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DIU, AETC Partner to Advance Pilot Training Using Commercial Devices
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DIU, AETC Partner to Advance Pilot Training Using Commercial Devices

A partnership between the Defense Innovation Unit and Air Education and Training Command aims to modernize pilot training using existing commercial technologies, including extended reality and mixed reality devices.

DIU and AETC have collaborated with Vertex Solutions, Discovery Machine, CAE and Google to field 225 immersive training devices at the four U.S. Air Force undergraduate training sites under the Pilot Training Transformation, or PTT, program, DIU said Monday.

The devices operate on a DIU-prototyped containerized commercial cloud network and capture and ingest data into a cloud-based learning management system to assist training instructors in managing grades, schedules and syllabus progression.

AETC is also prototyping a Multi-place Mixed Reality flight simulator that will serve as the primary aircrew training device for the U.S. Air Force’s TH-1H helicopter fleet.

Under the PTT initiative, DIU partnered with 19th Air Force/Detachment 24 and technology provider Metrea Simulations to prototype a Virtual Training for Air Dominance system to provide a next-generation simulation engine for virtual training environments.

New Executive Order to Create Interagency Committee to Improve Security in Federal Facilities
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New Executive Order to Create Interagency Committee to Improve Security in Federal Facilities

President Joe Biden has signed an executive order to establish a new committee tasked with developing policies and standards to ensure the security and protection of federal facilities.

The Interagency Security Committee will assess existing security standards for federal facilities and come up with a strategy to track the implementation of such standards to ensure compliance by agencies, the White House said Monday.

The committee will also encourage agencies to share security-related intelligence; assess technology and information systems as a way of providing cost-effective improvements to security in facilities; and develop long-term construction standards for locations with threat levels or missions that require blast-resistant structures or other specialized security requirements.

The secretary of the Department of Homeland Security will chair the committee, which will consist of representatives from federal agencies, including the departments of Defense, State, Justice and the Treasury.

The EO directs the committee to submit to the director of the Office of Management and Budget and the assistant to the president for national security affairs a summary report detailing the results of compliance of agencies with policies and standards.

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NSA Releases International Cybersecurity Guidance on AI System Development; Rob Joyce Quoted
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NSA Releases International Cybersecurity Guidance on AI System Development; Rob Joyce Quoted

The U.S. National Security Agency teamed up with other stateside departments as well as some in the U.K. to issue a cybersecurity information sheet, or CSI, on artificial intelligence system development.

The guidance, which includes input from the U.K. National Cyber Security Centre and U.S Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, warns against adversarial machine learning attacks that could compromise data in AI technologies.

The CSI emphasizes the implementation of secure design, development, deployment and operation in AI systems. It recommends conducting a holistic assessment of AI-specific threats and using the findings to prepare the system for the evolving attack vectors.

The document also urges developers to compare the benefits and weaknesses of different AI models, taking into consideration factors such as training dataset characteristics, use case appropriateness, model complexity and component supply chains.

“We wish we could rewind time and bake security into the start of the internet. We have that opportunity today with AI. We need to seize the chance,” NSA Cybersecurity Director and Wash100 awardee Rob Joyce commented.

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REI Systems to Modernize Insider Threat Detection Processes for DITMAC Under New Contract; Wagish Bhartiya Quoted
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REI Systems to Modernize Insider Threat Detection Processes for DITMAC Under New Contract; Wagish Bhartiya Quoted

REI Systems has won a contract to develop a case management service technology for the U.S. Department of Defense’s Insider Threat Management and Analysis Center.

Once implemented, the system is expected to streamline manual processes currently used by DOD staff and the public to report potential insider threats, the Sterling, Virginia-based company announced on Tuesday.

Wagish Bhartiya, chief growth officer of REI Systems, said he is “tremendously excited” about the award, which “reinforces REI’s growing footprint in the defense market” and expands its portfolio of low-code and case management capabilities.

