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NASA Names Trina Dyal Deputy Director of Langley Research Center
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NASA Names Trina Dyal Deputy Director of Langley Research Center

Trina Dyal, formerly director of NASA Langley Research Center’s Science Directorate, has been named deputy director of the Hampton, Virginia-headquartered research center.

“Dr. Dyal is a proven leader with broad experience and excellent technical skills, and I’m confident she will excel in her new role,” Clayton Turner, director of Langley, wrote in a LinkedIn post published Saturday.

Dyal has spent over two decades at Langley, taking on roles such as branch chief and deputy director of the Science Director and Flight Project Directorate.

Dyal succeeds Lisa Ziehmann, who has served as acting director of Langley and will return to her position as associate director.

“I also want to thank Lisa Ziehmann for serving as Acting Deputy Director and Dr. Kanama Bivins for serving as the Acting Associate Director here at Langley for the past several months,” Turner said.

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NREL Study Explores How 5G Could Support Microgrids
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NREL Study Explores How 5G Could Support Microgrids

Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory developed a 5G testbed in a replicated military microgrid and found that the newest generation of wireless technology could support distributed controls and improve security and resilience of power systems.

NREL said Friday the Department of Defense’s Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering funded the 5G research project under the FutureG program.

A microgrid controller crash and recovery, congestion from other network devices and unsecure foreign-operated network traffic were among the scenarios tested during the study.

“Our test scenarios were not only about controlling the power grid and microgrids for resilience but also about powering the 5G network itself. If we can keep the grid running for resilient power, that in turn keeps the communications network operational,” said Brian Miller, electric power systems engineering lead.

According to Miller, network traffic prioritization, private slicing and edge computing worked out when they evaluated 5G in the test microgrid.

“We could operate flawlessly with this network; for example, prioritization allowed us to preempt even when communication traffic was maxed out, so that it’s like having dedicated access to critical systems,” he added.

NREL researchers published their findings in a report titled 5G Securely Energized and Resilient.

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Mario Gaglioti Appointed COO of NSA’s National Integrated Radio-Frequency Operations
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Mario Gaglioti Appointed COO of NSA’s National Integrated Radio-Frequency Operations

Mario Gaglioti, a global security operations leader with two decades of military and government experience, has been appointed chief operating officer of the National Integrated Radio-Frequency Operations, or NITRO, at the National Security Agency, according to his LinkedIn post.

Prior to his appointment, Gaglioti was the senior collection manager of NITRO and chief operations lead for radio frequency, responsible for providing global oversight and management of the NSA’s fixed-ground collection and geolocation portfolio.

He started at the NSA in August 2017 as a senior operations officer. In this role, he led a cross-functional team of intelligence professionals and helped establish a joint threat warning initiative across the defense and intelligence communities.

Gaglioti served eight years in the U.S. Army, where he was an operations officer tasked with leading a national counterterrorism intelligence collection strategy.

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Maj. Gen. Chris Eubank: Army Initiates Action to Ensure Data, Network Security
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Maj. Gen. Chris Eubank: Army Initiates Action to Ensure Data, Network Security

Maj. Gen. Chris Eubank, commander of Network Enterprise Technology Command, said that effective June 11, soldiers and civilians will no longer be able to download data from the Army network to their laptops, cell phones and other devices through the commercial internet, Federal News Network reported Friday.

According to Eubank, the decision was influenced by basic cybersecurity and the maturity of the service branch’s virtual desktop initiative and overall network architecture.

“What we’re really going to shut down is the ability to go into the Army’s network and pull the information through the internet to your device, whether it’s a government furnished device or a personal device. What we’re doing is we’re going to cut off that access so you’ll still be able to get to those services, via your personal device using a Common Access Card (CAC) or from a government furnished piece of equipment using a CAC using the commercial internet, but it’s all going to be through virtual means,” Eubank told FNN in an interview.

“Using technologies in our bring-your-own-device, remote capable workforce portfolio like Azure virtual desktop, individuals will still be able to plug in via the commercial internet CAC enabled get to that information, but they will not be able to pull the information out of that environment. It will stay resident in in the cloud. When they disconnect their session, there’s nothing left behind [on the device]. It’s really about protecting both the network and our workforce,” the major general added.

