers.

Established five years ago, FedRAMP offers a uniform approach for the government to assess, authorize and monitor cloud offerings.

The legislation seeks to reform this process through six steps. First, it would codify FedRAMP by identifying the responsibilities of each federal agency involved with the program.

The Office of Management and Budget will issue guidance to implement FedRAMP principles while the General Services Administration will be in charge of the actual implementation of FedRAMP principles.

Second, OMB will be tasked with ensuring that agencies are in compliance with any requirements related to FedRAMP.

Third, to monitor if FedRAMP is being properly implemented, the FedRAMP Management Office under the GSA will be required to craft metrics concerning time, cost and quality of the assessments. Also, OMB and GSA will be tasked to submit a yearly report to Congress on the status and performance of the FedRAMP PMO.

Fourth, the FedRAMP PMO would be required to automate its procedures.

Fifth, to fast-track certification processes, a Joint Authorization Board’s issuance of an authorization to operate shall be deemed valid.

Finally, for transparency purposes, when an agency issues an ATO, it is required to furnish a copy of said ATO with the FedRAMP PMO.

Air Force Portal Moves to AWS Cloud
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Air Force Portal Moves to AWS Cloud


Air Force Portal Moves to AWS CloudAn online U.S. Air Force website has migrated from a Defense Information Systems Agency-managed server to Amazon Web Service‘s cloud platform.

Wright-Patterson AF Base said Thursday the Air Force Portal migration was part of the AF Life Cycle Management Center’s initiative to help transition hundreds of separate applications onto hosting systems from cloud vendors such as AWS and Microsoft.

DISA used to receive $22,000 per month from AFLCMC for hosting the service branch’s portal.

According to WPAFB, migrating applications to a commercial cloud platform eliminates the need for the government to manage and sustain enough servers in times of maximum traffic such as staff sergeant promotion release days.

The cloud service is projected to cost $8,000 monthly and $98,000 annually. DISA’s maintenance cost reached $22,000 a month and more than $260,000 a year.

Robins AFB Opens Shop for JSTARS Aircraft Depot Maintenance
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Robins AFB Opens Shop for JSTARS Aircraft Depot Maintenance


Robins AFB Opens Shop for JSTARS Aircraft Depot MaintenanceThe U.S. Air Force‘s fleet of E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System aircraft, built for airborne battle management, command and control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, has begun flying in to Robins Air Force Base for depot maintenance.

The service branch said Thursday that depot maintenance for the aircraft, which commenced July 17, is designed to accelerate delivery of the specialized aircraft, as the JSTARS program office seeks to maximize the fleet’s availability.

The effort supports the service branch’s adoption of the Advanced Battle Management System, a platform that will function to unify intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance information on global air and space.

USAF intends to operate the aircraft throughout the mid- to late-2020s upon the ABMS’ development.

“We are leveraging the experience of the operational wings and the program office team here at Robins to improve warfighting readiness,” said Brig. Gen. John Kubinec, commander of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex.

The service branch plans to take in one JSTARS aircraft yearly at the base over the next two years if the organic maintenance approach delivers the desired results.

The E-8C is an ISR-focused, modified version of the Boeing 707-300 series airframe.

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Three Senators Introduce Commercial Space Bill
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Three Senators Introduce Commercial Space Bill


Three Senators Introduce Commercial Space BillSens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas; Bill Nelson, D-Fla.; and Ed Markey, D-Mass. have introduced a bill aiming to refine regulation of U.S. space transportation.

The Space Frontier Act would appoint an assistant secretary to help address commercial space concerns in the Department of Transportation, Cruz’s office said Thursday.

The bill also seeks to extend the service life of the International Space Station through 2030 in aims to maintain leadership in the low Earth orbit.

Additionally, the DOT would receive tasks to establish a regulatory framework that aims to refine existing rules and support reusable and expendable platforms.

The bill takes its basis from the 2015 Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act, which was intended to streamline the regulatory framework governing commercial space launches and Earth observation missions.

The legislators who introduced the Space Frontier Act are members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

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Jeff Pon, Emily Murphy Discuss Proposed Merger of OPM’s Core Functions Into GSA at Senate Hearing
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Jeff Pon, Emily Murphy Discuss Proposed Merger of OPM’s Core Functions Into GSA at Senate Hearing


Jeff Pon, Emily Murphy Discuss Proposed Merger of OPM’s Core Functions Into GSA at Senate Hearing
Jeff Pon

Office of Personnel Management Director Jeff Pon and Emily Murphy, administrator of the General Services Administration, testified Thursday before a Senate subcommittee about the White House’s proposed government restructuring plan to move some of OPM’s core functions into GSA, FCW reported Thursday.

Murphy told lawmakers that integrating some of OPM’s functions such as human resource platforms, employees’ health care and retirement services into GSA would help enhance the delivery of services and promote information technology modernization.

Jeff Pon, Emily Murphy Discuss Proposed Merger of OPM’s Core Functions Into GSA at Senate Hearing
Emily Murphy

Pon said OPM intends to advance the digitization of paper-based records prior to the transition and that the move to integrate it into the executive branch would allow the agency to focus on “centralized policy development” in talent management, skills requirements identification, workforce supply and demand and employee compensation, among other areas.

The senators said they would need additional details before approving the White House’s reorganization plan for OPM and GSA.

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