“The DITMAC mission is core to keeping our country safe from internal threats. There is no higher calling than protecting those who work to protect our everyday citizens,” he said.

REI’s tool is intended to consolidate the reporting process and utilize data analysis best practices to enable more effective tracking and real-time analysis of threats and incidents. It will leverage artificial intelligence to enhance predictive warnings and will be built on the Salesforce.com platform.

The enterprise will also be responsible for creating a centralized repository that individuals can use to report incidents with or without disclosing their identity.

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Empower AI CEO Jeff Bohling Discusses Company’s Transformative Year
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Empower AI CEO Jeff Bohling Discusses Company’s Transformative Year

Empower AI is emerging from a year of notable change and transformation. In the summer of 2022, the company rebranded from NCI, then in November 2022, KKR became a majority shareholder, and at the start of 2023, Jeff Bohling became the company’s CEO. Executive Mosaic sat down with Bohling to discuss what has changed for Empower AI, what remains the same and what we can expect for the future.

“The new brand is gaining traction,” Bohling shared in a new video interview with Executive Mosaic’s Summer Myatt. “The release of ChatGPT last fall caused a lot of interest in everything associated with artificial intelligence. We benefit from that attention because of our AI platform, but our real focus remains on the mission, just as it was 34 years ago.”

Bohling shared that Empower AI’s ownership change sparked a series of leadership and strategic shifts as well. He said KKR had “a different investment thesis than the previous owner and wanted us to focus on our core strength.”

“This approach caused a change in strategy which necessitated a change in leadership. I’m happy to say that the change in leadership is complete and we are diligently focusing on building a strategy for the next three-to-five years. There has been a great deal of change, but the team is embracing it, and there’s a lot of excitement about the opportunities created with that change,” Bohling added.

For more insights into Empower AI’s strategy and to learn more about how the company is embracing AI, watch Jeff Bohling’s full interview. Stay informed about the latest GovCon news, expertise and thought leadership by subscribing to Executive Mosaic’s YouTube channel and by following us on LinkedIn.

Biden Administration’s New Supply Chain Resilience Council to Oversee 30 Interagency Missions; Alejandro Mayorkas Quoted
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Biden Administration’s New Supply Chain Resilience Council to Oversee 30 Interagency Missions; Alejandro Mayorkas Quoted

The Biden administration established the Council on Supply Chain Resilience as part of more than 30 action items to strengthen the production and distribution of goods in the United States.

The council, which will be co-chaired by the national security and economic advisers, convened on Monday to discuss interagency coordination to monitor and prevent disruption of the supply chain.

The 4×24 Leadership Series — which includes the Supply Chain Group — is an executive-level networking and idea-generation group offered by Executive Mosaic. Its selective monthly dinners organize subgroups by interest and experience level to foster compelling dialogues between the public and private sectors. Click here for more info!

Among the actions pledged by the White House is the establishment of cross-governmental partnerships such as the Department of Commerce Supply Chain Center, which is task to conduct deep-dive analyses and risk assessments in areas such as clean energy stock.

The Department of Homeland Security also has its own supply chain resilience facility. “Conflict, political instability, and climate change could challenge our supply chains in the years ahead,” DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said. “The Supply Chain Resilience Center will help American businesses and the federal government anticipate these disruptions and play a key role in the Biden-Harris Administration’s work to prevent them,” the Wash100 awardee added.

Another initiative is the $275 million funding provided by the Department of Energy for the Advanced Energy Manufacturing and Recycling Grant Program. The grants authorized under the Defense Production Act aim to boost domestic production of clean energy technologies.

The council is scheduled to review its initiatives by Dec. 31, 2024, and update criteria for qualifying products and industries critical to national and economic security.

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OSTP Issues Follow-on RFI for 2023 National Plan for Civil Earth Observations
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OSTP Issues Follow-on RFI for 2023 National Plan for Civil Earth Observations

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is seeking feedback from expert individuals and organizations regarding its draft National Plan for Civil Earth Observations.

