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Government Technology/News
CNN: US to Blame Iran for 2013 Hack on NY Dam
by Jay Clemens
Published on March 15, 2016
CNN: US to Blame Iran for 2013 Hack on NY Dam


CyberStockThe U.S. government plans to blame Iran in a public statement for a 2013 cyber breach on a dam based 30 miles north of New York City, CNN reported Thursday.

Evan Perez and Shimon Prokupecz write the Justice Department will issue an indictment within the week against hackers investigators believe are working for Iran’s government.

CNN reports the hackers were able to access some office systems but not the dam’s operational data, according to the report.

Hackers out of Iran attempted to attack U.S. financial institutions around the same time as the breach on the Bowman Avenue Dam in Rye Brook, N.Y., according to the report.

The dam attack involved the use of commercial-off-the-shelf software, CNN said.

News
DOT Names 7 Finalists in Smart Cities Challenge; Anthony Foxx Comments
by Scott Nicholas
Published on March 15, 2016
DOT Names 7 Finalists in Smart Cities Challenge; Anthony Foxx Comments


RoadwayThe Transportation Department has selected seven finalists a $40 million national contest to develop programs to address mobility, environmental and safety problems through the integration of technology and data-based approaches.

All finalistsin the Smart City Challenge will receive $100,000 each to aid in the development of new ideas that would be judged on the candidate’s ability to “think big,” form a road map and integrate technology on a proposed city transportation network, DOT said Saturday.

“The level of excitement and energy the Smart City Challenge has created around the country far exceeded our expectations,” said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

Foxx said that seven were selected instead of five because of the potential of the participants to develop the future of urban transportation.

The complete list of finalists is found on DOT’s website and the department will announce the winner in June.

Civilian/News
David Vargas Appointed Acting CIO at OPM
by Jane Edwards
Published on March 15, 2016
David Vargas Appointed Acting CIO at OPM


Office of Personnel Management logo David Vargas, former associate chief information officer at the Office of Personnel Management, has been promoted to interim CIO at the federal government’s lead human resource agency, Fedscoop reported Monday.

Billy Mitchell writes Vargas succeeds former OPM CIO Donna Seymour, who announced her retirement from the agency in February.

Acting OPM Director Beth Cobert informed lawmakers of Vargas’ appointment during testimony to the House Appropriations subcommittee on financial services and general government on the agency’s budget request for fiscal year 2017.

Cobert, an inductee into Executive Mosaic‘s Wash100 for 2016, also cited Vargas’ involvement in OPM’s IT modernization efforts at the hearing.

Vargas served as director of human resources information technology transformation at OPM prior to his associate CIO post.

Prior to OPM, he spent more than two decades at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and held senior executive roles there such as associate deputy assistant secretary and director of financial assessments for HUD’s real estate assessment center.

Civilian/News
Penny Pritzker: Commerce Dept Program Seeks to Help US Firms Compete in Global Digital Marketplace
by Jane Edwards
Published on March 15, 2016
Penny Pritzker: Commerce Dept Program Seeks to Help US Firms Compete in Global Digital Marketplace


Penny Pritzker
Penny Pritzker

The Commerce Department has unveiled a pilot initiative that seeks to address trade barriers that data localization policies and other digital regulations pose to U.S. companies.

Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker said in an opinion piece published Friday the department’s International Trade Administration will spearhead the Digital Attache Program in partnership with the State Department and industry stakeholders.

Under the initiative, digital attaches will work to help U.S. small- and medium-sized enterprises leverage E-commerce channels to expand exports worldwide and overcome challenges presented by digital regulations in international markets.

Pritzker noted that the program also aims to promote commercial diplomacy, secure connections between trade promotion and trade policy initiatives and advance policies that seek to address technology concerns.

“The department looks forward to using the new attache program to partner with the private sector in advancing this mission for the evolving digital economy,” Pritzker added.

Civilian/News
NASA Vet Janet Kavandi Named Director of Agency’s Glenn Research Center
by Ramona Adams
Published on March 15, 2016
NASA Vet Janet Kavandi Named Director of Agency’s Glenn Research Center


Janet Kavandi
Janet Kavandi

Janet Kavandi, a former astronaut and current deputy director at NASA‘s Glenn Research Center, has been appointed director of the Cleveland-based space technology research facility in a move that takes effect Monday.

She will succeed Jim Free, who will transition to a new role as deputy associate administrator for technical at NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate., the agency said Tuesday.

“Janet has demonstrated extraordinary leadership throughout her NASA career, from her spaceflights to her continued dedication to our mission at the Johnson Space Center and Glenn,” said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden.

She previously worked as deputy director of the Johnson Space Center’s Health and Human Performance Directorate and managed a team of flight surgeons and human research investigations in that capacity.

She also directed flight crew missions at the center and held responsibility over the Astronaut Corps and Ellington Field’s aircraft operations.

Kavandi joined NASA in December 1994 as an astronaut who supported Johnson’s space station payload integration, capsule communications, robotics programs.

