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PCi Tec Lands DOD Contract for Cybersecurity Software; Rosina Kling Quoted
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PCi Tec Lands DOD Contract for Cybersecurity Software; Rosina Kling Quoted

PCi Tec has received a potential 10-year blanket purchase agreement from the Department of Defense.

The purpose of the Enterprise Software Initiative BPA is to enable the DOD to buy cybersecurity software in a more cost-effective manner, PCi Tec told ExecutiveGov on Monday.

Rosina Kling, the company’s president and CEO, said it is a “privilege” to offer these cybersecurity capabilities to the DOD quickly and at reduced rates “to help safeguard our vital national defense functions.”

The EIS BPA is a DOD-wide program designed to simplify acquisition processes and reduce costs associated with information technology products and services. It uses agreements with IT providers to obtain commercial off-the-shelf IT offerings.

Through this award, PCi Tec will be an agent for BOX, Denodo, CloudBees and Sonatype, companies that already provide software under the contract.

The BPA has a base period of five years and five one-year option periods.

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GovCon Index Fell Last Week
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GovCon Index Fell Last Week

Executive Mosaic’s GovCon Index closed with an average of $4,896.02 last week, a 1.37% drop from the previous week.

GovCon Index is an aggregate index that tracks real-time stock market data from 30 major government contracting companies. With this information, users can assess the performance of each individual business and draw their own conclusions about the overall financial state of the GovCon industry.

Multiple organizations demonstrated growth last week despite GovCon Index’s slip. General Dynamics and Tetra Tech both rose by 4.30%. RTX also grew significantly, increasing by 4.09%. The fourth and fifth slots were taken by KBR (+1.96%) and Parsons (+1.58), respectively.

Monday set the stage for GovCon Index’s decline last week with a 0.66% fall. The most significant losses occurred on Tuesday, when GovCon Index fell by 0.88%. Wednesday continued the downward trend, but Thursday brought about new growth which continued through Friday.

Check out last week’s market reports for more information on daily GovCon Index performance. To view the full list of tracked companies, click here.

US-EU Trade and Technology Council Reaffirms Cooperation on Emerging Tech R&D
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US-EU Trade and Technology Council Reaffirms Cooperation on Emerging Tech R&D

The U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council has conducted its sixth ministerial meeting and set new goals to advance their collaboration in key technology areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum, 6G wireless networks and semiconductors.

The U.S. and the European Union have reaffirmed their commitment to a risk-based approach to advancing AI risk management standards and ensuring the safe, secure and trustworthy development and use of AI technologies, the White House said Friday.

During the meeting, the council announced a new Quantum Task Force to address barriers to research and development cooperation between the EU and the U.S. on quantum technologies by establishing a shared understanding of technology readiness levels, developing unified benchmarks, identifying quantum technology components and advancing international standards.

The U.S. and EU also seek to develop a common vision for 6G, cooperate in the global standardization process and develop an outreach plan to advance the development of the next-generation communication networks.

For the semiconductor sector, the council aims to pursue research cooperation opportunities on alternatives to the use of per- and polyfluorinated substances in chips.

OMB Seeks Implementation of 2 CFR Revisions by October
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OMB Seeks Implementation of 2 CFR Revisions by October

Federal agencies must implement “quickly and consistently” the 2024 revisions that the Office of Management and Budget has made to Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations, or 2 CFR, in order for recipients to maximize the benefits brought about by the changes, according to OMB Director Shalanda Young.

Agencies must work to ensure that the revisions to the guidance for grants and agreements are put into effect in all federal awards issued on or after Oct. 1, with the changes reflected on relevant program documents like award terms and conditions, notices of funding opportunities and agency policies and procedures, Young said in a memo released Thursday.

Agencies may enforce the changes even in awards that will be issued before Oct. 1 if they so choose.

According to Young, the goals of the revisions are to “improve stewardship of Federal funds, promote equitable access to programs and services, reduce administrative burden for agencies, applicants, and recipients, and facilitate streamlined and effective oversight and implementation of Federal programs.”

The OMB director gave agencies until May 15 to submit a plan on how they intend to implement the 2024 revisions.

