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NASA Boosts Online Presence With New Website, Streaming Service
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NASA Boosts Online Presence With New Website, Streaming Service

NASA is revamping its digital platforms, including its flagship and science websites and mobile app, and launching its first on-demand streaming service to make its content and services more accessible online.

The agency said Friday it has released an early, in-progress preview of the beta version of its website, which will serve as a consolidated platform for information on its research projects, climate data and the latest news about its space missions.

“Modernizing our main websites from a technology standpoint and streamlining how the public engages with our content online are critical first steps in making our agency’s information more accessible, discoverable, and secure,” said Jeff Seaton, chief information officer at NASA headquarters in Washington.

The retooled website will feature a common search engine, integrated navigation and optimized publishing capabilities in modernized and secure web tools.

The agency’s ad-free streaming platform is set to go live later in 2023 and will be available via the NASA App on iOS and Android mobile and tablet devices and streaming sites such as Apple TV, Roku and Fire TV.

Space Technologies Forum

ExecutiveBiz will host the Space Technologies Forum on Aug. 29 to convene industry experts and government officials across the space domain for a discussion on the future of the space technology sector. Click here to register and see the confirmed speakers at the event.

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US, Australian Agencies Release Advisory on Mitigating Web Application Vulnerabilities
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US, Australian Agencies Release Advisory on Mitigating Web Application Vulnerabilities

The National Security Agency, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Center have released a joint cybersecurity advisory warning web application developers and vendors against insecure direct object reference vulnerabilities.

The advisory, titled “Preventing Web Application Access Control Abuse,” describes IDOR vulnerabilities as access control vulnerabilities enabling malicious actors to bypass access control in web applications deployed on-premises or in the cloud to modify, delete or access sensitive data, NSA said Thursday.

“These vulnerabilities are frequently exploited by malicious actors in data breach incidents because they are common, hard to prevent outside the development process, and can be abused at scale,” according to the advisory.

To prevent malicious actors from exploiting IDOR, the guidelines suggest web application developers implement secure by design and default principles, adhere to secure coding practices, use automated code analysis and testing tools for conducting code reviews and testing and train personnel on secure software development.

End-user organizations ought to also apply software patches for web applications, configure applications to log and alert on tampering attempts and perform regular vulnerability scanning and penetration testing.

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DHA’s Don Johnson on AI, Key Priorities to Transform Military Health Care
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DHA’s Don Johnson on AI, Key Priorities to Transform Military Health Care

Don Johnson, assistant director and support/component acquisition executive at the Defense Health Agency, noted innovation, academic and industry partnerships and asynchronous communication as two of his top priorities to advance military health care transformation, Health.mil reported Thursday.

Johnson said innovation will require changes in how DHA awards contracts and provides public health and logistics support.

“Asynchronous communication is about dashboards and communicating progress. It’s that transparency in how we organize to support different regions with regard to contracting, logistics, public health, IT, and our acquisition and research areas,” he said.

Johnson highlighted industry partnership as a critical component of the agency’s transformation. He said that artificial intelligence-related innovations from academic institutions and industry will be “front and center” due to AI’s ability to offer data repositories and converged databases supporting predictive analysis with technologies such as wearables.

“It would be wonderful to partner with those entities researching AI today … to advance us even faster,” Johnson added.

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Army Creates Program Management Office for Cyber, Space Within PEO IEW&S
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Army Creates Program Management Office for Cyber, Space Within PEO IEW&S

A new program management office has been established within the U.S. Army’s program executive office for intelligence, electronic warfare and sensors to support the growing cyber, tactical space and information warfare missions.

Christopher Green, former product manager for joint battle command platform within the service’s PEO command, control and communications-tactical, assumed responsibilities as project manager for cyber and space during a ceremony held Tuesday at the Mallette Training Facility on Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, the Army said Thursday.

In this capacity, Green will oversee the development, acquisition, deployment and delivery of lifecycle support to the service branch’s offensive cyber tools and related infrastructure and lead talent recruitment efforts in the next six to 12 months.

“We’ll be accomplishing this through extensive collaboration with our partners across the federal government, Department of Defense and Industry,” said Green.

Product manager information warfare cyber and PM information warfare cyber infrastructure development will be realigned under PM C&S, which will also take over tools such as the Joint Common Access Platform and the Rapid Cyber Development Network.

