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House Panel OKs FY 2026 Defense Authorization Bill
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The House Armed Services Committee approved its version of the fiscal 2026 NDAA

The House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday passed its version of the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act in a 55-2 vote.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., welcomed the passage of the FY 2026 NDAA, which he said builds on the One Big, Beautiful Bill and seeks to revitalize the defense industrial base and strengthen U.S. readiness capabilities.

House Panel OKs FY 2026 Defense Authorization Bill

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House NDAA Advances Defense Acquisition Reforms

“The FY26 NDAA supports modernization and fundamentally reforms defense acquisition by cutting red tape, eliminating bureaucratic hurdles and encouraging innovation. It refocuses acquisition on its most important mission: getting our warfighters what they need, when they need it,” Rogers said in a statement Tuesday.

Military Times reported that the House panel’s defense policy bill includes proposed changes to the defense acquisition process, including the Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery, or SPEED, Act, that Rogers introduced.

According to the report, the SPEED Act would form a new directorate to serve as a decision authority on procurement issues and accelerate development and production timelines.

The latest move came days after the Senate Armed Services Committee approved its version of the defense authorization bill, which includes provisions from the FORGED Act and proposed acquisition reforms.

House NDAA Requires Database of Vendors Backing Clandestine Ops

Defense One reported that the House NDAA would require the DOD to develop and maintain a database of all contractors involved in clandestine military operations.

According to the report, the proposed requirement seeks to strengthen oversight and reduce counterintelligence risks across the U.S. defense community.

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FedRAMP Seeks Comments on Proposed Continuous Vulnerability Management Standard
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The FedRAMP logo. FedRAMP is soliciting public input on the draft Continuous Vulnerability Management Standard

The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program has begun soliciting public comments on a proposed standard designed to ensure that FedRAMP Authorized cloud service offerings use automated systems to continuously identify, analyze, mitigate and remediate vulnerabilities.

FedRAMP said Tuesday the comment period for the proposed Continuous Vulnerability Management Standard will run through Aug. 21. Learn more about FedRAMP and other federal IT programs at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Navy Summit on August 26 at the Hilton McLean!

What Is the Purpose of the FedRAMP Continuous Vulnerability Management Standard?

According to FedRAMP, the proposed Continuous Vulnerability Management Standard seeks to ensure that cloud service providers, or CSPs, promptly detect and respond to critical vulnerabilities by prioritizing realistically exploitable weaknesses and advancing automated vulnerability management.

The program expects the standard to facilitate the use of existing commercial tools for providers and reduce custom government-only reporting requirements. The draft standard seeks to define new plain-language terms, include all weaknesses in the definition of a vulnerability, encourage urgent mitigation of vulnerabilities prior to remediation and directly define potential adverse impact levels.

FedRAMP noted that a modified version of the standard will be informed by public input and assessed with volunteer CSPs during 20x Pilot and Rev5 Beta Tests.

Expected Outcomes From FedRAMP Continuous Vulnerability Management Standard’s Implementation

FedRAMP expects the proposed standard to enable CSPs to meet and validate FedRAMP security requirements with simple changes and automated capabilities, and help federal agencies quickly review and use security information about a cloud service to make informed risk-based authorizations.

The standard intends to provide third-party independent assessors with a simpler framework for evaluating security and implementation decisions. When finalized, it will initially apply to all FedRAMP 20x authorizations.

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U-M, ASU Lead Efforts to Create Center for Digital Twins in Manufacturing
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A digital twins graphic. U-M and ASU intend to launch the Center for Digital Twins in Manufacturing.

The University of Michigan and Arizona State University have collaborated to establish a new National Science Foundation research center, Michigan News reported Monday.

Advancing Manufacturing with Digital Twins

The universities intend to launch the Center for Digital Twins in Manufacturing to address the challenges that hinder digital twin technology from advancing manufacturing. The proposed center will focus on resolving precompetitive issues to expand the use of digital twins to enhance manufacturing performance, quality and uptime.

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The center aims to develop generalized, reusable, extendable and maintainable digital twins for particular machine types, such as a 3D printer that could be customized to simulate another specific machine. The digital twins are intended to simulate natural wear and tear and reflect enhancements after repairs and part replacements.

It is also meant to quantify and reduce uncertainty in digital twins, create digital twins for human-robot collaboration, leverage digital twin software for simulation and “what-if” analysis, and develop Autotwin, a software designed to generate and run digital twins.

“Everyone’s building digital twins, but we’re trying to build the glue or connectivity that enables digital twins to work together — to be composable, reusable and maintainable,” said Dawn Tilbury, chair of the Ronald D. and Regina C. McNeil Department at U-M.

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Expert: Public-Private Partnerships Essential to Cloud Identity Security Challenges
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The CISA logo. JCDC's associate director promotes public-private partnerships to address cloud identity security challenges.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has highlighted the need for public-private partnerships to address the growing risks to cloud identity systems.

