US Navy, Missile Defense Agency Lead Demo Event for Advanced Hypersonics
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US Navy, Missile Defense Agency Lead Demo Event for Advanced Hypersonics

The U.S. Navy and the Missile Defense Agency jointly conducted a demonstration of advanced hypersonic technologies as part of the Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonics Test Bed program.

The test campaign, which took place on Wednesday at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, is expected to help improve MDA’s hypersonic defensive capability as well as the Navy’s offensive Conventional Prompt Strike assets.

The demo involved the Navy Strategic Systems Programs, Naval Surface Warfare Center – Crane Division, the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s Test Resource Management Center and Sandia National Laboratories. The event also featured prototypes from partners in industry and academia.

Results of the tests will inform government and non-government organizations working on the maturation of offensive and defense hypersonic systems, the service branch said.

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MIT Grants DOD Workforce Access to AI Learning Assets; Craig Martell Quoted
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MIT Grants DOD Workforce Access to AI Learning Assets; Craig Martell Quoted

The Department of Defense and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology teamed up to roll out a digital on-demand learning initiative to expand military and civilian personnel knowledge about artificial intelligence.

DOD’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office on Thursday revealed that the department’s workforce will have access to the MIT Horizon learning platform through its Digital University.

MIT Horizon features resources about AI capabilities, generative AI, cybersecurity, internet of things and related emerging technologies. DOD expects that basic information about AI will lay the foundation for common language and therefore better communication across the agency.

“This resource demonstrates to the DoD workforce how they fit into the future of these advancements and further enables their adoption throughout the Department,” said Craig Martell, Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer and recipient of the Wash100 Award.

The initiative was partially launched last summer to members of the U.S. Special Operations Command and Central Command.

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NIST Opens Data Classification Concepts & Considerations Report to Public Comment
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NIST Opens Data Classification Concepts & Considerations Report to Public Comment

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence has released the initial public draft of an internal report on data classification concepts and considerations for improving data collection.

NIST said Wednesday the draft publication defines basic terminology and clarifies fundamental concepts in data classification to provide a common language for organizations looking to enhance their data protection approaches.

The NIST IR 8496 aims to advance the awareness and application of data classification considerations in secure data sharing, zero trust architecture implementation, compliance reporting and monitoring and large language models.

The report, authored by experts from NIST, Mitre and Scarfone Cybersecurity, is open for public comment until Jan. 9, 2024.

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CMS Official Rajiv Uppal Named Next IRS Chief Information Officer
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CMS Official Rajiv Uppal Named Next IRS Chief Information Officer

Rajiv Uppal has been selected as the next chief information officer of the Internal Revenue Service.

Uppal, who is currently part of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, will assume his new role in early 2024, the IRS said Wednesday.

At CMS, Uppal is serving as chief information officer and director of the Office of Information Technology. His work at the agency has covered a variety of areas related to IT, including investment planning, program management and strategic planning.

The incoming IRS CIO had also been part of the Department of Homeland Security and, before then, worked in multiple private sector organizations.

IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said the agency’s modernization thrust will benefit from Uppal’s professional background.

“Rajiv’s expertise inside the government, coupled with his work in the private sector, provides a unique skill set that will complement our strong Information Technology team at the IRS,” Werfel added.

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USAID Releases 1st Geospatial Strategy; Samantha Power Quoted
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USAID Releases 1st Geospatial Strategy; Samantha Power Quoted

The U.S. Agency for International Development underscored in a recently released Geospatial Strategy its overall goal of advancing the delivery of international programs through the use of geospatial data and technology.

The agency said Wednesday its first-ever Geospatial Strategy highlights four objectives, one of which is helping USAID gain expanded access to geospatial data and tools.

The other goals are strengthening USAID’s capacity to use geospatial insights for decision-making; integrating geographic information into its policies and practices; and providing global leadership in using geospatial tech for development and humanitarian assistance.

Currently, the agency and its collaborators use geospatial information for delivering improved responses to disease outbreaks, utilize satellite data for quantifying Amazon forest loss and employ custom maps for identifying areas of poverty in assisted countries.

“We have seen the power of geospatial technology to make USAID’s humanitarian and development assistance more effective – from creating interactive maps and dashboards to inform disaster response to using satellite imagery to analyze climate impacts,” said USAID Administrator Samantha Power. “Analysis of geospatial data allows us to uncover insights about local needs, make more informed decisions and better target life-saving assistance.”

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Federal Agencies Release Cybersecurity Advisory on Rhysida Ransomware Attacks
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Federal Agencies Release Cybersecurity Advisory on Rhysida Ransomware Attacks

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the FBI and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center have warned against a ransomware threat group targeting organizations from the government and private sectors.

In a joint cybersecurity advisory, the agencies outlined indicators of compromise of the Rhysida ransomware and provided early detection methods and techniques to prevent ransomware attacks, CISA said Wednesday.

