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Military Veterans David Berger, Charles Richard Named Senior Fellows at Johns Hopkins APL
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Military Veterans David Berger, Charles Richard Named Senior Fellows at Johns Hopkins APL

Former military leaders David Berger and Charles Richard were named senior fellows at Laurel, Maryland-based Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.

The two veterans joined other national security and space experts who collaborate with APL technical professionals to provide U.S. military leaders and senior government officials with insights about technology and policy decisions, the not-for-profit division of Johns Hopkins University said Thursday.

Berger is a retired U.S. Marine Corps general who served as the 38th commandant of the service branch. During his over four decades of service, he led strategic operations for the Marines and commanded at every level. One of his most notable works is spearheading the Force Design 2030 initiative to transform USMC into a more agile, technologically advanced, and modernized force.

Richard, on the other hand, is a retired Navy admiral who served as the 11th commander of Strategic Command. He had oversight of global command and control of all U.S. forces responsible for strategic nuclear deterrence, global strike and the Global Information Grid. His other previous roles include commander of Submarine Forces in Norfolk, Virginia, and director of Undersea Warfare at the Department of Defense.

“During their storied careers, David Berger and Chas Richard strategically led large and complex defense organizations,” said APL Director Ralph Semmel. “Together with our other Senior Fellows, they will strengthen APL’s efforts to safeguard our nation and deliver game-changing innovations to our sponsors.”

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NASA Selects 24 Projects to Advance Space Exploration Technologies
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NASA Selects 24 Projects to Advance Space Exploration Technologies

NASA has selected 24 projects from 21 organizations to receive cooperative agreement notices for dual-use technology development to advance new technologies designed to support future exploration missions to the moon and Mars.

The selected projects include efforts to use lunar regolith for construction on the lunar surface and use smartphone video guidance sensors to navigate autonomous systems on the International Space Station, NASA said Thursday.

“Products from these cooperative agreements support the closure of identified technology gaps and enable the development of components and systems for NASA’s Moon to Mars architecture,” said Daniel O’Neil, manager of the Technology Development Dual-Use CAN Program.

The awardees will secure grants totaling nearly $1.5 million and receive assistance from space transportation and propulsion experts at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama.

NIST Requests Proposals for 5G/6G Core Network Support Services Contract
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NIST Requests Proposals for 5G/6G Core Network Support Services Contract

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has begun seeking proposals for a one-year contract to procure contractor services to develop artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques in support of 5G and 6G communication networks.

A notice posted Thursday on SAM.gov states that the Transformational Networks and Services Group, or TNSG, within the Smart Connected Systems Division in NIST’s Communications Technology Laboratory requires contractor support to develop new AI-based architectural concepts for 5G and 6G networks and establish test methods for evaluating new AI and ML techniques.

TNSG is looking to develop distributed optimization and learning algorithms for new edge and distributed machine learning for supporting 5G and 6G networks, resource allocation for end-to-end quality-of-service assurance and entanglement routing in quantum networks.

The contract has a one-year ordering period to commence on Aug. 29.

Interested parties have until May 16 to respond to the request for proposals.

POC - 2024 5G Forum

Join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 5G Forum on May 22 to learn about how the responsible implementation of 5G plays a critical role in building a more secure and connected future for the U.S. Register here!

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CISA, FBI Issue Alert on Directory Traversal Vulnerability Exploits
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CISA, FBI Issue Alert on Directory Traversal Vulnerability Exploits

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have jointly released a Secure by Design Alert titled “Eliminating Directory Traversal Vulnerabilities in Software.”

CISA said Thursday that the alert seeks to draw attention to recent campaigns by threat actors to take advantage of directory traversal vulnerabilities, which have impacted critical infrastructure like public health and healthcare, as well as continuing exploits that have affected various critical services.

The agency notes that exploits persist despite the availability of mitigation methods. Its catalog also lists 55 known traversal vulnerabilities.

Software developers are encouraged to test their products to determine their susceptibility to the vulnerabilities.

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Senate Bill to Establish Public Database to Track Voluntary AI Security Incident Reports
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Senate Bill to Establish Public Database to Track Voluntary AI Security Incident Reports

Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., have introduced a bill that would create a public database to help track voluntary reports of artificial intelligence-related security and safety incidents to help ensure the security of the AI ecosystem.

Warner’s office said Wednesday the proposed Secure Artificial Intelligence Act of 2024 would require the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to update the National Vulnerability Database and the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures Program, respectively.

The legislation would also require NIST and CISA to develop a process for tracking voluntary reports of security vulnerabilities associated with AI.

The measure would establish a multistakeholder process to promote the development and adoption of best practices to address supply chain risks related to maintaining and training AI models.

Under the bill, the lawmakers proposed to form a new AI security center within the National Security Agency to provide academic researchers and the private sector with an AI research testbed, foster secure AI adoption and create guidance to mitigate counter-AI techniques.

“As we continue to embrace all the opportunities that AI brings, it is imperative that we continue to safeguard against the threats posed by – and to — this new technology, and information sharing between the federal government and the private sector plays a crucial role,” said Warner, chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

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DOD Addresses Cyber Standards for Covered Contractor Info Systems in Latest DFARS Class Deviation
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DOD Addresses Cyber Standards for Covered Contractor Info Systems in Latest DFARS Class Deviation

The Department of Defense has released a Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement class deviation concerning cybersecurity standards for covered contractor information platforms.

DOD said Thursday the class deviation seeks to provide more time for industry to transition to the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s revised Special Publication 800-171, which addresses the protection of controlled unclassified data in nonfederal information systems.