The agency veteran has spent more than 33 days in space and has worked as mission specialist on the STS-91 mission in 1998, STS-99 in 2000, and STS-104 in 2001.

DoD/News
Military Times: Brad Carson to Resign as Acting DoD P&R Undersecretary
by Mary-Louise Hoffman
Published on March 15, 2016
Military Times: Brad Carson to Resign as Acting DoD P&R Undersecretary


Brad Carson
Brad Carson

Brad Carson, acting undersecretary for personnel and readiness at the Defense Department, will leave the Pentagon on April 8 after nearly one year on the job, Military Times reported Monday.

Andrew Tilghman writes Carson has led DoD’s efforts to update its civilian and military workforce management policies and crafted the Future of the Force initiative that aims to help the department attract and retain talent.

He was chosen by President Obama for the acting P&R undersecretary role in April last year but some senators raised legal concerns about him serving in that position while he awaits a final Senate confirmation, Tilghman reports.

“Given the extraordinary work that we’ve already achieved to date, low likelihood of confirmation.. and reduced time left in the administration, I have determined it is better for me and my family to depart from public life,” Carson told his staff members in an email obtained by Military Times.

He previously served as a Democratic member of Congress from Oklahoma and as U.S. Army undersecretary.

DoD/News
Adm. John Richardson: Navy Should Expand Fire-Control Network To Counter Operational Threats
by Jay Clemens
Published on March 14, 2016
Adm. John Richardson: Navy Should Expand Fire-Control Network To Counter Operational Threats


John Richardson
John Richardson

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson has said expanding the U.S. Navy‘s integrated fire control network can help the military service operate in an environment that employs anti-ship cruise missiles, USNI News reported Friday.

Megan Eckstein writes Richardson said he believes a distributed way of operations for carrier strike groups in contested environments is one approach to combat the hostile kill chain.

“We are a global maneuver force, and so that data is highly perishable: as soon as you sense that ship, whether it’s an aircraft carrier or whatever, that’s going to be obsolete data very quickly,” Richardson told the McAleese/Credit Suisse FY 2017 Defense Programs Conference.

Richardson also wants additional sensors and platforms built into the Naval Integrated Fire Control-Counter Air system to improve its resiliency, Eckstein reports.

He also called for the involvement of the underwater community in order to build a resilient network, USNI News reports.

DoD/News
Northcom, NORAD Chief Bill Gortney IDs Homeland Threats in House Hearing
by Scott Nicholas
Published on March 14, 2016
Northcom, NORAD Chief Bill Gortney IDs Homeland Threats in House Hearing


Adm. Bill Gortney
Adm. Bill Gortney

Navy Adm. William “Bill” Gortney, head of U.S. Northern and North American Aerospace Defense commands, has identified what he views both organizations’ major homeland defense challenges in testimony to House lawmakers Thursday.

Gortney told the House Armed Services Committee that the Islamic State militant group, other terrorist organizations and transnational organized crime are among the more dangerous threats to the U.S.

“[Homeland security] is a no-fail mission and it’s just as important today as when NORAD and Northcom were established, with one single commander responsible for the defense of our homeland through the many domains of air, space, maritime, land and cyber,” said Gortney.

Gortney added Northcom is coordinating closely with other branches of the armed forces including the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps in an effort to fortify defense missions in the country.

News
NASA Chooses 28 Researchers to Join Curiosity Mars Rover Mission
by Scott Nicholas
Published on March 14, 2016
NASA Chooses 28 Researchers to Join Curiosity Mars Rover Mission


Mars RoverNASA has selected 28 researchers to join the the Curiosity Mars rover mission together with over 400 other members composed of principal investigators, co-investigators, science team collaborators, associates and students.

Six new participants will join the mission, seven re-selected participants served the previous mission in other roles and fifteen have previously been selected Mars Science Laboratory participating scientists, the space agency released Friday.

Several scientists from the initial Mars Science Laboratory participating scientists will rejoin the mission conducting day-to-day operations of Curiosity and interaction with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineers that manage the mission for the space agency, the report said.

Curiosity’s prime mission accomplished in 2014 was to find evidence of environmental conditions in Mars that supported microbial life.

Click here to see complete list of 28 researchers.

DoD/News
CBO: Foreign Traveler Tech Transfer Bill Would Cost $14M Over 5 Years
by Ramona Adams
Published on March 14, 2016
CBO: Foreign Traveler Tech Transfer Bill Would Cost $14M Over 5 Years


CBOThe Congressional Budget Office has estimated $14 million in costs between fiscal years 2016 and 2021 for the government to implement a proposed bill in the House that aims to accelerate transfer of systems for agencies to monitor terrorists and foreign fighters as they travel.

CBO said Friday the Counterterrorism Screening and Assistance Act of 2016 calls on the departments of Homeland Security and State to collaborate in support of the U.S.’ Terrorist Interdiction Program that includes a monitoring system based in several countries, as well as to notify Congress of planned transfers.

DHS would be required to share technology that screens persons who enter the U.S. with foreign governments.

The act also would have the State Department give Congress a plan to help foreign countries increase their capacities to monitor travel and progress toward that goal.

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