CISA Sees Progress in Cybersecurity Performance Goal Implementation
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CISA Sees Progress in Cybersecurity Performance Goal Implementation

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has seen positive trends in its cybersecurity performance goals, or CPG, relating to mitigating known vulnerabilities and removing exploitable services on the internet.

CISA officials said in a blog post published Tuesday that organizations enrolled in the agency’s vulnerability scanning service have decreased the average number of known exploited vulnerabilities, a.k.a. KEVs, on their networks by almost 20 percent since the CPGs were released in October 2022.

The agency has also seen progress toward the first CPG’s recommendation to patch or mitigate KEVs on internet-accessible assets.

In addition, CISA has revealed that public-facing assets with exploitable services on the internet exhibited modest declines, indicating progress in removing exploitable internet services since the CPGs were published.

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André Mendes Retires as Commerce CIO
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André Mendes Retires as Commerce CIO

André Mendes is stepping down as chief information officer for the Department of Commerce on Dec. 31 after 14 years of service in the federal government.

In a LinkedIn post published Tuesday, Mendes shared that he will take on a CIO role for Tarrant County, Texas, starting Jan. 2.

Mendes was appointed CIO of Commerce in August 2020 and has since taken over responsibility and oversight of technology systems used at the department and its associated bureaus.

Before that, he held the top IT role at the International Trade Administration and helped drive the bureau’s digital transformation and cloud adoption efforts.

He also held various leadership roles at the U.S. Agency for Global Media, including CEO, chief operating officer, chief technology officer and chief financial officer.

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NASA’s John Dankanich Discusses Impact of Data Access Limitations on Tech Development Efforts
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NASA’s John Dankanich Discusses Impact of Data Access Limitations on Tech Development Efforts

John Dankanich, in-space transportation system capability lead at NASA, spoke about contracting approaches used with various vendors to support development work on cryogenic fluid management systems and how such mechanisms hinder the space agency’s ability to access data needed to understand how such technologies work with other platforms, SpaceNews reported Tuesday.

Cryogenic fluid management systems are designed to support in-space propellant storage and transfer and are a key component of lunar landers and other space vehicles.

“We want to be able to test different configurations. The issue that we have is the different procurement mechanisms that we’ve been using with our industry partnerships,” Dankanich said at an event Monday.

“We have a real challenge getting telemetry and the data that we want for model validation without having data restrictions on the overall system design and performance,” he added.

According to Dankanich, companies are developing cryogenic fluid management systems either through NASA’s Human Landing System program or Tipping Point awards.

He noted that Tipping Point awards that are being carried out as Space Act Agreements restrict how the agency can access data and manage work on cryogenic fluid management tech development projects.

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GAO Report Finds Gaps in Federal Agencies’ Event Logging Practices for Cybersecurity Incident Response
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GAO Report Finds Gaps in Federal Agencies’ Event Logging Practices for Cybersecurity Incident Response

The Government Accountability Office found that 20 federal agencies failed to meet the standards for cybersecurity incident response preparedness due to staff shortage, IT challenges and limitations in information sharing.

A GAO report released Monday showed that while the government departments have made progress in cyber threat response, there are still gaps in event logging, investigation and remediation.

The government watchdog investigated the 23 agencies covered by the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990, which was established to improve financial management and disclosure across the departments.

GAO learned that the all of the agencies completed required activities under the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency playbook. However, 20 of the offices failed to reach maturity level 3 of the Office of Management and Budget’s M-21-31 memorandum on cyber incident investigative and remediation capability assessment.

The report’s main recommendation to the concerned departments was to fully implement requirements for event logging. It also suggested 19 other courses of action, including additional details on continuity of operations planning in the CISA Federal Government Cybersecurity Incident and Vulnerability Response Playbooks.

DOD Amends Freedom of Information Act Program With Final Rule
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DOD Amends Freedom of Information Act Program With Final Rule

The Department of Defense has released a final rule amending the Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA, regulation to add additional FOIA requester service centers and update organizational names.

With the final rule, DOD is implementing the standards outlined in the Department of Justice’s Template for Agency FOIA Regulations stating that the decision to take part in FOIA alternative dispute resolution services is voluntary on the part of DOD and the requestor, according to a Federal Register notice published Tuesday.

Under the FOIA amendment, the Pentagon is changing the Directorate for Oversight and Compliance to the Office of the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Privacy, Civil Liberties and Transparency and the Defense Security Service to the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency.

The department is adding U.S. Cyber Command, U.S. Southern Command, U.S. Space Command and U.S. Space Force as authorized FOIA requester service centers.

