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DHS’ Jeanette Manfra: Agencies Should Adopt ‘Risk-Based’ IT Governance, Procurement Methods
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DHS’ Jeanette Manfra: Agencies Should Adopt ‘Risk-Based’ IT Governance, Procurement Methods


DHS' Jeanette Manfra: Agencies Should Adopt 'Risk-Based' IT Governance, Procurement MethodsJeanette Manfra, assistant secretary for cybersecurity and communications at the Department of Homeland Security, has said she believes federal agencies should factor risks into information technology governance and procurement efforts, FedTech Magazine reported Tuesday.

Manfra told audience during her keynote address at the 2017 Symantec Government Symposium held Tuesday that agencies make cybersecurity decisions based on risks their missions currently face and update outdated IT platforms that potentially create network vulnerabilities.

DHS introduced the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation program to help address potential threats, assist agencies on the monitoring of IT systems and instantaneously react to potential vulnerabilities based on the issue’s level of severity.

“The government should aim to automate and correlate the threat data it is getting from CDM,” said Manfra.

The department also established a federal dashboard designed to serve as a governmentwide threat awareness platform using data collected from other agency dashboards.

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James Geurts Assumes Navy Acquisition Chief Role
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James Geurts Assumes Navy Acquisition Chief Role


James Geurts Assumes Navy Acquisition Chief Role
James Geurts

James Geurts, former acquisition executive at the U.S. Special Operations Command, has officially assumed the role of assistant U.S. Navy secretary for research, development and acquisition during a swearing-in ceremony, USNI News reported Tuesday.

Geurts said in a statement that he looks forward to collaborating with civilian, military, industry and academic partners to equip and support the Navy and U.S. Marine Corps.

In his previous role, Geurts oversaw all special operations forces acquisition, technology and logistics activities.

He previously held various leadership positions at USSOCOM such as deputy director of the Special Operations Research, Development and Acquisition Center; commander of the Joint Acquisition Task Force – Dragon; and program executive officer for fixed-wing aircraft.

Geurts joined the U.S. Air Force in 1987, where he held numerous engineering and program management leadership roles under multiple weapon systems programs before he retired in 2009 with the rank of colonel.

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EU, NATO Leaders to Discuss Interoperability Strategies at Brussels Meeting
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EU, NATO Leaders to Discuss Interoperability Strategies at Brussels Meeting


EU, NATO Leaders to Discuss Interoperability Strategies at Brussels MeetingEuropean and North American foreign ministers will gather at a meeting in Brussels to determine new approaches that can boost interoperability between the European Union and NATO, DoD News reported Tuesday.

The foreign ministers will discuss the evolving security landscape, information sharing strategies against terrorist threats and global security concerns including potential ballistic missile threats from North Korea.

The representatives will also talk about the alliances’ stability and counterterrorism objectives including current efforts to disrupt operations of Islamic State militant groups.

Federica Mogherini, high representative and vice president of the European Union, said NATO and the EU will look to prioritize military mobility as a point of cooperation.

“We will assess our training and capacity building support for partners like Iraq and Jordan,” added NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

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NASA to Conduct Fifth Parachute Test for Orion Spacecraft
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NASA to Conduct Fifth Parachute Test for Orion Spacecraft


NASA to Conduct Fifth Parachute Test for Orion SpacecraftNASA has announced that the Orion spacecraft’s fifth parachute test will take place Dec. 13 at the U.S. Army‘s Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona.

The space agency said Tuesday a C-17 aircraft will drop a model Orion vehicle from an altitude of 35,000 feet as engineers will assess a simulated scenario wherein one of the spacecraft’s three main parachutes does not open.

Orion parachutes are designed to decelerate the spacecraft from 300 miles per hour to 20 mph in a span of 10 minutes.

The test is part of a series of eight that are done to evaluate and ensure the safety of using the spacecraft for future crewed missions, NASA noted.

Orion is a multipurpose spacecraft designed for deep space exploration missions such as those involving asteroids, the moon’s vicinity and Mars.

NASA aims to launch the spacecraft aboard the Space Launch System for missions the agency expects to begin in 2019.

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Deltek: Army Seeks to Facilitate Contracting Process Via New Directive
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Deltek: Army Seeks to Facilitate Contracting Process Via New Directive


Deltek: Army Seeks to Facilitate Contracting Process Via New DirectiveRyan McCarthy, acting secretary of the U.S. Army, has released a new directive that aims to streamline the contracting process as part of the service branch’s Acquisition Reform Initiative, Deltek reported Tuesday.

The Army Directive 2017-32 directs the service’s assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology to carry out several actions by April 30, 2018, in an effort to shorten the military procurement process that usually takes one to two years.

These measures include the centralization of the contracting policy across the military branch; assessment of regulatory thresholds for procurement approval authorities to address delays in the acquisition process; evaluation of source selection procedures and policies; and review of training requirements related to the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act.

The directive also calls for the completion of a review of approximately 350 potential contract files to reduce documentation requirements, analysis of internal organizational frameworks by heads of contracting activities and establishment of a review board and program integrator to assess contract documents prior to submission.

McCarthy also wants the Army to build a process to facilitate early engagement during the contracting process to identify possible deficiencies in the requirements’ definition and address extended protests through the development of a legislative proposal for integration into the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2020.

The Army Materiel Command should form a review board to advance collaboration between procurement and non-procurement stakeholders over acquisition categories I, II and III, the directive noted.