PM C&S is expected to integrate tactical space capabilities and new offices supporting emerging cyber needs.

POC - 8th Annual Army Summit

Hear military leaders and industry executives as they discuss the U.S. Army’s strategic programs and priorities at the Potomac Officers Club’s 8th Annual Army Summit on Aug. 1 at Hilton-McLean. Register now to save your spot at this highly anticipated event.

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Congress Extends Phillip Swagel’s Term as Budget Office Director
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Congress Extends Phillip Swagel’s Term as Budget Office Director

Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray, D-Wash., and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., cleared Phillip Swagel to serve four more years as director of the Congressional Budget Office.

Swagel, who started his term on June 3, 2019, has been reappointed to lead CBO until Jan. 3, 2027, the Senate Committee on the Budget announced Thursday.

Since 1992, he has been working as an economist in the government and education sectors. He taught at Northwestern University, the University of Chicago – Booth School of Business, Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and the University of Maryland School of Public Policy.

Swagel served as assistant secretary for economic policy at the Department of the Treasury from 2006 to 2009. Earlier in his career, he was an economist at the International Monetary Fund and chief of staff of the White House Council of Economic Advisers.

“I am keenly aware that CBO must continue to meet the standard…to provide objective, impartial analyses in support of the Congress and on behalf of the American people,” Swagel said in a statement. “All of us at CBO will continue to strive to ensure that the agency is responsive to the needs of the Congress and that our work is clearly explained and easily understood.”

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Senate Panel OKs FY24 Appropriations Bills for DOD, Other Federal Agencies
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Senate Panel OKs FY24 Appropriations Bills for DOD, Other Federal Agencies

The Senate Appropriations Committee has passed a package of 12 appropriations bills that would allocate fiscal year 2024 funds for federal agencies – including the departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Labor, Education and Interior.

Passed in a 27-1 vote, the Defense Appropriations Act for FY 2024 would provide $831.8 billion in funding to support service members and their families, improve military readiness and strengthen deterrent capabilities, the Senate panel said Thursday.

Included in the bill are investments in U.S. Indo-Pacific Command initiatives to enhance deterrence, advance strategic modernization efforts and improve military housing, among other initiatives.

The Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations measure seeks to allocate discretionary funding of $224.4 billion for the upcoming fiscal year to fund biomedical research and health care programs, address substance abuse and mental health crises, increase investments in students and families and protect workers’ rights.

$61.3 billion in discretionary funds is included in the Homeland Security Appropriations bill, which would be used to support the processing of people and goods at ports of entry, address the work authorization backlog and back the refugee resettlement program.

The Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Act includes $42.7 billion in allocations to fund the Environmental Protection Agency’s programs, support wildfire preparedness and suppression efforts and invest in tribal communities.

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USAF Assistant Secretary for Acquisition Andrew Hunter Receives 2023 Wash100 Plaque From Executive Mosaic CEO Jim Garrettson
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USAF Assistant Secretary for Acquisition Andrew Hunter Receives 2023 Wash100 Plaque From Executive Mosaic CEO Jim Garrettson

Andrew Hunter, assistant secretary of the U.S. Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, accepted his first Wash100 award from Executive Mosaic CEO and award founder Jim Garrettson.

Hunter was inducted into the 2023 Wash100 group of leaders for driving the branch’s contracting activities, such as its partnership with CrowdAI to use computer vision deep learning to transmit data in space.

In the past year, the Air Force achieved various weapons-related milestones with Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and Aerojet Rocketdyne. USAF worked with Northrop to demonstrate the B-21 Raider stealth bomber, while Lockheed and Aerojet helped the service branch conduct trials of the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept.

Under Hunter’s leadership, USAF awarded 92 companies spots on a $900 million contract to study innovations in multidomain systems. Research and development contracts were given to Leidos for designing and developing a prototype for electro-optic sensitive defensive electronic warfare, and Battelle for supporting the Microelectronics Security and Embedded System Assurance initiative of the Air Force Research Laboratory.

Hunter accepted the Wash100 plaque during the Potomac Officers Club’s 2023 Air Force Summit held July 18 in Virginia, where he also took part in a fireside chat session with Gerry Dixon, managing partner of the government and public sector practice at EY.

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L3Harris Closes Acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne; Chris Kubasik Quoted
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L3Harris Closes Acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne; Chris Kubasik Quoted

L3Harris Technologies has closed its acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne following the signing of a definitive agreement late last year.

