//
White House Issues Cybersecurity Plan for US Energy Ecosystem
Published on
White House Issues Cybersecurity Plan for US Energy Ecosystem

The Office of the National Cyber Director has published an Energy Modernization Cybersecurity Implementation Plan outlining the federal government’s initiatives to achieve a more secure energy ecosystem.

The EMCIP provides a roadmap for federal efforts to secure the next generation of U.S. energy generation, transmission and distribution, which calls for close partnership between the government and the private sector, the White House said Friday. Under the plan, each of the 32 initiatives will be managed by a lead agency with a specific deadline for completion.

Promoting Cyber Resilience for the US Energy Ecosystem

The EMCIP will carry out programs to achieve cybersecurity resilience for five linchpin energy technologies, which are determined to deliver the highest return on efforts to secure the U.S. energy infrastructure. Through the plan, the Department of Energy will integrate battery energy storage systems operators into cyber exercise programs to address challenges in the battery ecosystem.

Securing Distributed Energy Resources

The DOE will also develop guidance for adopting the tools to increase the cyber posture of network-connected inverters and power conversion equipment. In addition, the agency will design testing procedures for the critical management software to securely operate distributed energy resources and other innovative energy systems.

The EMCIP initiatives aim to enhance the country’s building energy management systems by conducting risk assessments for their most commonly used components and platforms. The plan will also work to safeguard the cybersecurity of electric vehicles and EV charging infrastructure, which will used as backup electricity or virtual power plants to advance systemic resilience.

The government will implement the EMCIP through 12 federal agencies, which will work with stakeholders and form new partnerships in executing its initiatives.

/
Senate Bill to Authorize $25.4B in FY25 Funds for NASA
Published on
Senate Bill to Authorize $25.4B in FY25 Funds for NASA

Six senators have introduced a bipartisan bill that would authorize $25.4 billion in fiscal year 2025 funding for NASA’s space exploration, operations, technology development and Earth and space science initiatives.

In a Dec. 19 news release the Senate Commerce Science and Transportation Committee said the proposed NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2024 would allocate approximately $7.6 billion in FY 2025 funds for space exploration efforts; $4.5 billion for space operations; $7.6 billion for science; and $1.2 billion for space technology.

“This bipartisan legislation sets an ambitious course for America’s space program, ensuring NASA’s leadership from Earth’s orbit to the Moon and Mars,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., chair of the Senate panel.

“With a $25.4 billion investment in exploration and innovation, we’re creating extraordinary economic opportunities – Washington state alone has over 1,500 aerospace companies generating $4.6 billion in economic activity,” she added.

Cantwell introduced the measure with Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas; Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz.; Eric Schmitt, R-Mo.; Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M.; and Roger Wicker, R-Miss. 

What Would the Bill Do?

The legislation would direct NASA to continue the development of all space exploration elements under the Artemis moon exploration program and provide continued support for at least two lunar landers.

The proposed measure would require the space agency to use commercially provided orbiting space stations and continue the commercial lunar payload services program to acquire lunar payload delivery support from commercial providers.

According to the legislation, the space agency should support the development of navigation capabilities, advanced communications and time synchronization standards to ensure well-coordinated activities on the moon’s surface.

Under the bill, NASA should brief Congress on the support its personnel provide to federal agencies that regulate the country’s commercial space industry.

//
GigEagle Lands CDAO Funding for AI-Powered Talent Marketplace
Published on
GigEagle Lands CDAO Funding for AI-Powered Talent Marketplace

The Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office has invested $5.3 million to support the further development of GigEagle’s artificial intelligence-powered joint talent marketplace for digital talent.

CDAO’s GigEagle Investment

The Defense Innovation Unit said on Dec. 20 CDAO’s grant for research, development, test and evaluation through its Management Innovation Pilot is intended for the development and deployment of innovative identification and engagement capabilities for digital talent across the DOD. 