In a blog post CISA posted Tuesday, Clayton Romans, associate director of CISA’s Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative, said that while cloud providers have implemented security measures, nation-state-affiliated actors have exploited vulnerabilities in token authentication, key management and logging practices.

To mitigate the risks, cloud service providers are advised to harden authentication and authorization mechanisms, prioritizing improvements in token technology, secrets management, access control, logging and forensic capabilities. Enhancing security in token validation technology, secrets management systems and logging practices, however, presents complex challenges, Romans said. 

Learn more about cloud computing and other cutting edge cybersecurity topics during Navy Chief Information Officer Jane Rathbun’s keynote address at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Navy Summit on August 26 at the Hilton McLean!

Cloud Providers Gathered to Discuss Identity Security Practices

The JCDC is working with cloud service providers to address the challenges, including through the discussion of best practices for strengthening cloud identity security.

In June, CISA hosted the JCDC Cloud Identity Security Technical Exchange, during which 50 experts across the U.S. federal government and top cloud service providers analyzed core cloud identity security practices. The attendees included representatives from Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, HashiCorp, IBM, Microsoft, Okta, Oracle, Wiz, the OpenID Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Security Agency.

According to Romans, the exchange laid the foundation on how the agency can work with the private sector to improve the adoption of essential cloud identity security practices and enhance the resilience of critical cloud infrastructure. 

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Celina Tent, CIC Team on Prototype Shelter for Global Strike Missileer Protection
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A photo of a handshake. Celina Tent and the Cyber Innovation Center developed a prototype shelter for missile maintainers

Celina Tent and the Cyber Innovation Center collaborated to develop a prototype shelter to safeguard Air Force Global Strike Command missile maintainers and equipment from extreme weather conditions and potentially boost productivity.

Celina Tent, CIC Team on Prototype Shelter for Global Strike Missileer Protection

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Prototype Shelter for Global Strike Missileer Protection

STRIKEWERX said Tuesday that the 20-foot-tall shelter comprises two pieces: one stationary section and a second shelter enclosing the intercontinental ballistic missile Advanced Extremely High Frequency antenna and the crane used for its maintenance. The shelter is designed to inflate and deflate quickly to enhance the protection POC – 2025 Air and Space Summitof AFGSC personnel tasked with maintaining the ICBM AEHF antenna.

The tent-like shelter aims to reduce weather-related injuries, including hypothermia and heat exhaustion. The inflatable shelter’s faster deployment and takedown cut maintenance time by half, which could minimize overnight stays at missile alert facilities. The modernized shelter is also intended to lessen the need for “Work Rest Cycles,” which is currently practiced by missile maintainers.

The prototype shelter was developed during a design sprint facilitated by STRIKEWERX, CIC’s innovation hub. Personnel from Celina Tent and multiple Air Force bases worked on the design. The prototype will be tested for further refinement and potential deployment to AFGSC’s Missile Wings.

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Clyde Richards Named NSF CIO
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Clyde Richards has been named the National Science Foundation's CIO

The National Science Foundation has appointed Clyde Richards, a U.S. Army veteran, as chief information officer.

Richards announced his new position at NSF in a LinkedIn post.

Before this position, Richards was NSF’s acting CIO, a position he took on in March following Terry Carpenter’s retirement.

Who Is Clyde Richards?

Richards joined NSF in March 2024 as deputy CIO.

He has over three decades of experience in programs and operations management, business leadership, defense acquisitions, technology, logistics and contract management.

Prior to NSF, he spent more than three years at the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, where he served as deputy program executive officer responsible for the development, implementation and sustainment of the IT systems portfolio.

He held various leadership roles within the Department of Defense, including director of the Army Mission Command portfolio within the Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army; director of the Army and Marine Corps portfolio at the Defense Contract Management Agency; and senior program manager at the Army’s Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems, now known as PEO Enterprise.

The Rutgers University mathematics and computer science graduate has a master’s degree in information technology management from the Naval Postgraduate School.

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DSCA Director David Cattler to Retire in September
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David Cattler is set to retire as director of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency

David Cattler is set to retire as director of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, effective Sept. 30.

The DCSA said Monday will retire from public service, capping a 35-year career in the military, national security and civil sectors.

David Cattler’s Career Achievements

Cattler was appointed agency director in March 2024, replacing Daniel Lecce, the acting director at the time. He managed a global workforce of 15,000 federal and contract support personnel while overseeing the DCSA’s efforts to provide integrated security services, including counterintelligence support, industrial engagement, security training and vetting. 

Before joining the DCSA, Cattler served four years at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as the assistant secretary general for intelligence and security. He also spent over four years at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, holding various positions, including assistant director of national intelligence, chairman of the national intelligence management council, national intelligence manager for the Near East and principal deputy national intelligence officer for military issues.

Cattler briefly served as deputy assistant to the president for regional affairs at the National Security Council and was the director of the defense combating terrorism center at the Defense Intelligence Agency, leading its counterterrorism efforts. Cattler also held various leadership roles during his stints at the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Department of the Navy and the Office of Naval Intelligence.

