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White House Disbands Commission on Election Integrity
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White House Disbands Commission on Election Integrity


White House Disbands Commission on Election IntegrityPresident Donald Trump has signed an executive order to dissolve the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity and asked the Department of Homeland Security to continue investigations into 2016 voter fraud claims, Politico reported Wednesday.

Trump said in a statement various states have declined to provide the voter fraud commission with information that can support its inquiries and thus the president decided to disband the group to mitigate legal battles that cost taxpayers’ money.

The commission requested for data which included citizens’ criminal records and partial Social Security numbers but faced backlash from state officials who where skeptical about the storage and security of such personal information.

The panel, which includes Vice President Mike Pence as the chairman, only met twice including once in the White House complex in July and during at a New Hampshire college in September.

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, vice chairman of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, noted he believes officers from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency will begin to oversee the commission’s tasks.

“It’s a shifting in tactics from having the investigation be done by a federal commission to having it be done by a federal agency… The agency has a greater ability to move quickly to get the investigation done,” said Kobach.

HHS Seeks Comments on Draft Framework for EHR Systems Interoperability
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HHS Seeks Comments on Draft Framework for EHR Systems Interoperability


HHS Seeks Comments on Draft Framework for EHR Systems InteroperabilityThe Department of Health and Human Services has issued a draft framework that seeks to establish policies, technical standards and processes to facilitate health information sharing and interoperability of electronic health records systems.

HHS said Friday the department’s Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology drafted the proposed Trusted Exchange Framework in compliance with the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016.

ONC will pick through a competitive process a recognized coordinating entity to help create a common agreement for voluntary adoption by qualified health information networks and other participants.

The framework also aims to provide health providers and payer organizations access to health data to aid in the analysis of population health trends, costs and outcomes as well as help the health IT community use application programming interfaces to increase EHR use.

ONC will collaborate with RCE to incorporate public comments and other feedback into the final Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement that will be released in the Federal Register this year.

HHS will accept comments on the draft framework through Feb. 18.

 

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Report: 5 Goals to Strengthen Federal IT Networks’ Cyber Resilience Against Botnets
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Report: 5 Goals to Strengthen Federal IT Networks’ Cyber Resilience Against Botnets


Report: 5 Goals to Strengthen Federal IT Networks’ Cyber Resilience Against BotnetsThe departments of Homeland Security and Commerce have issued a draft report that lists five objectives that aim to build up the resilience of federal information technology systems and critical infrastructure from botnets and other automated cyber threats.

Those goals include the identification of a clear pathway to create a secure and sustainable technology marketplace; advancement of innovation in networks and infrastructure to help detect and prevent malicious behavior and other evolving threats; and establishment of coalitions between infrastructure, security and operational technology communities, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The agencies submitted the report to President Donald Trump in compliance to a May 2017 executive order that seeks to increase the cyber defense of federal IT networks and critical infrastructure.

The draft document also cited six major themes about automated, distributed attacks; product security; awareness and education; cyber tools adoption; and market incentives.

The Commerce Department will accept comments on the report through Feb. 12 and hold a two-day workshop that is set to kick off Feb. 28 at a National Institute of Standards and Technology facility in Rockville, Maryland.

The two departments will integrate feedback and other comments into the final report that is due for submission to the president on May 11.

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NIST Unveils First Responder Virtual Reality Tech Competition
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NIST Unveils First Responder Virtual Reality Tech Competition


NIST Unveils First Responder Virtual Reality Tech CompetitionThe National Institute of Standards and Technology‘s Public Safety Communications Innovation Accelerator has announced it will administer a prize competition on virtual reality and software coding.

The First Responder Virtual Reality Heads-up-Display Navigation Challenge entails its participants to formulate HUD concepts that to support public safety in either areas of firefighting or law enforcement, NIST said in a challenge.gov post.

Concepts made through the competition must support the development of user interface technology that includes feedback mechanisms, vocal commands and visual indicators.

The competition will include four stages: concept paper submission, HUD prototype conceptualization, evaluation round one and evaluation round two.

Judging for the concept papers will be based on strategic alignment, technical outcome and feasibility.

Interested participants may submit entries through the announcement’s submit tab until Jan. 26.

NIST expects to name the winners by Feb. 5.

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DoD to Transform Common Access Cards into Personnel Identity Verification Cards
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DoD to Transform Common Access Cards into Personnel Identity Verification Cards


DoD to Transform Common Access Cards into Personnel Identity Verification CardsThe Defense Department is modifying common access cards into personnel identity verification cards designed to help validate the identity of cardholders, Federal News Radio reported Friday.

Andy Seymour, DoD’s public key infrastructure manager, told Federal News Radio that DoD is about to issue directives that will give the services 18 months to unlock the PIV authentication certificate on CACs and begin using the new certificate for access.

“Our goal really is for joint interoperability across the entire government space, and not just DoD,” said Seymour.

He added that DoD also aims to optimize the security of contactless communication between CACs and the system as well as add encrypted certificates that will let users execute “tap-and-go” authentication.

Seymour noted that DoD is looking into various options to evolve CACs, including the use of multi-factor authentication tools and identity federation services.

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New Report Recommends Earth Science Missions for NASA
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New Report Recommends Earth Science Missions for NASA


New Report Recommends Earth Science Missions for NASAA new report by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine proposes a series of Earth science missions for NASA to pursue over the next decade, Space News reported Friday.

The recommended satellite missions could cost between $300 to $800 million each and are intended to help scientists understand changes in the Earth’s climate, water cycle, soil and other resources, the report said.

NASA could run the missions or award the programs to entities within the scientific community through a competitive process.