According to DOD, the class deviation will also provide the department time to align the necessary supporting mechanisms.

The latest DOD document includes definitions of several terms, including controlled technical information, covered defense information and cyber incident, and establishes information security protections that contractors should implement to provide adequate security on all covered contractor information systems.

The department also details cyber incident reporting requirements and offers measures for handling malicious software and accessing additional information needed to conduct a forensic analysis.

John Tenaglia, principal director of defense pricing and contracting at DOD, on Tuesday signed the class deviation, which was issued by the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.

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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Raytheon-Built Imaging Instruments Launch With Maxar Satellites; Nicholas Yiakas Quoted
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Raytheon-Built Imaging Instruments Launch With Maxar Satellites; Nicholas Yiakas Quoted

Two Raytheon-designed imaging instruments have joined Maxar’s WorldView Legion satellite constellation.

These instruments were included in the first two of six planned satellites in the constellation, which will offer high-resolution satellite imagery with a revisit rate of up to 15 times each day over the world’s most populated areas, RTX, Raytheon’s parent company, announced from Arlington, Virginia on Friday.

“Raytheon’s advanced instrument technology sets a new industry standard, providing 30cm high-resolution satellite imagery that enables WorldView Legion to fulfill today’s customer needs and adapt to the evolving needs of tomorrow,” said Nicholas Yiakas, director of civil, commercial and special programs at Raytheon.

While developing the telescopes, the enterprise secured eight U.S. patents. The final product was brought to life through a 15-year research and development initiative to create an optical material that is lighter yet stronger than earlier versions. With this technology, Maxar was able to shrink spacecraft mass by over two times and lower time to orbit and launch costs.

Once an image is taken, it is focused onto Raytheon’s digital focal plane array, which provides high-resolution multispectral images.

The WorldView Legion constellation is positioned in low Earth orbit and is intended to support various applications within a range of sectors, such as national security, military and commercial mapping and maritime monitoring as well as telecommunications network planning, change detection and feature identification.

It will also contribute to humanitarian aid delivery in the wake of natural disasters and help collect other information on world events.

DON Designates Naval Identity Services as Enterprise IT Service for ICAM; Jane Rathbun Quoted
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DON Designates Naval Identity Services as Enterprise IT Service for ICAM; Jane Rathbun Quoted

Naval Identity Services, or NIS, has been formally designated as the Department of the Navy’s enterprise information technology service for identity, credential and access management.

NIS will initially provide ICAM capabilities to unclassified Navy shore users with plans to extend its support to classified, afloat and tactical use cases, the DON Chief Information Officer said Thursday.

“Enterprise information technology services are a huge force multiplier: these services allow our entire enterprise the ability to do more for less with greater security, quality and speed,” said DON CIO Jane Rathbun, a 2024 Wash100 awardee.

According to Rathbun, the designation of NIS as the enterprise service for ICAM will advance her office’s Capstone Design Concept for Information Superiority, which aims to help DON achieve a favorable financial audit opinion and comply with requirements to deliver a zero trust implementation plan by 2024.

ICAM is critical to driving the implementation of zero trust architecture across DON by providing a resilient cybersecurity approach to authenticating and authorizing users’ access to certain digital resources. It will also enable DON to resolve key financial audit deficiencies in IT general controls.

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Tonya Wilkerson Nominated as Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security
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Tonya Wilkerson Nominated as Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security

President Joe Biden has nominated Tonya Wilkerson, deputy director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and a previous Wash100 awardee, to serve as the Department of Defense’s undersecretary for intelligence and security.

The White House said Thursday Wilkerson will bring to the DOD position her over 30 years of leadership experience in the intelligence community and the space sector once confirmed.

Milancy Harris, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for irregular warfare and counterterrorism, currently serves as acting undersecretary of defense for intelligence and security. In this capacity, she serves as a principal staff assistant and adviser to the secretary of defense and deputy DOD secretary on intelligence, counterintelligence and security matters.

Wilkerson previously served as associate deputy director for science and technology and strategy at the CIA.

She was a change management leader at the National Reconnaissance Office, where she also held leadership positions in the areas of acquisitions, research and development and operations.

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KBR Secures NRL Recompete Contract for Facility Operations, Maintenance & Security Services; Byron Bright Quoted
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KBR Secures NRL Recompete Contract for Facility Operations, Maintenance & Security Services; Byron Bright Quoted

KBR has received a contract from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory to provide facility operations, maintenance and security services in Washington, D.C.

The $34 million recompete award will extend the range of KBR’s partnership with the agency to include staffing its visitor center and supporting cybersecurity needs at multiple campuses, KBR announced from Houston, Texas on Thursday.

“We are excited to remain a key player in maintaining secure facility operations and cybersecurity services for the NRL in the face of increased threats,” said Byron Bright, president of KBR’s federal arm and a 2024 Wash100 Award recipient.

KBR has held this contract for 35 years, a timeframe Bright said demonstrates the organization’s “expertise within the physical security and cybersecurity realms.”

The recompete will also cover maintenance and sustainment services at two controlled areas in the city, with retrofitting space for incoming tenants to support research being one major responsibility.

This award comes less than a month after KBR announced it had won contracts valued at over $450 million combined from various government customers to assist with space-focused projects. Work under these awards is expected to support applied research, data science, acquisition and many other areas.

In March, KBR secured a $60.7 million Defense Health Agency task order for cybersecurity services. The award includes three option years that could bring the contract’s total value to $245.6 million if exercised.

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