Bipartisan Bill to Establish National Data Privacy Rights, Protections for US Citizens
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Bipartisan Bill to Establish National Data Privacy Rights, Protections for US Citizens

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., have introduced draft legislation that would establish national data privacy rights and protections for U.S. consumers.

The American Privacy Rights Act aims to give consumers control over their personal data by enabling them to opt out of certain data processing and targeted advertising and enforce stricter protections for sensitive data, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation said Sunday.

The bill would also minimize the data companies collect and use about individuals and require companies to allow users to access, correct, delete and export their personal information.

To protect Americans’ civil rights, the legislation would prohibit discriminatory use of personal data, require annual reviews of algorithms and direct companies to appoint executives responsible for ensuring compliance to consumer data protection regulations.

“This landmark legislation represents the sum of years of good faith efforts in both the House and Senate. It strikes a meaningful balance on issues that are critical to moving comprehensive data privacy legislation through Congress,” Cantwell and Rodgers said in a joint statement.

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Army Conducts Satellite Communications as a Managed Service Pilot
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Army Conducts Satellite Communications as a Managed Service Pilot

The U.S. Army is deploying commercial equipment, service and bandwidth packages to units across the world as part of efforts to assess a leasing business model for commercial satellite communications services to support force readiness and missions in future combat operations.

The military branch said Thursday it will use soldier feedback and data from the Satellite Communications as a Managed Service pilot — also known as SaaMS — to decide whether to advance the implementation of the leasing model to meet the rising demand for secure satcom services.

“SaaMS strengthens our primary, alternate, contingency, emergency (PACE) communications plan and network resiliency through redundancy,” said Lt. Col. John “Chris” Acosta, deputy commander for the 11th Corps Signal Brigade. “We can access diverse, geographically dispersed network providers. This could ensure communication even if specific regions face disruption.”

The SaaMS pilot includes commercial capabilities in low Earth orbit and geosynchronous Earth orbit, network connectivity to commercial teleports and internet services and the integration of commercial capability into the Global Agile Integrated Transport network design.

Project Manager Tactical Network oversees the SaaMS pilot for service branch and expects to conclude training and deploying the regional pilot units in the spring of 2024.

“[With SaaMS,] we can adjust the scope of technology adoption based on needs and budget, allowing us to test and evaluate new solutions before full-scale deployment,” said Col. James Sullivan, commander of the 11th CSB.

“[Additionally,] we only pay for what we use, eliminating costly unused capacity during low-intensity periods…and we eliminate the need to maintain and manage diverse communication equipment. This frees up resources for other mission-critical needs,” Sullivan added.

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DISA Expands Thunderdome Zero Trust Program Deployment; Brian Hermann Quoted
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DISA Expands Thunderdome Zero Trust Program Deployment; Brian Hermann Quoted

The Defense Information Systems Agency deployed the Thunderdome zero trust program to 15 sites in 2023 and is preparing to field the initiative to 60 additional sites this year, Federal News Network reported Friday.

DISA has also finalized the contracting process to support the U.S. Coast Guard’s network security improvement efforts through Thunderdome.

In July 2023, Booz Allen Hamilton received a follow-on other transaction authority agreement from DISA for the Thunderdome project.

“We just completed the contracting effort to get underway with the Coast Guard work. There are some site surveys and things that need to be done, but that will be additive work on top of the planned work,” Brian Hermann, director of the cybersecurity and analytics directorate at DISA, told FNN.

According to the publication, the follow-on OTA deal is valued at approximately $1.86 billion.

Hermann noted that DISA will advance the rollout by focusing on organizations that are already part of DoDNet, which supports users from DISA and the Defense Technical Information Center, among others.

“Over time, as they come on board to DoDNet, they will get the Thunderdome architecture as a basic part of their commodity IT,” the DISA official remarked. “That’s helpful for them and it’s helpful for the department because then we know that those organizations will have achieved certain elements of zero trust target state, which we’re all required to achieve by the end of fiscal 2027. So we expect there will be more organizations that come on board Thunderdome.”

The Thunderdome project consists of four components: customer security stacks, software-defined wide area networking, secure access service edge capability and application security stacks.