The proposals include a mission to measure aerosols in the atmosphere worth about $800 million; an exploration of clouds, convection and precipitation, with an estimated cost of $800 million; and a spacecraft that will measure mass change in snow, ice and ocean water under a $300 million program.

The National Academies also recommended a $650 million study of surface biology and geology as well as a mission to investigate surface deformation and change, worth approximately $500 million.

The decadal report calls on NASA to launch a new set of medium-class Earth science missions, dubbed Earth System Explorer, which would kick-off three competitively selected Earth science missions that would cost no more than $350 million each.

The report also urged NASA to establish the Incubation program that would support the development of technologies required to perform high-priority science missions as well as expand the existing Venture Class of Earth science explorations.

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James Mattis: Operations in Syria will Disrupt Islamic State Militant Group Recruitment
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James Mattis: Operations in Syria will Disrupt Islamic State Militant Group Recruitment


James Mattis: Operations in Syria will Disrupt Islamic State Militant Group Recruitment
James Mattis

James Mattis, Secretary of Defense, has said he expects to witness a lagging indicator that proves recent operations in Syria will diminish the number of recruits and foreign fighters joining the Islamic State militant group’s ranks, DoD News reported Friday.

Mattis answered inquiries at the Pentagon regarding topics involving South Asia, North Korea and Iran during an impromptu discussion with reporters.

He said the U.S. remains observant of illicit weapons activities in Iran and the illegal displays of missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and antitank weapons at the Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling.

The report noted Iran repeatedly violated United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 which tackles sanctions related to the country’s distribution of weapons and ballistic missile program.

The defense secretary also said U.S. and South Korea maintain close bonds and diplomatic efforts continue to attempt denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.

He added U.S.-South Korean military exercises will push through after the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and the succeeding Paralympic games.

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Report: DHS Transitioned 10 Cyber Tech Concepts to Marketplace in FY2017
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Report: DHS Transitioned 10 Cyber Tech Concepts to Marketplace in FY2017


Report: DHS Transitioned 10 Cyber Tech Concepts to Marketplace in FY2017The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate commercialized, spun off and released 10 cybersecurity technologies to the marketplace in fiscal year 2017 through its Transition to Practice program.

DHS said Thursday it attributes the program’s progress to S&T’s growing capacity to determine and streamline the maturation of cybersecurity technologies needed in the public and private sectors.

TTP determines emerging cybersecurity technologies under development at federal laboratories, universities and federally funded research and development centers which can be funded through the lab-to-market program.

The agency puts the selected technologies through a structured transition process which involves pilot deployments, outreach, market validation, testing and evaluation before introducing the systems to potential developers, investors and integrators who can transition the technologies into commercially applicable products.

The program spun off a University of North Carolina-developed exploit detection and analytics tool into a startup company dubbed as ZeroPoint Dynamics and licensed Hyperion, an Oak Ridge National Laboratory-made malware forensics detection and software assurance tool, to Manassas, Virginia-based cybersecurity company Lenvio.

TTP also awarded the license of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory-designed Network FLOW AnalyzER software application to zSofTech Solutions and spun off the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory-built REnigma malware execution recording technology to Deterministic Security.

IP Group licensed three PNNL-made algorithms and industrial control systems including MLSTONES, Digital Ants and SerialTap.

The Worcester Polytechnic Institute developed the Policy Enforcement and Access Control for End-points network connection protection platform which ContexSure Networks spun off.

Nadia Carlsten, program manager of the TTP, said the program is in a position to continue its growth and ride the momentum throughout 2018.

S&T also released two TTP technologies as open-source for the developer community and organizations that seek to use it including the Los Alamos National Laboratory-built search-optimized packet capture system called PcapDB and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology-made Keylime cloud computing security tool.

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Army Office Launches Cloud Migration Assistance Website
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Army Office Launches Cloud Migration Assistance Website


Army Office Launches Cloud Migration Assistance WebsiteThe U.S. Army‘s Application Migration Business Office has introduced a website designed to assist the military branch’s information technology community in meeting cloud migration requirements, GCN reported Friday.

The AAMBO portal features information about the office’s cloud migration readiness evaluation process, policies established by the Army Chief Information Officer/G-6 and providers under the Army Cloud Computing Enterprise Transformation contract vehicle.

The Army’s program executive office for enterprise information systems formed AAMBO to serve as a liaison between Defense Department-authorized enterprise environment providers and managers of systems and applications, the report said.

AAMBO supports the Enterprise Computing Operations Service Center under the Network Enterprise Technology Command.

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Sen. Claire McCaskill Asks CBP for Info on $297M Staff Hiring Support Contract
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Sen. Claire McCaskill Asks CBP for Info on $297M Staff Hiring Support Contract


Sen. Claire McCaskill Asks CBP for Info on $297M Staff Hiring Support ContractSen. Claire McCaskill, ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, has asked the Customs and Border Protection to provide information about a potential five-year, $297 million contract awarded to Accenture for recruitment support services.

The contract calls for Accenture’s federal services business to recruit and employ 5,000 border patrol agents, 2,000 customs officers and 500 air and marine interdiction employees, McCaskill wrote in a Wednesday letter to Kevin McAleenan, CBP acting commissioner.

She noted that CBP would need to spend approximately $40,000 for each hire under the contract.

McCaskill asked the agency to submit the final contract document and respond to several questions about the office of human resources management’s capacity to recruit additional staff for CBP; per capita cost for new law enforcement officers; ways to fund the contract; and other recruitment support contracts the agency holds.

CBP has until Jan. 24 to submit information in response to the senator’s letter.

 

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