GigEagle’s Talent Matching Platform

The real-time digital talent marketplace, launched by the Defense Innovation Unit in April, utilizes machine learning to quickly connect skilled workers with critical roles. Aside from the DIU and CDAO, GigEagle is also collaborating with the Office of the Undersecretary for Personnel and Readiness and the Chief Talent Management Office to accelerate the development and deployment of the platform across the defense enterprise. This initiative aligns with the DOD’s commitment to prioritize talent management of military and civilian personnel.

The platform has served the Office of the Chief of the Army Reserve, Space Systems Command, European Command, Air Force Research Laboratory, an Intelligence Community agency and other organizations.

Air Force Brig. Gen. Michael McGinley, director of GigEagle and the Agile Talent Ecosystem, stated, “Partnering at the enterprise level is a major step toward harnessing and scaling GigEagle’s technology for DOD’s digital workforce.”

DIU Director Doug Beck said, “GigEagle and tools that help provide easy access to this talent, from within the Defense Innovation Community of Entities, like AFWERX, Marine Innovation Unit and Spacewerx, across the services and components, will be critical in helping to leverage tech with the warfighter focus, speed and scale for strategic effect.”

Chief Digital and AI Officer Radha Plumb, added, “GigEagle helps to match our highly skilled Reserve and National Guard personnel with opportunities throughout the department.”

//
DOE Awards $179M in Funding Grants for Chip Development
Published on
DOE Awards $179M in Funding Grants for Chip Development

The Department of Energy has selected three microelectronics science research centers for funding grants of $179 million to help them enhance microelectronics’ energy efficiency and create new chips for extreme environments.

The funding will enable the MSRCs to conduct research in microelectronics materials, device and system design, and manufacturing science to transform microelectronics technologies, the DOE said Monday. The program supports the government’s vision of producing microelectronics capable of operating in high-radiation, cryogenic and high-magnetic field environments.

According to Harriet Kung, deputy director of science programs at the DOE’s Office of Science, the research centers will deliver innovations to improve U.S. lives and enable the country to maintain its science and technology leadership. 

“Advancements in microelectronics are critical to furthering scientific discovery,” she added.

Funding Recipients and Their Missions

The funding program will help the Microelectronics Energy Efficiency Research Center for Advanced Technologies explore technologies to bridge sensing, edge processing, artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. MEERCAT will accelerate the deployment of scalable and sustainable systems to reimagine computing and sensing models.

Another fund recipient, the Co-design and Heterogeneous Integration in Microelectronics for Extreme Environments Center, will develop durable systems for high performance in extreme thermal and radiation environments. CHIME will turn new research into scalable capabilities that address critical societal and industrial needs.

Under the program, the Extreme Lithography and Materials Innovation Center will integrate new materials and processes into advanced microelectronic systems. ELMIC will collaborate with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to start working on a future build of extreme ultraviolet lithography.

The centers are established as networks of projects that were selected by competitive peer review under the DOE. Projects will run up to four years and access an initial $41 million, with the succeeding funding to be determined by congressional appropriations.

//
Navy Establishes Software Modernization & Innovation Organization
Published on
Navy Establishes Software Modernization & Innovation Organization

The Department of the Navy has released a memorandum directing the establishment of an Echelon I organization to help accelerate the development and deployment of mission-driven and user-focused software to warfighters and civilians.

SMIO’s Responsibilities

DON said Monday the Software Modernization and Innovation Organization, or SMIO, within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, or ASN RD&A, will collaborate with the department’s software practitioners and mission owners to advance enterprise DevSecOps platforms.

According to the Dec. 6 memo, SMIO will drive the department’s collaborative customer-focused strategy to advance modernized software development and delivery efforts. The new organization will introduce operating guidance and best practices associated with a software factory ecosystem, or SwFE, including a transparent process for designating and using enterprise DevSecOps platforms, or EDPs.