“The benefit of USCYBERCOM and USSPACECOM establishing their own FOIA Requester Service Center is that FOIA action officers would have a direct and deeper knowledge of USCYBERCOM and USSPACECOM records, allowing for requests to be more readily completed within statutory timelines,” the notice states.

The rule will take effect on Jan. 4.

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DOD Aims to Bolster Metals Supply Chain Through Award to 6K Additive; Laura Taylor-Kale Quoted
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DOD Aims to Bolster Metals Supply Chain Through Award to 6K Additive; Laura Taylor-Kale Quoted

The U.S. Department of Defense has selected 6K Additive, LLC for a $23.4 million award to deepen its waste and scrap metal upcycling capabilities.

With the funding, 6K Additive will upgrade facilities, acquire and install equipment and conduct engineering activities to support the conversion of these materials into high grade metals for both defense and commercial supply chains, the DOD announced on Tuesday.

“U.S. dependency on foreign sources for specialty metals presents a significant risk to national security. 6K’s products will feed supply chains that form the basis of our military’s core warfighting capabilities,” said Laura Taylor-Kale, assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy.

Contracting responsibilities are expected to increase the production capacity for metals such as titanium, niobium, nickel and tungsten, which are used in alloys for aircraft structural components, turbine engine blades, rocket engines and radar systems, among other defense technologies.

6K Additive uses domestic sources of metal feedstock, including end-of-life components, machine shop waste and scrap from manufacturing processes like casting and forging, for its upcycling activities.

The award was issued through the Defense Production Act Investment Program, which has funded $735 million in awards this year.

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White Papers Sought for Naval Air Systems Command Digitization
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White Papers Sought for Naval Air Systems Command Digitization

The Naval Air Systems Command Digital Department is calling for white papers on research projects that could help NAVAIR digitization efforts with the ultimate aim of increasing workforce efficiency, streamlining business processes, delivering capabilities and improving readiness.

Multiple procurement contract or Other Transaction Agreement prototyping awards are expected to result from the solicitation, with financing levels determined by the quality of the submission and the availability of funds, according to a broad agency announcement NAVAIR posted Tuesday on SAM.gov.

Research areas of interest include but are not limited to artificial intelligence and machine learning, DevSecOps, predictive analytics and data architecture and management.

The BAA will remain open until Dec. 4, 2024. Interested parties may submit white papers any time within this period.

Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst and other NAVAIR contracting entities will issue the awards.

White Papers Sought for Naval Air Systems Command Digitization

The latest developments in U.S. military technology will be discussed at the Potomac Officers Club’s 10th Annual Defense R&D Summit, which will take place in January. Register now.

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Vyshnavi Suntharalingam Named Chief Technology & Engineering Officer at DOD Office of Strategic Capital
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Vyshnavi Suntharalingam Named Chief Technology & Engineering Officer at DOD Office of Strategic Capital

Vyshnavi Suntharalingam, formerly vice chair of the Department of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, has been appointed chief technology and engineering officer at the Department of Defense’s Office of Strategic Capital, according to a LinkedIn post published Tuesday.

Suntharalingam has been with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory since 1996, taking on various research roles, such as senior member and technical staff with the space systems division and principal staff with the space systems and technology division.

She joined the DAF Scientific Advisory Board as a member in 2017 and was appointed vice chair of the advisory body in 2022.

Suntharalingam chaired the Department of Energy’s Detector Advisory Board for Linac Coherent Light Source from 2018 to 2019.

In December 2022, DOD established the Office of Strategic Capital to help technology developers secure funding to bring platforms to the military and national security markets.

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US Defense Business Board Recommends Space Force, NRO, MDA Autonomy in Acquisition Decisions
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US Defense Business Board Recommends Space Force, NRO, MDA Autonomy in Acquisition Decisions

On Nov. 15, the Office of the Secretary of Defense Business Board released findings of its investigation into the effectiveness of a unity of effort in the U.S. government’s space acquisition decision-making.

The Defense Business Board concluded that the National Reconnaissance Office and Missile Defense Agency should keep operating separately from the U.S. Space Force to avoid red tape and maintain the efficiency of acquisition authorities within the Department of Defense.

The six-month study involved interviews with professionals from DOD and other federal agencies, as well as people from the intelligence community and commercial space sector. The team also reviewed studies from academic institutions, DOD and the Government Accountability Office.

The board wrote that while the existing DOD acquisition system should stay in place, it should also adapt to evolving tools and knowledge in the space sector. The Space Service Acquisition Executive should also be allowed to make the final decision in awarding other transactional agreements valued at more than $500 million to streamline the approval process, according to DBB.