POC - 2024 Army Summit

Attend the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Army Summit on June 13 to hear military officials, government leaders and industry executives share their most urgent priorities, strategies and solutions to their toughest challenges. Register here.

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Textron Delivers New Landing Craft Air Cushion Vehicle to Navy
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Textron Delivers New Landing Craft Air Cushion Vehicle to Navy

The U.S. Navy has received a new landing craft air cushion — or LCAC — vehicle built by Textron Systems that is designed to perform amphibious and on-shore payload transport operations.

Textron delivered the Ship to Shore Connector Landing Craft Air Cushion 109 to the service branch after the Board of Inspection and Survey completed acceptance trials verifying the landing craft’s readiness and capability to meet the program’s requirements, Naval Sea Systems Command said Friday.

The LCAC are designed to carry out over-the-beach transport of cargo, equipment, weapon systems and personnel with a payload capacity of 60 to 75 tons.

Textron is under contract to build LCAC 109 through LCAC 123 as part of the Navy’s SSC program.

“This advanced craft will significantly boost our operational capability, providing a critical link in our ability to project power and support joint operations across the globe,” said Capt. Jason Grabelle, program manager for Amphibious Assault and Connectors Programs at Navy’s Program Executive Office Ships.

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Lawmakers Raise Concern About DOD’s Proposed Microsoft Software Upgrade
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Lawmakers Raise Concern About DOD’s Proposed Microsoft Software Upgrade

Sens. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., have raised concerns about the Department of Defense’s plan to invest in Microsoft software upgrades as part of its zero trust strategy, Axios reported Thursday.

In a letter to DOD Chief Information Officer John Sherman, the lawmakers expressed “serious concern” that the Pentagon is planning to require department offices using Microsoft’s 365 software to upgrade to the E5 license.

“Although we welcome the Department’s decision to invest in greater cybersecurity, we are deeply concerned that DoD is choosing not to pursue a multi-vendor approach that would result in greater competition, lower long-term costs, and better outcomes related to cybersecurity,” the letter reads.

The lawmakers said the DOD is one of the largest buyers of cybersecurity services and its purchasing power can “shape corporate strategies that result in more resilient cybersecurity services.”

Schmitt and Wyden have requested Sherman answer a set of questions about the proposed plan before the Senate Armed Services Committee starts marking up the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act.

POC - 2024 Cyber Summit

Join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Cyber Summit on June 6 to hear from government and industry experts about the dynamic and ever-evolving role of cyber in the public sector. Register here!

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SDA Issues Solicitation for Hybrid Acquisition for Proliferated LEO Initiative
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SDA Issues Solicitation for Hybrid Acquisition for Proliferated LEO Initiative

The Space Development Agency has posted a solicitation for an acquisition program that seeks to establish a pool of nontraditional defense contractors that will compete for prototype orders to perform future flight demonstrations in low Earth orbit.

SDA said Friday the Hybrid Acquisition for Proliferated LEO, or HALO, program intends to implement a fast contracting process to compete and award Tranche 2 Demonstration and Experimentation System projects through other transaction authority agreements and may increase the pool of vendors that can bid on future programs, including participation in future tranche layers.

According to the solicitation notice published Friday on SAM.gov, the HALO OTA agreements will have a performance period of three years.

“Prototype orders solicited under HALO will focus on rapid, end-to-end mission demonstrations designed to launch two (2) identical satellites 12-18 months after award,” the solicitation reads.

The prime contractor must at least supply the space vehicle bus.

SDA will host an unclassified industry day on June 17. Registration for the event will close on June 12.

Proposals for the HALO procurement effort are due July 11.

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L3Harris Pursues Portfolio Revitalization With $200M Sale of Antenna & Other Business Units
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L3Harris Pursues Portfolio Revitalization With $200M Sale of Antenna & Other Business Units

L3Harris has sold some of its antenna and test equipment businesses to a Kanders & Company affiliate for $200 million.

These business units previously fell under the organization’s Space & Airborne Systems arm and included 375 employees, L3Harris announced from its Melbourne, Florida headquarters on Monday.

