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DHS Seeks R&D Project Proposals to Address US Security Challenges
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DHS Seeks R&D Project Proposals to Address US Security Challenges

The Department of Homeland Security is inviting interested parties to submit their proposed research and development projects to address security challenges in the United States.

Under a new long-range broad agency announcement, or LRBAA, published on Tuesday, the DHS Science and Technology Directorate calls on the scientific and technical communities to submit new ideas for innovative solutions to improve the country’s security, the agency said.

Businesses, universities, national laboratories and other R&D organizations can submit their proposals through the LRBAA process, the department added.

According to LRBAA Program Manager Dusty Lang, the process allows organizations to test the government’s interest in their submissions, enabling them to reduce the effort and expense of creating a full proposal.

DHS seeks proposals for 23 research and development topics, which are categorized into five mission areas, namely, counter-terrorism and homeland security threats, secure U.S. borders and approaches, secure cyberspace and critical infrastructure, preserve and uphold the nation’s prosperity and economic security, and strengthen preparedness and resilience.

The department will host a hybrid industry day on Aug. 21 in Washington, D.C., to provide more details about the effort and answer questions from would-be attendees.

Summit 7 Makes Inc 5000 List of Fastest Growing Companies
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Summit 7 Makes Inc 5000 List of Fastest Growing Companies

Summit 7 has been named to the Inc. 5000 annual ranking, which celebrates the fastest-growing private companies nationwide.

Coming in at number 2290, Summit 7 is appearing on the list for the ninth time, and the fifth consecutive year, the cybersecurity company reported Tuesday.

Scott Edwards, CEO of Summit 7, said being selected to the Inc. 5000 list is an ode to the company’s mission of protecting the U.S. defense supply chain.

“This achievement is a direct result of our team’s commitment to providing unmatched compliance solutions that empower our clients to meet the newly mandated, stringent requirements of the Department of Defense,” Edwards said.

The Inc. 5000 class of 2024 has reportedly brought 874,458 jobs to the economy over the past three years. Editor-in-chief of Inc. 5000 Mike Hofman said, “To see all of the intriguing and surprising ways that companies are transforming sectors, from health care and AI to apparel and pet food, is fascinating for me as a journalist and storyteller.”

Edwards said that as Summit 7 continues to evolve, the company will focus on broadening its systems to support the future of the defense industrial base.

“Our future lies in innovating new solutions that not only secure our nation’s most critical data but also empower our clients to achieve compliance with confidence,” Edwards stated. “We’re excited about the road ahead and remain committed to being the trusted partner for defense contractors navigating the complex cybersecurity landscape.”

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Commerce IG Calls for Revision to OSC’s Approach to TraCSS Program Amid Implementation Delay
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Commerce IG Calls for Revision to OSC’s Approach to TraCSS Program Amid Implementation Delay

The Office of Inspector General within the Department of Commerce has recommended revising the Office of Space Commerce’s processes to speed up development of the Traffic Coordination System for Space—a.k.a. TraCSS—capability, Breaking Defense reported Tuesday.

Under Space Policy Directive-3, National Space Traffic Management Policy issued in June 2018, the Commerce Department is mandated to assume the responsibility to provide space situational awareness data to commercial, civil and foreign entities—an activity currently performed by the Department of Defense.

The OSC, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is developing the TraCSS to monitor space objects and provide notifications of potential conjunctions to civil and commercial space operators.

The IG, however, found that the OSC is behind schedule in providing basic space situational awareness data and services and a new approach to space traffic management is not yet defined and remains a distant goal.

In its report published in July, the IG urged the OSC to revise the TraCSS program timeline using agile best practices to include realistic dates, capabilities and actual progress; develop and communicate a plan to ensure stakeholders stay informed of changes to the TraCSS timeline; modify the TraCSS staffing plan to include roles, responsibilities and priority for each position and strategies for attrition management; define and document OSC’s approach for STM-related responsibilities in the near- and long-terms to address current and future operational risks; and develop and regularly update a plan to implement OSC’s approach to fulfilling the department’s STM-related responsibilities set in SPD-3.