The Congress-mandated draft is the third version to be developed since 2014 and is intended to maintain U.S. global leadership in the Earth observation enterprise, OSTP said in a notice published Wednesday.

An interagency team of experts called the U.S. Group on Earth Observations was tasked to formulate the 2023 National Plan, which includes near- and long-term actions needed to address socio-economic challenges, such as climate change, in the next 10 years.

The latest request for information is a follow-on to the RFI issued by OSTP in May and will close on Dec. 31.

DCSA Brings Together Agency, Industry Partners for Latest NBIS Demo Day
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DCSA Brings Together Agency, Industry Partners for Latest NBIS Demo Day

The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency hosted a virtual demonstration day to provide information on the latest National Background Investigation Services updates, DVIDS reported Tuesday.

The NBIS Demo Day convened more than 5,300 participants from federal agencies and industry and included discussions on the new eApp and the latest NBIS features and capabilities.

Scott DiStefano, NBIS training chief, said attendance for the NBIS Demo Day nearly tripled in size since the launch of the training sessions in 2020.

According to DiStefano, the NBIS Training program has provided live training to more than 6,000 users through over 200 live webinars and developed more than 135 training products.

The latest interactive session enabled participants to raise questions that NBIS experts answered in real-time via the Teams’ chat function.

“Our representatives from NBIS Training, Solutions, eApp, and Onboarding teams fielded over 1,000 questions from the audience and customers,” DiStefano said.

In late October, 100 federal agencies and 11,000 companies migrated to the NBIS eApp where they can submit requests for personnel background investigations.

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Next-Gen Mars Helicopter Rotor Blades Undergo Testing at JPL Facility
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Next-Gen Mars Helicopter Rotor Blades Undergo Testing at JPL Facility

NASA conducted tests in September on next-generation carbon fiber rotor blades that could power larger and more capable Mars helicopters in the future.

The tests were carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s space simulator, the same facility where the Surveyor, Voyager and Cassini spacecraft were initially subjected to space-like conditions, the JPL website said Wednesday.

During the test, the rotor blades were spun at 3,500 revolutions per minute, or at nearly supersonic speed.

According to Sample Recovery Helicopter deputy test conductor Tyler Del Sesto, the new blades were made to spin 750 RPMs faster than what Ingenuity — NASA’s helicopter currently operating on the red planet — could achieve.

Compared to Ingenuity’s rotors, the new blades are over 10 centimeters longer and possess greater strength. They also feature a different design.

“These more efficient blades are now more than a hypothetical exercise,” Del Sesto noted, adding, “They are ready to fly.”

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Rick Therrien on Improved Logging, Cybersecurity Playbook Automation Efforts at IRS
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Rick Therrien on Improved Logging, Cybersecurity Playbook Automation Efforts at IRS

Rick Therrien, director of cybersecurity operations at the Internal Revenue Service, said the IRS has made progress in collecting audit logs and has begun automating its cybersecurity response playbooks by merging log data with its security orchestration, automation and response platform, Federal News Network reported Thursday.

“We’ve taken a number of manual playbooks in the past year, and we’ve provided automation to those through our SOAR platform,” Therrien said during a Nov. 16 webinar.

“You have to have the data, but then what’s your response to that data, and being able to do that in a repeatable way, and also being able to do it at the scale of a large enterprise,” he added.

Therrien noted that the IRS has made strides in zero trust adoption, particularly in multifactor authentication, and that over 22 million taxpayers have started using ID.me’s identity service to create IRS accounts online.

“And then internally for everyone who has access to IRS systems, we had them on multifactor authentication for a number of years, but the lift of converting the legacy systems to multifactor is something that we’ve made tremendous strides in the last 12 months,” he said.

The IRS cybersecurity chief talked about the Department of the Treasury’s PROviding Treasury Enterprise Cybersecurity Technology and Services program, also known as PROTECTS, and the IRS’ plan to perform a tabletop exercise on artificial intelligence threats in fiscal year 2024.

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