Earlier in his career, Cattler worked at Whitney, Bradley & Brown and was a naval surface warfare officer.

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Dustin Gard-Weiss Appointed as CIA Executive Director
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Dustin Gard-Weiss headshot. The official has taken the role of executive director at the CIA

Dustin Gard-Weiss, who previously performed the duties of the under secretary of defense for intelligence and security, has been appointed as executive director of the CIA. The executive director role will replace the chief operating officer position, the CIA said in a press release on Friday.

Dustin Gard-Weiss Appointed as CIA Executive Director

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Gard-Weiss welcomed his appointment, saying that he was delighted to work with CIA Director John Ratcliffe, a one-time Wash100 Award winner, and Deputy Director Michael Ellis.

“It is the honor of my career to enable the CIA workforce to accomplish their exceptional mission,” he said.

Comments by CIA’s John Ratcliffe

Commenting on Gard-Weiss’ appointment, Ratcliffe expressed that he was glad to have him on the team. 

“Dustin is an outstanding leader with a wealth of experience in the Intelligence Community, and we are deeply fortunate to count him as a member of CIA’s senior leadership team,” he remarked. 

Who Is Dustin Gard-Weiss?

Gard-Weiss brings his two decades of leadership experience in defense, national security and intelligence missions. He became the executive director of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, where he supported the under secretary and deputy under secretary in overseeing intelligence, counterintelligence, and security efforts, according to his DOD profile.

He also held several top positions in the Navy, Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

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GAO’s Alyssa Hundrup: Healthcare Sharing Agreements Could Play a Key Role in Cost Avoidance
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GAO's Alyssa Hundrup. Hundrup said cost avoidance is one area where healthcare sharing agreements could play a role

Alyssa Hundrup, healthcare director at the Government Accountability Office, said she believes cost avoidance is one area where healthcare sharing agreements could play an important role, Federal News Network reported Monday.

“We are all interested in saving taxpayer dollars, and with these agreements, there can be great opportunities for cost employment avoidance,” Hundrup told FNN.

Hundrup’s remarks are in response to a recent GAO analysis, which found that the departments of veterans affairs and defense do not evaluate the effectiveness of healthcare sharing agreements and fail to identify opportunities for new or expanded sharing agreements.

Double-Digit Increase in Active Healthcare Sharing Agreements Between DOD, VA

According to the GAO report, DOD and VA had 185 active sharing agreements in place as of April 2025, up 14 percent from 162 agreements in October 2022.

Such agreements allow DOD and VA to share facilities, administrative personnel and medical staff, and provide training, patient administration and other nonmedical services.

The congressional watchdog recommended that VA and DOD implement a process for assessing the effectiveness of their healthcare sharing agreements and use the results to introduce changes. The evaluation process should include establishing performance goals, creating performance measures and collecting data to assess progress.

Developing Nonreimbursable Agreements

According to the GAO report, medical facilities lack information on developing nonreimbursable agreements. Instead of billing each other, organizations share healthcare resources under these agreements.

“These are really important, because there may be some services where doing the reimbursable or the dollar amount may just not make the most sense, or it may be easier,” Hundrup said.

“For example, DoD may have specialized equipment, and VA may have the technician available. Costing it out and figuring out the dollars, it may just be more efficient and more useful to have a non-reimbursable agreement, and this is where it’s services in kind,” she added.

GAO recommended that DOD finalize guidance on developing nonreimbursable sharing agreements, including instructions on how to create a required justification through a business case analysis plan.

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Space Force Developing Advanced Swarm Digital Training Platform
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The U.S. Space Force logo. The military component is working on an advanced Swarm digital training platform for end of 2025.

The U.S. Space Force has revealed that it aims to develop and utilize a more advanced Swarm digital training platform by the end of 2025 to enhance the service branch’s readiness in the face of escalating threats to national space capabilities posed by China and Russia, Defense News reported Saturday.

Space Force Developing Advanced Swarm Digital Training Platform

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What Is Swarm?

Swarm is a training tool the Space Force is developing and utilizing to provide Guardians with enhanced tactical training exercises. The digital training platform is designed to simulate adversarial scenarios and various capabilities of U.S. and allied forces, enabling operators to train against enemy tactics and use realistic Space Force systems.

Planned Swarm Enhancements

The Space Force will prioritize further developing its current simulators to address training and tactics development needs. It will leverage existing and new systems for now, but the ultimate goal is to build a comprehensive virtual training infrastructure. The Space Training and Readiness Command, or STARCOM, aims to shift Swarm to a cloud environment within the next two years, enabling operators in different geographies to conduct training together.

The service branch has requested a budget of $141 million to develop a National Test and Training Complex that will host virtual technologies for basic and advanced training. In addition, Space Force is ensuring that program offices developing satellites and ground systems will prioritize training requirements.

Maj. Gen. Tim Sejba, STARCOM commander, said, “This is basically a digital environment at various classification levels that is going to allow us to be able to provide a red threat. We’re bringing units together at Space Flag already and executing within that digital environment.”

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