Kevin Mulvihill, Deputy CIO for Command, Control, & Communications, Opening Keynote Speaker at the 2024 5G Forum
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Kevin Mulvihill, Deputy CIO for Command, Control, & Communications, Opening Keynote Speaker at the 2024 5G Forum

Kevin Mulvihill, Deputy Chief Information Officer at the Department of Defense’s Office of the Chief Information Officer, will deliver the opening keynote address at the 2024 5G Forum.

 

As a seasoned government civilian leader for the DoD, Mr. Mulvihill’s insights will be paramount to the government’s 5G/next-generation communications missions.

 

Learn more about his journey to becoming a part of the 2024 5G Forum.

 

An Introduction to Kevin Mulvihill

 

In November 2023, Kevin Mulvihill was permanently appointed as the Deputy Chief Information Officer for Command, Control, and Communications (C3) for the DoD CIO.

 

Mr. Mulvihill’s responsibilities include strategic direction, oversight, and policy guidance. His leadership enables the Department of Defense to implement, prioritize, and oversee C3 capabilities. 

 

Moreover, Mr. Mulvihill’s strategic guidance helps the DoD CIO implement the department’s portfolio encompassing:

 

  • Enterprise Mobility
  • Waveform Management
  • Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT)
  • C2 and coalition information dissemination capabilities
  • A spectrum of communications systems and networks

 

Mr. Mulvihill’s experience in C3 at tactical, strategic, and operational levels makes him seminal for the DoD’s mission and programs for 5G deployment and next-generation capabilities. 

 

Kevin Mulvihill graduated with honors from Lewis University in Joliet, Illinois, with a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Maintenance Management. He earned his Master’s in Public Administration degree from the University of Oklahoma. 

 

He also took professional education at the Air War College, Air Force Fighter Weapons School, and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, among others.

 

Kevin Mulvihill’s Professional Background

 

Even before assuming the role of Deputy CIO for C3, Mr. Kevin Mulvihill was already involved in various 5G operations for warfighter missions. Previously, he was entrusted with the modernization of data links, tactical communications, and satellite communications initiatives.

 

He has also been vital to the Office of the Chief Information Officer, leading the Net-Centric Capability Portfolio and other integration efforts for C4ISR, space, air force, and cyber warfighting capacities.

 

Mr. Mulvihill began his government service at the United States Air Force (USAF), where he took on various operational roles. Among his notable career experiences were commanding the E-3 Sentry squadron, spearheading coalition Airborne Early Warning (AEW) operations, and commanding combat deployments for Operation Southern Watch and Operation Enduring.

 

Related article: How Open RAN Plays Into the DOD’s 5G Journey; Lt. Col. Benjamin Pimentel Quoted

 

Kevin Mulvihill, Opening Keynote Speaker at the 2024 5G Forum

 

Command center interior, holographic table, office with big screens
Photo by DR MANAGER/ Shutterstock

 

The Potomac Officers Club selected Kevin Mulvihill to deliver the opening keynote speech at the 2024 5G Forum on May 22, 2024.

 

With his illustrious career at the Department of Defense, Kevin Mulvihill is poised as one of the leaders with valuable insights for harnessing next-generation connections and technology for various missions.

 

What is the 2024 5G Forum?

 

2024 5G Forum banner

 

The 2024 5G Forum is one of the most anticipated events hosted by the Potomac Officers Club. It is the elite GovCon group’s fourth edition of its 5G-related summits.

 

A highlight of the 2024 5G Forum is its roster of speakers who are seasoned in the field of 5G. By joining the event, you’ll gain valuable knowledge from the insights of notable 5G experts. 