In response to the report, NOAA concurred with the first three recommendations but did not concur with the fourth recommendation and only partially concurred with the fifth recommendation.

The report indicated that further delay in the OSC’s TraCSS program could result in a service gap for space operators.

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DLA to Support Small Businesses Through Mentor-Protege Program
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DLA to Support Small Businesses Through Mentor-Protege Program

The Defense Logistics Agency’s Office of Small Business Programs has launched a new program to help small businesses broaden their capabilities and compete for contracts through mentor-protege agreements with large contractors.

DLA said Tuesday its Mentor-Protege Program will provide incentives for prime contractors that offer developmental support to small vendors seeking to navigate federal acquisition processes and develop new skillsets.

“This is another tool that we will use to help strengthen our defense industrial base,” said DLA Small Business Director Daniele Kurze.

“It will give small businesses new opportunities to grow and learn from large suppliers, which can help us fill critical gaps in our supply chain down the road,” she added.

Mentors may support proteges in inventory control, software, quality assurance, manufacturing, systems compliance, personnel management and other general business processes.

Kurze’s office collaborated with the Department of Defense and service branches to determine how to establish DLA’s MPP initiative.

“We’ve taken a targeted approach in focusing on critical areas and establishing internal guidelines and repeatable processes,” she said.

Kurze noted that the first mentor-protege agreements will focus on backing specific weapons systems.

NSTC Releases Report on How US Government Can Advance International Cooperation on Quantum IT
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NSTC Releases Report on How US Government Can Advance International Cooperation on Quantum IT

The U.S. government should establish long-term mechanisms dedicated to the financing of international cooperation and collaboration in the field of quantum information science and technology, according to the National Science and Technology Council‘s Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science.

The subcommittee made the recommendation in a recently-released report titled “Advancing International Cooperation in Quantum Information Science and Technology,” which proposes actions that the U.S. can take to help advance QIST knowledge and innovation through international partnerships.

The subcommittee also called on agencies to better coordinate with one another when it comes to a portfolio of government-wide international QIST engagements.

A third recommendation involves the U.S. government establishing and monitoring metrics that would measure global competitiveness in QIST and enabling technologies.

The report was prepared in light of what the subcommittee described as the “transformative potential” of QIST in the collection, processing and transmission of information and the potential benefits such changes could bring.

And although the U.S. has historically supported international QIST cooperation, areas for improvement remain. The recommendations discussed in the report, along with those in the report titled “The Role of International Talent in Quantum Information Science,” seek to address those areas.

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SpaceWERX Unveils Latest Innovate to Accelerate Cohort for Aerospace Tech Innovations
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SpaceWERX Unveils Latest Innovate to Accelerate Cohort for Aerospace Tech Innovations

SpaceWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force and a division within AFWERX, has commenced its second Innovate to Accelerate, or I2A, cohort in line with efforts to boost the development of technological innovations in aerospace operations.

The Air Force Research Laboratory said Friday the latest I2A will focus on developing both the Alternative Positioning, Navigation and Timing, or AltPNT, and the Digital Spacefort of the Future.

The I2A program is intended to help companies under the SpaceWERX Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs find commercial success through the lifecycle of their Direct to Phase II, or D2P2. Participants will have the opportunity to receive mentorship, resources and collaborate with experts and investors.

The latest I2A cohort was launched in July 2024 and will run for 12 weeks. It will culminate in an Expo Day event on Oct. 17, 2024 in El Segundo, California. The project is made possible with the help of New Mexico Technologies University and Disruptive Technology Index, or DTI.

The National Security Innovation Network, or NSIN, meanwhile, is involved with AFWERX’s Project Vanguard initiative. The project is intended for those selected for the I2A program to have access to mentors, partners and private funding opportunities.

The goal of the AltPNT is to develop satellite-based systems beyond the traditional navigation satellite systems. With the help of Space Systems Command, the program intends to make navigation systems more resilient and accurate.