Within 60 days of the memo’s release, the new organization should issue a charter outlining the mission, functions, roles, reporting structure and reported outcomes.

The department directs SMIO to design and implement automated metrics and technical data standards to track SwFE’s overall health and provide insight into performance, schedule and cost; leverage diverse pathways to innovation to ensure that the fleet’s requirements are being met and emergent technologies are integrated into SwFE; and work with the Office of the DON Chief Information Officer/Chief Technical Officer on processes, metrics and policies in software containerization, open-source software and application programming interfaces, among key areas.

Jane Rathbun, DON CIO and a 2024 Wash100 Award recipient, signed the memo with ASN RD&A Nickolas Guertin, a previous Wash100 awardee.

//
Air Force Initiates Steps to Consolidate IT Functions
Published on
Air Force Initiates Steps to Consolidate IT Functions

The Department of the Air Force has moved to streamline and consolidate IT functions by aligning the Headquarters Cyberspace Capabilities Center at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois as a field operating agency to the Office of the DAF Chief Information Officer.

“This is a significant step toward streamlining and consolidating Information Technology functions and ensuring unity of effort in IT service delivery across the Air Force and Space Force,” Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall said in a statement published Monday.

Enabling IT Enterprise to Accelerate Capability Development 

“By combining and aligning these functions to their authoritative owner, the IT enterprise will be able to produce capabilities in shorter, more rapid development cycles – ensuring requirements are expediently actioned and delivered to the Airmen and Guardians who need them,” the 2024 Wash100 awardee added.

The move took effect Friday, Dec. 20. Follow-on measures will include future administrative changes and realignment of functions from other organizations.

“I have a responsibility to the secretary, but also his staff and both services, to ensure their IT requirements are captured and developed in a way that is not only responsive but cost effective and interoperable with one another,” said Venice Goodwine, chief information officer at DAF.

“We can do this through effective governance, and alignment of the Cyberspace Capabilities Center as a Field Operating Agency to my office, will help reinforce adherence to the capability delivery process,” added Goodwine, a fellow 2024 Wash100 Award recipient.

Headquarters Cyberspace Capabilities Center is expected to achieve full operational capability by October 2025. 

According to the department, there will be no movement of personnel as a result of the changes, which seek to organize, equip and train the IT enterprise and cyberspace domain.

//
VA Plans for Mid-2026 EHR System Deployment
Published on
VA Plans for Mid-2026 EHR System Deployment

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has started planning for the deployment of the Federal Electronic Health Record system to four Michigan facilities by mid-2026.

Enhancing the EHR System

The federal agency said the decision to deploy the EHR system to the facilities in Ann Arbor, Battle Creek, Detroit and Saginaw follows refinement efforts to the system during the reset period, starting in April 2023, when deployments were paused. The department leveraged feedback from veterans, VA staff and clinicians to bolster the EHR system, resulting in enhanced services and elevated veteran trust.

All existing EHR sites reported an increase in veteran outpatient trust scores, ranging from 3.5 to 93 percent, during the reset period. The enhanced system also reduced outages that disrupted patient care and interruptions for clinicians that slows down service for veterans. Furthermore, the efforts resulted in a boost in clinician and staff satisfaction.

VA Deputy Secretary Tanya Bradsher said, “We paused deployments of the EHR for more than a year and a half to listen to veterans and clinicians, understand the issues and make improvements to the system. As a result of those efforts, veteran trust and system performance have improved across the board.”

Neil Evans, acting program executive director of the EHRM Integration Office, added, “VA is ready to begin planning for the next Federal EHR deployments in 2026, while at the same time remaining committed to the continuous improvement efforts that have been our focus for the past 18 months.”

///
Lesley Bernys Named DC3 Executive Director
Published on
Lesley Bernys Named DC3 Executive Director

Lesley Bernys, a cybersecurity and national security professional, has been appointed executive director of the Department of Defense’s Cyber Crime Center, or DC3, succeeding Jude Sunderbruch, who retired in June.