POC - 2024 Cyber Summit

Join 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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HawkEye 360 Expands Satellite Constellation With Clusters 8 & 9 Orbit Deployment
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HawkEye 360 Expands Satellite Constellation With Clusters 8 & 9 Orbit Deployment

HawkEye 360 marked its first dual deployment into a mid-inclination orbit with the recent launch of Clusters 8 & 9 satellites now positioned to boost global coverage and enhance data efficiency in busy maritime regions.

The Herndon, Virginia-based defense technology company said Monday its constellation now has 29 satellites, including Clusters 8 and 9 with upgraded payloads for broader bandwidths, improved data collection and multi-band signal capture efforts.

The recently contacted satellites are equipped with high-speed transmitters and processors for faster data delivery speed.

“These satellites bring sophisticated technology and integrated capabilities that will dramatically enhance our coverage and data collection efficiency over the world’s busiest regions, reinforcing HawkEye 360’s commitment to delivering unparalleled geospatial insights,” said John Serafini, CEO of HawkEye 360.

Space Flight Laboratory and Exolaunch were HawkEye 360’s partners on the recent activity, according to Rob Rainhart, president of HawkEye 360.

In June 2023, HawkEye 360 began operations of its Cluster 7 satellites.

“As geopolitical tensions continue to increase around the world, Cluster 7 is extending and improving data collection in the 30 MHz – 18 GHz frequency range to meet growing demand,” HawkEye 360 Chief Growth Officer Alex Fox said at that time.

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DHS Chief Information Security Officer Directorate Seeks Providers of Cybersecurity, Risk Management Support Services
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DHS Chief Information Security Officer Directorate Seeks Providers of Cybersecurity, Risk Management Support Services

The Department of Homeland Security’s Chief Information Security Officer Directorate is conducting market research to determine the availability of qualified and interested sources that can provide a variety of support services.

The required services include project management; architecture, engineering, risk management and compliance support for national security systems; cybersecurity support for the Information Technology Acquisition Review process; enterprise cybersecurity governance; and cybersecurity risk and reporting analysis, according to a request for information posted Friday on SAM.gov.

Interested parties have until April 19 to respond.

The DHS CISOD works to ensure that information systems operate at a level of risk that is acceptable. The directorate also works to ensure compliance with various legislative and departmental policies as well as other regulations and guidelines.

DHS Chief Information Security Officer Directorate Seeks Providers of Cybersecurity, Risk Management Support Services

Cyber experts, government leaders and industry visionaries will speak about the dynamic and evolving role of cyber in the public sector at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Cyber Summit, which will take place in June. Register now to attend this important event!

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DAF Officials Working on Implementation Plan for Air Forces Cyber Elevation; Bill Marion Quoted
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DAF Officials Working on Implementation Plan for Air Forces Cyber Elevation; Bill Marion Quoted

Officials at the Department of the Air Force are creating an implementation plan to elevate Air Forces Cyber into a standalone component command, DefenseScoop reported Friday.

Established in 2019, AFCYBER is part of the 16th Air Force, which is under Air Combat Command, and covers cyber, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, electromagnetic spectrum operations, information operations and weather, among other capabilities.

According to the service branch’s former cyber officials, AFCYBER could be placed under the supervision of the chief of staff and the secretary like a major command or MAJCOM.

Bill Marion, managing director at Accenture Federal Services, cited the challenge of being under a MAJCOM.

“Being underneath one MAJCOM, frankly, historically has been challenging. Not because they haven’t wanted to support cyber, but it gets into, Air Combat Command flies jets and fighters and Space Command flies satellites. It always was a budgetary challenge,” Marion told DefenseScoop.

According to the report, AFCYBER elevation could increase the profile of non-kinetic and cyber capabilities.

“The writing’s on the wall. Globally, cyber is truly a warfighting capability, it’s truly transcending all the mission areas,” Marion remarked.

“The biggest thing is this much larger aperture of cyber as a warfighting mission in totality, not underneath kinetic effects, but in concert with kinetic effects. Because it is a reality we live in. I mean, you look at the Ukrainian war and as an example, I mean, it’s as much cyber as it is kinetic. We see the bombs drop and you don’t see the non-kinetic but, it’s on par, it’s not above,” the Air Force’s former deputy chief information officer added.

POC - 2024 Air Force Summit

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