Reps. Jim Langevin (D-Rhode Island) and John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) have introduced bills that seek to facilitate research and development collaboration in cybersecurity between the U.S. and Israel.

The proposed United States-Israel Cybersecurity Cooperation Enhancement Act of 2016 seeks to establish a grant program for joint cybersecurity R&D projects, Langevin’s office said in a statement released Thursday.

Under this proposed legislation, the Department of Homeland Security secretary will subject grant applications to a peer-review process based on research requirements set by DHS and an advisory panel to be composed of members from existing partnerships, including the U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation.

The proposed United States-Israel Advanced Research Partnership Act of 2016 aims to advance the development and commercialization of cybersecurity platforms through collaboration between DHS and Israel’s public security ministry.

Langevin and Ratcliffe proposed the bills two months after congressional delegates traveled to Israel to discuss cyber threats faced by both countries.

The U.S. and Israel also signed in June an agreement that seeks to expand cyber defense collaboration through cyber threat information sharing.

The Defense Department has launched efforts to establish a personnel system for the recruitment of employees for civilian cyber posts, Federal News Radio reported Friday.

Jared Serbu writes DoD submitted on June 24 a report to Congress on how the department plans to implement the excepted service for civilian cyber workforce in compliance with the 2016 defense authorization law and the U.S. Code’s title 10.

The 2016 defense authorization law authorizes the DoD secretary to hire and subject cyber employees to a probationary period of three years as well as retain those workers through bonuses and additional pay, Serbu reports.

Karl Schneider, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs, said the Pentagon plans to consider the National Security Agency’s supplemental pay and pay setting system as a model to recruit cyber professionals, according to the report.

“[The personnel system is] going to be a phased approach, starting with a small number of people in the headquarters,” Schneider said at an Association of the U.S. Army forum in Arlington, Virginia.

The report said DoD will set up a board to manage the civilian cyber workforce personnel system.

The Pentagon’s chief information officer will co-chair the cyber workforce management board with DoD’s principal cyber adviser and defense undersecretary for personnel and readiness, the report added.

Adm. Michael Rogers, head of the U.S. Cyber Command, has formed a task force to create digital weapons meant to disrupt the Islamic State militant organization’s online activities, the Washington Post reported Friday.

Ellen Nakashima and Missy Ryan write Joint Task Force Ares, led by Lt. Gen. Edward Cardon, will coordinate with the U.S. Central Command in efforts to damage the networks, computers and mobile phones of the Islamic State group.

The task force comprises approximately 100 military intelligence personnel and staff members at Fort Meade in Maryland, according to the report.

Officials said the unit aims to disrupt Islamic State group-related payment systems as well as identify and destroy the communications platform or Dabiq online magazine of the militant organization, the report states.

The U.S. Army Cyber Command has been designated by the Department of the Army as an Army service component command.

ARCYBER will work in support of the U.S. Cyber Command as well as lead and execute operations in cyber space in an effort to deny cyber access to potential adversaries under the ASCC status, the Army reported Thursday.

“A dedicated Army service component command for the cyber domain is an important step to strengthen the Army’s ability to deliver important cyber capabilities and synchronize operations for the Army and joint force,” said Lt. Gen. Edward Cardon, commander of ARCYBER and Second Army.

The ASCC designation that was granted through a general order signed on July 11 also authorizes the ARCYBER commander to collect resources necessary to develop and use cyber capabilities in order to support the joint force’s efforts.