 

Related article: The 2024 5G Forum: A Comprehensive Event Guide and Why You Should Attend

 

Kevin Mulvihill’s Impact on GovCon

 

Military Surveillance Team of Officers Locked a Target on a Vehicle from a Satellite and Monitor
Photo by Gorodenkoff/ Shutterstock

 

C3 Modernization Efforts

 

As the leader of DoD CIO’s C3 initiatives, Kevin Mulvihill actively participates in the department’s C3 modernization efforts. In a September 2020 document, the primary goals of the overhauling strategies include:

 

  • Developing and implementing agile electromagnetic spectrum operations
  • Bolstering the delivery of PNT information
  • Strengthening national leadership capabilities
  • Accelerating the integration of modernized tactical communications systems
  • Establishing and implementing a Public Safety Communications (PSC) ecosystem
  • Fostering an environment to rapidly develop 5G infrastructure networks and leverage non-U.S. 5G networks
  • Delivering resilient, responsive, and timely C2 capabilities
  • Provide Mission Partner Environment (MPE) skills and services

 

Mr. Mulvihill’s contribution to modernizing C3 solutions enables a stronger force–through heightened battlespace awareness, enhanced reliability, and improved cross-domain maneuver–and deepens coalition interoperability.

 

The Pentagon’s Goal of Sharing 5G Spectrum

 

The Pentagon has been adamant about the risks of using commercial 5G wireless systems to give the military access to a key band of spectrum for testing counter-drone technologies and identifying ballistic missiles.

 

However, in a surprising turn of events, the Pentagon is now pursuing a spectrum-sharing plan that requires collaboration between the government and the private sector.

 

Kevin Mulvihill said that it’s not surprising that the plan is changing, highlighting that “we need to work together across industry, government, and academia to explore potential ways to achieve spectrum coexistence for the benefit of the entire nation while ensuring that the spectrum sharing that we choose does not negatively affect the primary mission of the Department of Defense.”

 

That said, defense leaders said that commercial 5G systems aren’t on the same frequency band as the DoD Systems. The proposed solution is to create a new system that allows the DoD to dictate which parts of the spectrums can be used and when and where they will be deployed.

 

As of April 2024, the earliest stages of the dynamic spectrum management system are now in development.

 

You might also want to read: Thomas Rondeau: DOD Focusing on 5G Tech Security to Broaden Communications Capabilities

NSTC Report Says Research Agencies Should Effectively Communicate RDI Investment Needs to Lawmakers
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NSTC Report Says Research Agencies Should Effectively Communicate RDI Investment Needs to Lawmakers

Federal research agencies should develop processes that would enable them to communicate to lawmakers and other stakeholders their need for investments in research and development infrastructure, according to a new report prepared by the National Science and Technology Council.

The report, which the White House published Thursday, goes on to recommend that agencies specify the impacts that a lack of RDI investment would have on mission execution, and provide documentation concerning RDI investment needs, such as costs and agency priorities.

The recommendation is one of several that the report puts forward to address multiple trends affecting federal research agencies, which include aging or inadequate infrastructure and the effects of having substandard facilities.

The report is mandated by the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education and Science Act of 2007 and seeks to identify the deficiencies affecting federal and national laboratories and related facilities and offer proposals on how to address them.

Military Sealift Command Christens Newest Expeditionary Sea Base Ship
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Military Sealift Command Christens Newest Expeditionary Sea Base Ship

Military Sealift Command christened its newest Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary sea base ship built by General Dynamics‘ NASSCO division at a ceremony held Saturday in San Diego, California, DVIDS reported.

The USNS Robert E. Simanek (ESB-7) is the seventh ship in MSC’s expeditionary mobile base fleet and the third expeditionary staging base model designed to support various military missions, including mine countermeasures, special operations, counter-piracy, crisis response and humanitarian aid.

ESB-7 is the first naval ship named after Robert Simanek, a Korean War veteran and a Medal of Honor recipient. The ship has a flight deck; a hangar with two aviation operating spots for handling MH-53E Sea Dragon-equivalent helicopters; command, control, communications, computers and intelligence systems; and a reconfigurable mission deck area.

“This ship will serve as a floating testimony to Private First Class Simanek’s valor and esprit de corps that all Marines and Sailors carry with them,” said Brig. Gen. Robert Weiler, assistant division commander of First Marine Division. “Just as Private First Class Simanek stood as a protector amongst his fellow Marines and Sailors, this ship will daringly sail the oceans as a protector of American freedom.”