The transaction’s completion created a fourth business unit within L3Harris, which intends to bolster the defense industrial base, create competition and support Aerojet Rocketdyne’s work to improve its offerings, the former announced from its Melbourne, Florida headquarters on Friday.

L3Harris Chair and CEO Christopher Kubasik, a three-time Wash100 Award winner, said he is “thrilled” about the integration of over 5,000 employees into the company’s team.

Ross Neibergall, who was selected to take on the president role for the Aerojet Rocketdyne business segment, commented that as part of L3Harris, the organization will build on its history of providing the “competitive environment that produces innovative, agile solutions” its customers have come to expect.

As a result of the acquisition, L3Harris’ portfolio now includes additional long-cycle backlog and expertise, offering the company more opportunities in missile defense systems, hypersonics and advanced rocket systems as well as other areas. The new business arm will be rebranded as Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company.

“With national security at the forefront, we’re combining our resources and expertise with Aerojet Rocketdyne’s propulsion and energetics capabilities to ensure that the Department of Defense and civil space customers can address critical mission needs globally,” said Kubasik.

The deal — an all-cash transaction totaling $4.7 billion — was announced in December 2022.

In January, L3Harris completed its earlier acquisition of Link 16 (Viasat’s Tactical Data Links product line) for $1.96 billion. The transaction was announced in October 2022, when a definitive agreement was signed.

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Senate Committee Passes Bill to Establish AI Leadership Across Federal Government
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Senate Committee Passes Bill to Establish AI Leadership Across Federal Government

The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has passed legislation that would establish artificial intelligence leadership across the federal government.

The AI Leadership to Enable Accountable Deployment Act would create a chief AI officer role at each federal agency to develop and implement policies relating to the design, acquisition, use, risk management and performance of AI technologies, the HSGAC said Thursday.

AI LEAD Act would also establish a Chief AI Officers Council to ensure interagency coordination on AI activities and facilitate the sharing of best practices for using the technology across the federal government.

The bipartisan legislation was led by Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and John Cornyn, R-Texas.

According to Peters, the bill would ensure that federal agencies have the right talent to realize the benefits of AI while mitigating its potential risks to the public and national security.

“Artificial intelligence is constantly evolving, and the federal government must be able to keep up,” Cornyn said. “This bill would establish interagency AI coordination and strategy to ensure they use this technology in a modern and fiscally responsible way.”

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Tickets Running Low: Discover & Connect at POC’s 8th Annual Army Summit
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Tickets Running Low: Discover & Connect at POC’s 8th Annual Army Summit

The Potomac Officers Club is looking ahead with eager anticipation to its Army Summit on Tuesday, August 1. The event has been a yearly tradition for POC for the last eight years, bringing together the most prominent voices in the U.S. Army for discussions that cover the Army’s current priorities, vital updates on where it’s turning its focus in the years ahead and pointers on how members of industry can help. It will be held at the beautiful Hilton McLean in Virginia from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and, like all POC events, provide invaluable opportunities for networking with peers and exclusive chances to meet and interact with many of the speakers.

Spots left are vanishing quickly. Save yours today and register here.

The day’s proceedings are stacked with keynote speeches from some of the Army’s best and brightest:

  • Hon. Gabe Camarillo, undersecretary of the Army and chief management officer
  • Hon. Doug Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology and Army acquisition executive
  • William Nelson, deputy to the commanding general, Army Futures Command
  • Gregg Judge, acting director of enterprise cloud management agency, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Department of the Army

This year’s edition also includes panel discussions covering important issues like artificial intelligence and mission analytics’ impacts on the warfighter and data’s role in contested logistics scenarios. Some of the notable participants in these panels are:

  • Dr. Chris Hill, chief of data and analytics at Army Materiel Command
  • Joe Larson, deputy chief digital and artificial intelligence officer for algorithmic warfare at the Department of Defense
  • Dr. Alex Miller, senior advisor for science and technology and vice chief of staff, U.S. Army
  • MG Mark Simerly, commanding general at U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command and Sustainment Center of Excellence
  • Terrance Westerfield, DoD Strategy (U.S. Army) at Amazon Web Services

And that’s just a brief sampling of some of the brilliant minds who will be leading Tuesday’s event. Don’t miss out and register today!

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