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US, Coalition Forces Use Remotely Piloted Aircraft in Fight Against Islamic State Group
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US, Coalition Forces Use Remotely Piloted Aircraft in Fight Against Islamic State Group


US, Coalition Forces Use Remotely Piloted Aircraft in Fight Against Islamic State GroupU.S. military personnel and coalition partners used combat remotely piloted aircraft to counter the Islamic State militant organization in Raqqah, Syria, the U.S. Air Force reported Tuesday.

The aircrews flew combat RPAs such as General Atomics-built MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-1 Predator for at least 44,000 hours to get a view of the battlefield, locate the friendly forces and perform precision munition strikes through the “buddy lasing” tactic.

“Primarily, we were doing things like close air support, tactical reconnaissance and overwatch of our allies as they fought to take back the city block by block,” said Lt. Col. Nicholas, a squadron commander assigned to Air Force’s 432nd Wing.

“What our aircraft brought that was unique to the fight was persistence,” Nicholas said of the combat RPAs.

Nicholas also cited how the use of the drones in an urban environment provided aircrews visual contact in munition strikes.

The U.S. and coalition forces liberated the city of Raqqa in October four months after they launched an effort to eliminate the militant organization’s strongholds in the city.

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Kirstjen Nielsen Confirmed as Homeland Security Chief
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Kirstjen Nielsen Confirmed as Homeland Security Chief


Kirstjen Nielsen Confirmed as Homeland Security Chief
Kirstjen Nielsen

The Senate on Tuesday approved Kirstjen Nielsen, deputy chief of staff at the White House, to serve as the Department of Homeland Security’s secretary through a 62-37 vote, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.

Her confirmation came two months after President Donald Trump nominated her for the DHS chief post.

Nielsen will oversee a federal agency that runs with approximately 240,000 employees, $40 billion in discretionary budget and 22 sub-agencies that include the Coast Guard, immigration enforcement, disaster preparedness and response, transportation security and the Secret Service.

She previously served as chief of staff to former DHS Secretary John Kelly, who now serves as the White House chief of staff, from January through July and worked at the department’s Transportation and Security Administration.

Elaine Duke, who has been acting DHS secretary since July, will transition to the role of deputy secretary as a result of Nielsen’s confirmation, the report added.

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Senate Clears Emily Murphy as Next GSA Administrator
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Senate Clears Emily Murphy as Next GSA Administrator


Senate Clears Emily Murphy as Next GSA Administrator
Emily Murphy

The Senate has approved the nomination of Emily Webster Murphy, former senior adviser to the acting administrator of the General Services Administration, to be the next leader at GSA.

GSA said Tuesday the unanimous decision came after Murphy discussed her priorities and vision for the agency’s advancement at a Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing.

She will manage a workforce that includes 11,600 full-time agency employees, approximately 371 million square feet of rentable property and annual contracts valued at an estimated $54 billion.

“I’m excited to work with the talented and dedicated team at GSA as we focus on my priorities as administrator, which include emphasizing ethical leadership, reducing duplication within our internal processes and across government, generating more competition at the contract and task order level, and increasing agency transparency,” Murphy said.

She previously held advisory and leadership roles at the House Armed Services Committee, Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council, Small Business Administration, Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and House Small Business Committee.

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Report: Federal Agencies Issue Updated Guidance to Prepare for Possible Govt Shutdown
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Report: Federal Agencies Issue Updated Guidance to Prepare for Possible Govt Shutdown


Report: Federal Agencies Issue Updated Guidance to Prepare for Possible Govt ShutdownFederal agencies such as NASA, General Services Administration and the Department of Housing and Urban Development on Monday released updated guidelines that offer information on offices and activities that would continue in the event of a government shutdown later this week, Nextgov reported Tuesday.

Lawmakers have until Friday to decide on another continuing resolution to extend federal funding through Dec. 22.

GSA said in its guidance that offices such as the Technology Transformation Services and office of information technology are supported by working capital funds that allow them to continue operations in the event of a shutdown.

GSA’s chief acquisition officer, associate administrator and some personnel who support procurement and contracting work will be exempted from the possible shutdown.

NASA would continue to provide transportation and resupply support to the International Space Station and maintain operational satellite missions, according to the agency’s guidance.

HUD issued a contingency plan saying it will maintain help desk support operations and access to standard applications if the department faces a lapse in appropriations, the report added.

Congressional leaders and President Donald Trump agreed to meet Thursday to reach a budget deal for fiscal 2018.

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Army Pilot Program Aims to Train Civilian Tech Professionals in Cyber Operations
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Army Pilot Program Aims to Train Civilian Tech Professionals in Cyber Operations


Army Pilot Program Aims to Train Civilian Tech Professionals in Cyber OperationsThe U.S. Army has introduced a pilot program that aims to hire and train technology professionals from the private sector as lieutenants for cyber operations in a bid to increase the number of the service branch’s cyber personnel, FCW reported Tuesday.

The Cyber Direct Commissioning Program seeks civilian talent to help the Army Cyber Command develop tools that can support operations of the Cyber Mission Force and fulfill gaps in 14 skill areas such as software operations, security engineers, software designers and product managers.

The program is meant to open opportunities for non-military cyber professionals to join the Army and help the service branch produce cyberspace technology platforms and services.

Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone, Army Cyber Commander, said the program will run for five years and annually recruit five officers tasked to report at Army installations in either Georgia and Maryland.

Nakasone added he expects the command to hold its first board gathering in January and start to commission eligible participants for the officer training program in February.

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