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GovCon Index Kept Growing for 3rd Consecutive Week
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GovCon Index Kept Growing for 3rd Consecutive Week

Last week, Executive Mosaic’s GovCon Index closed with an average of $4923.43, an increase of 0.88% from the previous week.

GovCon Index is an aggregate index that gathers data from 30 major government contracting enterprises in real time. With this information, users are able to evaluate the performance of each tracked company and make their own assessments of the current financial state of the expansive GovCon marketplace.

With an increase of close to 7.98%, Leidos was last week’s top gainer. The company was followed by Tetra Tech, which rose by 7.34%. Boeing (+6.99%) and AeroVironment (+6.33%) placed third and fourth, respectively, and Curtiss-Wright (+5.28%) was fifth.

GovCon Index dipped on Tuesday, but otherwise remained positive. On Friday, GovCon Index grew by 0.58%, marking the highest growth day of the week.

To get an in-depth look at daily GovCon Index performance, check out last week’s market reports. Click here to access the full list of tracked companies.

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NSA, Partners Warn Against North Korea-Linked Group Exploiting Email Policies
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NSA, Partners Warn Against North Korea-Linked Group Exploiting Email Policies

The National Security Agency, the FBI, and the State Department have released a joint cybersecurity advisory warning against a North Korea-linked cyberthreat group that exploits weak domain-based message authentication, reporting and conformance, or DMARC, policies.

The CSA outlines techniques used by Kimsuky threat actors to exploit improperly configured DMARC record policies to carry out spearphishing campaigns, disguising themselves as legitimate academics, journalists or other experts in East Asian affairs to gather intelligence on geopolitical events and foreign policy strategies, NSA said Thursday.

“Spearphishing continues to be a mainstay of the DPRK cyber program and this CSA provides new insights and mitigations to counter their tradecraft,” said Dave Luber, director of the Cybersecurity Directorate at NSA.

According to the advisory, a properly configured DMARC policy will prevent malicious actors like Kimsuky from spoofing an organization’s legitimate email domain when sending spearphishing messages to a target.

The agencies recommended that organizations enhance their cybersecurity posture of DMARC security policies and implement mitigations that align with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s Cybersecurity Performance Goals.

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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Proposed Rule to Implement Prohibition on Certain Semiconductor Products & Services
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Proposed Rule to Implement Prohibition on Certain Semiconductor Products & Services

The Department of Defense, NASA and the General Services Administration have proposed a rule that would prohibit executive agencies from buying certain electronic goods and services that include covered semiconductor products and services.

According to a notice published Friday in the Federal Register, the proposed rule seeks to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation to implement a section of the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act.

The prohibition will take effect on Dec. 23, 2027.

Covered semiconductors include those from entities that are either owned or controlled by foreign governments of concern, including China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.

DOD, NASA and GSA plan to require all solicitations to include a provision directing vendors to certify their non-use of covered chips in electronic products or services provided to the government.

The three agencies are asking the public for insights on proposed definitions in the rule, potential impact of the rule on small businesses and suggested procedures for conducting a reasonable inquiry into supply chains to detect the use or inclusion of covered semiconductor products and services, among others.

Comments on the proposed rule are due July 2.

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Microsoft Expands Secure Future Initiative Amid Evolving Threat Landscape
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Microsoft Expands Secure Future Initiative Amid Evolving Threat Landscape

Microsoft has expanded the scope of the company’s Secure Future Initiative to integrate the lessons learned from the Midnight Blizzard cyber incident and recommendations from the Department of Homeland Security’s Cyber Safety Review Board concerning the Storm-0558 cyberattack.

The expanded SFI approach will be guided by three security principles: secure by design, secure by default and secure operations, Charlie Bell, executive vice president of Microsoft Security, wrote in a blog post published Friday.

A report released by CSRB in late March recommends that Microsoft develop and publicly disclose a plan on how it would reform its security practices and direct teams to fully assess and address security risks before deploying new features.

Microsoft is aligning its actions and goals to six security pillars to implement its expanded SFI effort.

These security pillars are: protecting identities and secrets, safeguarding tenants and isolating production systems, protecting networks, protecting engineering systems, monitoring and detecting threats and accelerating response and remediation.