As part of Kanders, the acquired business units will operate under Fisica, the firm’s defense technology platform. They will focus on manufacturing airborne and ground-based antennas as well as electromagnetic systems and simulators to support radar, communications, warning systems, remote sensing, nuclear effects testing and imaging activities.

L3Harris signed a definitive agreement to sell the businesses in April as part of its wider effort to divest non-core assets to revamp its portfolio.

In November, the company sold its Commercial Aviation Solutions business to an affiliate of TJC L.P. for $800 million, a move L3Harris CEO Christopher Kubasik, a previous Wash100 awardee, described as “consistent with our multi-year strategy to optimize our national security, technology-focused portfolio.”

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CDAO Solicits Commercial Computer Vision Tech Proposals for CENTCOM Desert Sentry
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CDAO Solicits Commercial Computer Vision Tech Proposals for CENTCOM Desert Sentry

The Department of Defense’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office, or CDAO, has released a commercial solutions opening seeking technologies designed to enable and maintain computer vision capabilities for U.S. Central Command.

The CENTCOM Desert Sentry solicitation is looking for commercial platforms capable of ingesting data from local or cloud data storage, preparing videos and images for labeling, ingesting existing labeled data sets and conducting single- and multi-class object detection and instance segmentation for imagery and video, according to a notice posted on DOD’s Tradewinds AI platform.

CDAO also requires that the selected commercial technologies support functions such as automated label augmentation, automated model training and scoring, labeling and model containerization.

Responses to the CSO are due June 30. CDAO anticipates selecting participants for the pitch round from Aug. 5 to 16 and making pilot project awards from Sept. 16 to Oct. 4.

2024 Cyber Summit Panel Highlight: How CMMC Impacts Your Company’s Cybersecurity
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2024 Cyber Summit Panel Highlight: How CMMC Impacts Your Company’s Cybersecurity

Is your cybersecurity as a government contractor ready to fight against evolving cyber threats? 

In today’s fast-paced cyber environment, one of the panel discussions at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Cyber Summit — “CMMC: Is Your Company Cybersecurity Ready?” — aims to tackle the cyber-readiness of government contractors by leveraging the Department of Defense’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification, or CMMC.

If you want to strengthen your organization’s cybersecurity, join the “CMMC: Is Your Company Cybersecurity Ready?” panel discussion at the 2024 Cyber Summit on June 6.

 

About the 2024 Cyber Summit

The 2024 Cyber Summit is one of the leading government contracting events by the Potomac Officers Club. The event is held annually to delve into the impacts of digital modernization and the cyber revolution in the federal government.

Attending the summit will treat GovCon organizations to keynote and panel discussions about uncovering cyber capabilities, increasing operational efficiency and advocating for digital transformation. Leading these discussions will be cyber experts and industry leaders with esteemed roles in the dynamic cyber landscape.

2024 Cyber Summit banner

Register for the 2024 Cyber Summit on June 06, 2024, happening at The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City, 1250 S Hayes St. Arlington, VA 22202.

 

CMMC: Is Your Company Cybersecurity Ready?

This panel session will address the cyber measures that GovCon companies must take to ensure the highest level of cybersecurity when doing business with the government. Comcast’s Yasmine Abdillahi, the DOD’s Derrick Davis, the Cyber Readiness Institute’s Karen Evans, the Defense Acquisition University’s Kelley Kiernan and Edward Tuorinsky of DTS will be participating in this discussion.

Get to know the distinguished executives to grace this panel discussion at the 2024 Cyber Summit.

 

Yasmine Abdillahi, Executive Director of Cybersecurity Governance, Risk and Compliance and Business Information Security Officer at Comcast Business

Headshot of Yasmine Abdillahi
Photo/ Corporate Compliance Insights

As Comcast’s executive director of cybersecurity governance, risk and compliance, Yasmine Abdillahi heads the policy governance and security certifications. Her over two decades of experience in technology and cybersecurity equip her with the credibility to speak on the “CMMC: Is Your Company Cybersecurity Ready?” panel.