Rhysida actors exploit virtual private networks, phishing campaigns and the Zerologon vulnerability to gain initial access and persistence within a compromised network.

The group has targeted organizations in education, healthcare, manufacturing, information technology and the government.

The CSA contains a set of mitigations aligning with the Cross-Sector Cybersecurity Performance Goals developed by CISA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to help organizations reduce the likelihood and impact of Rhysida ransomware attacks.

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Jim Free to Succeed Bob Cabana as NASA Associate Administrator
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Jim Free to Succeed Bob Cabana as NASA Associate Administrator

Jim Free, associate administrator for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate since 2021, has been promoted to associate administrator, succeeding Bob Cabana, who is retiring at the end of the year after two years in the position.

Free will serve as senior adviser to the NASA administrator and deputy administrator and oversee the heads of the agency’s 10 centers and five mission directorates, NASA said Wednesday.

He rejoined NASA as associate administrator of exploration systems development in 2021 after spending several years in the private sector.

His previous NASA career included roles such as deputy associate administrator for technical in the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate and director of the Glenn Research Center in Ohio.

Catherine Koerner will succeed Free as associate administrator of exploration systems development and assume responsibility for developing the Moon to Mars architecture.

Koerner previously served as program manager for the Orion spacecraft at the Johnson Space Center.

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cBEYONData’s Bryan Eckle Talks Leadership Strategy & Core Values
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cBEYONData’s Bryan Eckle Talks Leadership Strategy & Core Values

Since he began his career, Bryan Eckle has helped clients upgrade their financial management, procurement, budget and data analytics activities by implementing people, processes and technology. Now, as chief solutions officer of cBEYONData, he leads the company’s team of consultants in their work to improve operations for customers.

Eckle recently participated in an interview with the Potomac Officers Club, in which he highlighted his career inspirations, discussed his core values and shared his thoughts on the current government contracting environment.

In this excerpt from the interview, Eckle describes his strategy for building a successful team:

“It all starts with integrity – without trust, nothing else matters. From there, a client mission focus, adaptability, a continual improvement mindset and teamwork round out my top values. It’s not enough to simply write down values in a document or web page without going further. An organization must live these values in how it hires, incentivizes and makes decisions across all levels of the firm.”

For more on Eckle’s leadership approach, read the full Executive Spotlight interview on the Potomac Officers Club website.

Interested in participating in your own Executive Spotlight interview? This brand-building opportunity is an exclusive perk available to Potomac Officers Club members. To learn more about our membership options and discover which one is right for you, click here.

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Proposed Legislation Seeks to Empower Commerce, Transportation Departments to Authorize Novel Space Activities
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Proposed Legislation Seeks to Empower Commerce, Transportation Departments to Authorize Novel Space Activities

The National Space Council released on Nov. 15 proposed legislation that seeks to confer upon the Department of Transportation and the Department of Commerce the power to authorize novel commercial space activities, which are not covered by the current regulatory regime, SpaceNews reported Wednesday.

Under the present rules, through the Federal Aviation Administration, the DOT oversees human space flight in terms of launches and reentry. Under the proposed rules, the DOT’s oversight extends to commercial space stations and other human space flight missions, including those to other celestial bodies.

The proposed rules also authorize the DOT to regulate in-space transportation missions, like the delivery of items to the surface of the moon.

For its part, the DOC oversees regulation of commercial remote sensing under the present rules. The proposed rules expand the DOC’s authority to cover uncrewed spacecraft and other missions not covered by the DOT.

The DOC would also be responsible for coordinating space traffic, according to a report by Space.com. The DOC would assume this work from the Department of Defense.

Regarding the proposed legislation, Deputy Secretary of Transportation Polly Trottenberg commented, “The FAA remains committed to ensuring novel in-space activities occur safely and efficiently.”

For his part, Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves said, “This legislation ensures that our government will build a regulatory environment that supports commercial expansion to benefit all Americans.”

Congress OKs Stopgap Measure to Keep Government Operational Through Early 2024
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Congress OKs Stopgap Measure to Keep Government Operational Through Early 2024

A continuing resolution is now headed to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature after being passed by Congress to prevent a government shutdown and extend federal operations through early 2024, Reuters reported Wednesday.

The Senate voted 87-11 to approve the stopgap funding measure a day after the House cleared the legislation by a 336-95 vote.

The bill would extend funding through Jan. 19 for veterans benefits, military construction, agriculture, transportation, housing, urban development, water and energy programs and the Food and Drug Administration.

Meanwhile, funding for defense and all other federal operations would end on Feb. 2 under the measure.

In late September, House and Senate lawmakers passed a stopgap bill to keep federal agencies operational at current funding levels through Nov. 17.

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