To protect identities and secrets, specific actions include safeguarding identity infrastructure and platform keys with rapid and automatic rotation with hardware storage and protection, strengthening identity standards and ensuring that identity and public key infrastructure—or PKI—systems are ready for a post-quantum cryptography world.

Under the updated initiative, Microsoft will also reportedly advance adherence to standards with “Paved Paths” systems, drive continuous improvement and implement a new security governance framework.

POC - 2024 Cyber Summit

Attend the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Cyber Summit on June 6 and hear cyber experts, government and industry leaders discuss the latest trends and the dynamic role of cyber in the public sector. Register here.

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CFTC Committee Report Calls for Framework for Responsible Use of AI in Financial Industry
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CFTC Committee Report Calls for Framework for Responsible Use of AI in Financial Industry

The public may lose faith in financial markets, services and products if guardrails are not put in place that would defend against vulnerabilities brought about by artificial intelligence, which has been used by the financial industry for over two decades, according to a recent report by the Technology Advisory Committee within the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

The purpose of the report is to help the public understand how AI might impact financial markets, the CFTC said Thursday.

The TAC described AI as “a potentially valuable tool to improve automated processes governing core functions, and to improve efficiency” but warned that it could also be “less beneficial” and “more dangerous” if various risks are not addressed, like AI bias, a lack of transparency on how AI models work and the poisoning of AI training data.

One recommendation that the TAC offers to address these issues is the development by the CFTC of a framework for safe, trustworthy and responsible AI. The committee further notes that the responsible use of AI necessarily calls for the creation of a talent pipeline that would produce professionals well versed in the development and use of AI.

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Gen. David Allvin on Creation of Integrated Capabilities Command as Part of Air Force’s Reoptimization Initiative
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Gen. David Allvin on Creation of Integrated Capabilities Command as Part of Air Force’s Reoptimization Initiative

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin discussed the Department of the Air Force’s plan to reoptimize the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Space Force for great power competition, particularly the establishment of Integrated Capabilities Command.

In February, senior department leaders unveiled the reoptimization initiative, which covers 24 proposed changes classified into four core areas: develop people; generate readiness; project power; and develop capabilities.

The Air Force said Friday ICC will combine disparate modernization initiatives across the service branch into a centralized structure and develop capabilities that are aligned with a single force design.

“ICC will ensure deliberate integration of mission systems and that the platforms we engineer and operate align with those systems,” said Allvin.

The general stressed the importance of integration of capabilities across the enterprise to meet current strategic challenges.

“We currently develop capabilities largely within our major commands, and as a result don’t build our Air Force in an integrated manner from the start,” Allvin said.

“Years ago, the direction to reduce the size of management headquarters staffing increasingly drove decision-making down to MAJCOMs who are not designed to have an enterprise perspective. That will not cut it in today’s strategic environment. We must eliminate the stovepipes and integrate across the enterprise to be one Air Force,” he added.

POC - 2024 Air Force Summit

Join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Air Force Summit on July 23 to hear important updates on cutting-edge technology adoption, modernization initiatives and more. Register here.

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Morgan Adamski Named Executive Director of USCYBERCOM
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Morgan Adamski Named Executive Director of USCYBERCOM

Morgan Adamski, director of the Cybersecurity Collaboration Center at the National Security Agency, has been appointed executive director of U.S. Cyber Command.

She will assume her new position in June and help lead strategic initiatives to advance USCYBERCOM’s talent management, capabilities and partnerships, the command said Friday.

Adamski is joining USCYBERCOM following a nearly 15-year career at the NSA where she served as deputy for strategic mission management within the Cybersecurity Directorate and head of the offensive cyber mission.

In her current role, Adamski oversees collaborations with industry partners to transform approaches to cyber defense.

She previously worked in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy where she helped author the Department of Defense’s 2018 Cyber Strategy and inaugural Cyber Posture Review.

Adamski is the recipient of the NSA Innovation Award in 2023, the NSA Director’s Award in 2020, the Meritorious Civilian Service Award in 2016 and the Director of National Intelligence Merit Unit Citation in 2019.

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