The department said Bernys will oversee a 500-strong workforce composed of military personnel, contractor employees and civilians. This multi-faceted team is tasked with providing direct support for the DOD’s operational requirements.

Lesley Bernys’ Career Highlights

The new DC3 executive director previously served as chief information officer and director of information technology services and solutions for the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

Bernys joined the Department of the Air Force in 2003 as a special agent with the AFOSI. He then served in various leadership roles, including special agent in charge, deputy director of the Office of Special Projects and headquarters special advisor. Bernys also held multiple policy and leadership positions within the Senate and Cyber Command.

DOD Cyber Crime Center

The DC3 is a federal cybersecurity center and a field operating agency under the DAF Inspector General. Its main objective is to strengthen cybersecurity and national security through innovative capabilities such as digital and multimedia forensics, technical approaches or strategies development, advanced cyber training and cyber analytics across the DOD. These capabilities enhance cybersecurity, law enforcement and counterintelligence, boost document and media exploitation and safeguard critical infrastructure.

/
FedRAMP Seeks Feedback on Plan to Establish New Funding Source
Published on
FedRAMP Seeks Feedback on Plan to Establish New Funding Source

mThe Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program has started soliciting feedback from stakeholders on a plan to create a new funding source to support efforts to scale FedRAMP, grow the program’s authorization capacity and oversee cloud service providers, or CSPs, in a more flexible way.

More Capacity to Conduct Continuous Monitoring

FedRAMP said Friday a demand-responsive funding source could enable the continuous monitoring process to kick off before a cloud provider becomes authorized.

According to FedRAMP, such a practice could enable CSPs to continue making changes and improve their product.

With a new funding source, the program could grow the size and pace of relevant pilots, like FedRAMP’s agile delivery and digital authorization pilots; centrally oversee the ongoing security of cloud offerings in the marketplace; and scale the number of reviewers who work with CSPs through the FedRAMP authorization and continuous monitoring processes.

Questions for Stakeholders

FedRAMP is asking CSPs about factors to consider in creating a cost model, specific parts of the authorization and continuous monitoring processes that should receive the most direct investment and other compliance initiatives that charge money that could serve as good models for the program to consider.

The program also wants the public’s input on a cost model that is right for smaller businesses and other significant process options that FedRAMP could consider making with dynamic funding.

Comments are due Feb. 28.

According to FedRAMP, a decision to charge CSPs to scale the program has not been made. Public input, consultation with cloud providers and internal government coordination will inform the final plan.

//
NASA, UPSTO Boost Innovation Via Tech Transfer & Commercialization
Published on
NASA, UPSTO Boost Innovation Via Tech Transfer & Commercialization

NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office have partnered to promote innovation through technology transfer and commercialization opportunities.

STMD and USPTO Partnership

USPTO said on Dec. 19 the two agencies signed a five-year memorandum of understanding to collaborate and study intellectual property, or IP, management, technology transfer best practices and lessons learned. The partnership also aims to determine hindrances to technology transfer participation and ways federal agencies and academic institutions can tackle these challenges.

USPTO will leverage its understanding of IP while STMD will bring its knowledge of innovative federal technology transfer to the partnership. They intend to provide insight and best practices to the technology transfer community to accelerate innovations.

An evaluation will take place once the MOU is completed. This will be the basis if further modification or expansions are necessary.

Derrick Brent, acting under secretary of commerce for intellectual property and acting director of USPTO, said “I’m excited to continue and strengthen these efforts with our colleagues at NASA as we work together to drive more innovation and entrepreneurship opportunities for the benefit of all Americans.” 

Dan Lockney, technology transfer program executive at NASA, added, “We look forward to addressing common challenges, and this paper will offer some assurance that we are on a solid, strong path to transferring technologies effectively.” 

1 … 219 220 221 222 223 … 2,697