The Digital Space of the Future challenge, meanwhile, has partnered with Assured Access to Space. It aims to advance digital technologies and optimize aerospace launch and operational processes.

Companies chosen are automatically enrolled in the I2A program. They will participate in the AFWERX Challenge Definition Workshop, where they get to work with key space stakeholders and roll into a SpaceWERX specific topic D2P2 solicitation.

A total of 122 proposals were received for the AltPNT challenge with only 20 selected for funding. The 20 chosen companies got a total contract value of $34.8 million to develop proposals for innovations that will benefit the defense and commercial sectors.

The companies selected to participate are as follows:

  • AOSense
  • Applied Systems Engineering Inc.
  • Devorto
  • Infinity Systems Engineering
  • Innovative Scientific Solutions Inc.
  • Mesa Quantum Systems
  • NAVSYS
  • nou Systems
  • Polaris Sensor Technologies
  • Slingshot Aerospace
  • StarNav
  • TeraSense
  • Thomas Youmans
  • Trident Sensing
  • TRL11
  • TrustPoint
  • Xairos Systems
  • Xona Space Systems

The Digital Spaceport of the Future challenge, meanwhile, received 150 proposals. The 12 companies chosen for funding secured a total contract value of $57 million. They are tasked with developing the efficiency, safety and sustainability of spaceports through digital twins, artificial intelligence, automation and data analytics.

The following companies will participate in the challenge:

  • Beast Code
  • Black Rock Engineering & Technology
  • Colvin Run Networks
  • Federated Wireless
  • Lifescale Analytics
  • Parry Labs
  • RapidFort
  • Rise8
  • Silotech Group
  • UTSI International
  • VETS

Arthur Grijalva, director of SpaceWERX, stressed the importance of the innovative cohort focusing on AltPNT and the Digital Spaceport of the Future. “This initiative marks a significant step towards transforming space operations through advanced technology, fostering collaboration among industry leaders, startups and government entities.”

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US Army to Screen Laser Weapon Proposals in 2025 Competition
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US Army to Screen Laser Weapon Proposals in 2025 Competition

The U.S. Army is scheduling in the 2025 first quarter a competition for the proposals it received to develop the service’s short-range air defense system called Enduring High Energy Laser, or HEL, Defense News reported Monday.

The proposals were collected during the Army’s industry day in July, with team submissions as well as individual entries, Lt. Gen. Robert Rasch, the Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office director, said.

The service has recently deployed laser prototypes, including 50-kilowatt systems designed to counter short-range threats.

Raytheon delivered the first 50-kw prototype with Kord Technologies, a KBR unit, as the lead integrator.

In addition, the Army’s RCCTO is currently assessing options on 10-, 20- and 300-kilowatt systems for wide-ranging threats and missions.

The service branch expects to receive in 2025 the 300-kilowatt laser, which is geared for indirect fire protection against such threats as rockets, mortars and drones.

Rasch’s office is also waiting for two other prototypes that the teams of Lockheed Martin and nLight are separately developing.

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FedRAMP Announces Shift to One Authorization Designation, Offers Update on JAB Transition
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FedRAMP Announces Shift to One Authorization Designation, Offers Update on JAB Transition

The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program has announced that it is transitioning to one designation of FedRAMP Authorized as part of its modernization effort aimed at accelerating federal agencies’ secure adoption of cloud services.

FedRAMP said Monday it will eliminate the “authorization path” filter on the FedRAMP Marketplace in the next few weeks and that cloud service providers that have secured certification through the Joint Authorization Board, or JAB, will have their historic designation included in their Marketplace description.

For CSPs that were authorized by the JAB, the program will initially shift continuous monitoring to FedRAMP or to one of the former JAB agencies such as the General Services Administration and the departments of Defense and Homeland Security.

FedRAMP expects to migrate continuous monitoring for CSPs not used by a former JAB agency to another agency client and will continue supporting a number of CSPs that were originally prioritized by the JAB to issue a program authorization.