 

Derrick Davis, Director of Industrial Cyber Security for the Officer of Small Business Programs at the Department of Defense

Headshot of Derrick Davis
Photo/ Office of Small Business Programs

Derrick Davis is the director of industrial cyber security at the Office of Small Business Programs (OBSP). He oversees several OBSP programs, including the Project Spectrum cybersecurity outreach initiative. Davis’ focus on cybersecurity in the government sector will provide an excellent perspective to the 2024 Cyber Summit panel discussion.

 

Karen Evans, Managing Director at Cyber Readiness Institute

Headshot of Karen Evans
Photo/ Wikimedia Commons

Karen Evans has been at the forefront of cybersecurity policy for over 20 years. She currently is the managing director of the Cyber Readiness Institute, where she handles the creation of cybersecurity tools for small and medium-sized businesses. 

 

Kelley Kiernan, Professor of Cybersecurity at the Defense Acquisition University

Headshot of Kelley Kiernan
Photo/ Cyber Security Hub

Kelley Kiernan is a professor of Cybersecurity and Information Protection at the DOD’s Defense Acquisition University. Her demonstrated work revolves around robust cybersecurity adoption in the acquisition processes of the Navy, Air Force and Space Force. Kiernan will join as a panelist at the 2024 Cyber Summit panel discussion.

 

Edward Tuorinsky, Founder and Managing Principal at DTS

Headshot of Edward Tuorinsky
Photo/ National Veteran Small Business Coalition

Edward Tuorinsky founded DTS in February 2011 and has served as its managing principal since. He has been a long-time advocate of cybersecurity, stemming from his experience in the Army and GovCon companies such as L-3 Communications. At the “CMMC: Is Your Company Cybersecurity Ready?” panel discussion Tuorinsky will serve as the moderator.

 

Here’s a sneak peek of the topics covered by these speakers in the panel discussion.

 

What is the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification?

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification is a program of the Department of Defense designed to protect sensitive unclassified information shared among its contractors and subcontractors. It ensures that the DOD’s information security requirements align with those of its Defense Industrial Base (DIB) partners.

As the DIB is susceptible to complex cyberattacks, CMMC increases industry assurance that cybersecurity requirements are met, particularly regarding acquisition programs and systems that process controlled unclassified information (CUI).

 

What is the CMMC 2.0?

The cybersecurity maturity model certification model

CMMC 2.0 is the next-generation iteration of the DOD’s cybersecurity model. It further emphasizes the importance of reinforcing DIB cybersecurity to support the nation’s information security and enable warfighters. 

Through CMMC 2.0, cybersecurity requirements are streamlined into three levels; each level aligns with the widely accepted National Institute of Standards and Technology cybersecurity standards. It outlines the key features within the framework: a tiered model, required assessments and implementation through contracts.

Transitioning to CMMC 2.0 upgraded the program structure and requirements, targeting the primary goals of:

  • Protecting sensitive information to enable and secure warfighters
  • Ensuring DIB cybersecurity standards can fight evolving threats
  • Observing accountability while overcoming the barriers to DOD requirement compliance
  • Fostering collaboration for cybersecurity and cyber resilience
  • Upholding ethical standards and professionalism to maintain public trust

 

How CMMC Readies the Cybersecurity of Government Contractors

Cybersecurity is at the forefront of the federal government’s priorities amid the fast-changing cyber landscape. Programs like CMMC allow the federal government to protect its CUI while doing business with government contractors.

Similarly, contractors and subcontractors dealing with confidential data must ensure compliance with CMMC to keep CUI secure from internal and external cyber threats. Following this model is a protocol for GovCon companies that want to start doing business with the government.

 

Is Your Company Cybersecurity Ready?

Kip Gering, (on the podium) Linus Barloon II, Jodi Kouts, Laks Prabhala, Randy Resnick (from left to right) on the Cyber Hardening Critical Infrastructure Beyond IT Panel at the 2023 Cyber Summit
Photo/ Executive Mosaic

Are you looking to venture into government contracting or want to strengthen your cybersecurity as a GovCon organization?

Attend the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Cyber Summit and discover how to prepare your company’s cybersecurity for the fast-paced cyber environment. Plus, learn more about topics such as zero trust, supply chain security, cyber resilience and secure information sharing.

 

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