On March 5, 2024, the Potomac Officers Club will host a Space Summit to shine a light on critical areas of the global space industry. Join the event by registering here.

POC - 2024 Space Summit
Ken Blount, OEHRM Testing Manager of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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Ken Blount, OEHRM Testing Manager of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Ken Blount possesses over three decades of comprehensive experience in the defense sector. He boasts skills related to information technology, information assurance, network security, and project management. Since March 2020, Mr. Blount has served as the Office of Electronic Health Record Modernization Testing Manager at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

 

On December 6, 2023, Mr. Blount is scheduled to be one of the panelists at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2023 Healthcare Summit. He is set to share his command to the ever-changing needs, emerging technologies, and current market evolution of the healthcare sector, particularly for the veterans communities across the United States,

 

Register for the 2023 Healthcare Summit and learn more about important topics and developments in the healthcare sector, such as artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and user experience.

Hurry and secure a slot now!

 

Meet Ken Blount

 

Ken Blount
Image from LinkedIn

Kenneth Blount, known to his colleagues as Ken, has mastered various facets of the information networks of the Department of Defense. Equipped with his deep understanding of defense systems in mid to senior-level leadership, he has led a team of contractors and government personnel for different program offices under the Defense Department.

 

Aside from his current role as the Office of Electronic Health Record Modernization (OEHRM) Testing Manager at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Mr. Blount also holds the position of Infrastructure Project Lead at the Program Executive Office Defense Healthcare Management Systems. He has served in this capacity since October 2012.

 

Ken Blount’s experiences

 

  • OEHRM Testing Manager at the Department of Veterans Affairs (2020–Present)
  • Infrastructure Project Lead at Program Executive Office Defense Healthcare Management Systems (2012–Present)
  • Director of Theater Medical Logistics DHSS at the Department of Defense (2010–2012)
  • Director of System Service Support at the OSD TMA Defense Health Information Management System (2008–2010)

 

*Some of Ken Blount’s earliest experiences also include two-year stints for the 18th Medical Command and the United States Army. 

 

Mr. Blount’s educational attainment 

 

  • Bachelor of Science in Finance at the Hampton University (1980–1984)
  • Officer Basic Course at the USAMEDD Center and School (1985)
  • Medical Logistics Management Course at the USAMEDD Center and School (1985)
  • Officer Advance Course at the USAMEDD Center and School (1989)
  • Health Services Materiel Officer Course at the US Army Medical Materiel Agency (1990)

 

Doubling down on his knowledge and capabilities in the federal sector, Ken Blount completed several trainings, where he acquired certifications such as DAWIA Level I Certified in Information Technology, Level III Program Management from the Defense Acquisition University, and ITIL V3 certified and Security+.

 

Ken Blount’s demonstrated work and accomplishments in the healthcare industry

 

Ken Blount's demonstrated work and accomplishments in the healthcare industry
Photo by PopTika/Shutterstock

Ken Blount is a highly acclaimed professional in the federal healthcare sector. He extensively studied the health services and functions, which he applied throughout his demonstrated work for the federal healthcare industry. Furthermore, Mr. Blount’s IT competencies have boosted his reputation as a premier healthcare leader.

In the same year that Mr. Blount became the Office of Electronic Health Record Modernization Testing Manager at the Department of Veterans Affairs, he was included in the list of awardees for championing innovation in Health IT. Awarded by FedHealthIT on November 17, 2020, he was recognized for his accomplishments in the medical innovation and research field.

 

Ken Blount, Panelist for the 2023 Healthcare Summit

 

2023 Healthcare Summit

 

Ken Blout has been named as one of the panelist speakers for the 2023 Healthcare Summit, organized by the Potomac Officers Club. Happening on December 6, 2023, he joins other leading healthcare decision-makers, leaders, and professionals to delve into healthcare innovation amid the fast-evolving landscape.

 

Learn more about the 2023 Healthcare Summit

 

  • Organizer: Potomac Officers Club
  • Date: December 6, 2023 (7:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m. – ET)
  • Location: Falls Church Marriott Fairview Park, 3111 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church, VA 22042
  • Sponsors: LMI, SAIC, Noblis, LCG, and netskope

 

The 2023 Healthcare Summit, organized by the Potomac Officers Club, explores the changes brought about by the onset of the global pandemic. The annual summit discusses the shifting patient needs, the rise of new technologies, and the emergence of threats. All in all, the 2023 Healthcare Summit analyzes the undergoing revolution in the healthcare market.

 

Join top executives in a deep dive into the current and future developments of public and private healthcare markets at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2023 Healthcare Summit.

Follow this link to learn more.

 

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