For the long term, the program plans to establish criteria and an approach to expanding the authorization marketwide.

FedRAMP will host a virtual question-and-answer session on Aug. 14 for cloud providers that were authorized or prioritized by the JAB.

In May, the Office of Management and Budget appointed seven inaugural members to the newly established FedRAMP Board, which replaced the program’s JAB.

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DARPA Holds AI Cyber Challenge to Boost AI-Driven Cybersecurity
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DARPA Holds AI Cyber Challenge to Boost AI-Driven Cybersecurity

The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, or DARPA, recently held the qualifying round for the AI Cyber Challenge, or AIxCC, a competition that challenges participants to push the limits of AI-driven cybersecurity.

DARPA said Sunday the semifinal competition of the AIxCC was held during DEF CON 32, which took place from Aug. 8-11. More than 12,500 people attended the event, which proved how critical the competition, particularly AI and cybersecurity, is to real life.

The semifinal round narrowed down the field to the top seven teams. Each of these seven teams will receive $2 million and qualify for the final stage of the two-year competition, which is scheduled for August 2025.

The seven teams advancing to the final stage include:

  •    42-b3yond-6ug
  •    all_you_need_is_a_fuzzing_brain
  •    Lacrosse
  •    Shellphish
  •    Team Atlanta
  •    Theori
  •    Trail of Bits

AIxCC, with the help of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, asked participants to come up with AI and cybersecurity innovations to protect important open-source software that enables modern life. These enhanced AI systems will be necessary in defending different sectors such as public utilities, healthcare and finance, especially since the software is highly vulnerable to cyberattacks.

During the semifinal competition, participating teams were asked to create “cyber reasoning systems” to tackle “challenge projects.” These AI systems should have the capability to automatically detect and repair vulnerabilities in software.

Nearly 40 teams submitted their cyber reasoning systems and each one was tested on the same set of challenge projects, which included software like Jenkins, Linux kernel, Nginx, SQLite3 and Apache Tika. The AI systems were scored based on a public algorithm.

The AI systems developed by the participants found 22 unique synthetic vulnerabilities and 15 of those were fixed by the systems. Eleven unique patches for the C-based challenges and four for Java-based challenges were also determined. Additionally, the systems found a real-world bug in the SQLite3 software.

The seven teams who made it to the final round will have one year to further develop their technology. A total of $29.5 million in prizes is up for grabs during the culmination of the competition.

Learn everything you need to know about the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification. Register here to watch the webinar.

DARPA Holds AI Cyber Challenge to Boost AI-Driven Cybersecurity
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DCSA to Launch Continuous Vetting Services for Non-Sensitive Public Trust Workers Within the Week
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DCSA to Launch Continuous Vetting Services for Non-Sensitive Public Trust Workers Within the Week

The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency will, within the week, begin a phased rollout of continuous vetting, or CV, services for the non-sensitive public trust, or NSPT, workforce as part of the Trusted Workforce 2.0 whole-of-government personnel vetting reform effort.

The DCSA said Monday that the implementation is being carried out in collaboration with multiple agencies that have volunteered to serve as early adopters of CV, which will work to replace a requirement to subject NSPT workers to a security investigation every five years.

In lieu of such reinvestigations, CV will subject individuals to regular background checks to ensure continuing compliance with security clearance requirements. Accompanying CV are a variety of attendant services, including reporting, alert management and real time threat analysis.

Commenting on the rollout, DCSA Director David Cattler said, “Expansion of CV to the NSPT workforce is a critical component of federal Trusted Workforce 2.0 policy and enhances the trustworthiness of all federal employees.”

Implementing CV on the NSPT population is of particular significance because such workers include those who hold non-national security roles but could, through misconduct, nevertheless damage the integrity of the service. In addition, public trust positions include a variety of key services like rulemaking, public safety and health services, and law enforcement.

The DCSA aims to provide by the end of fiscal year 2025 all customer agencies with the ability to let them enroll their NSPT workers into CV.

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