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Jen Easterly Warns Against Generative AI Threats, China Cyber Aggression
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Jen Easterly Warns Against Generative AI Threats, China Cyber Aggression

Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said security risks posed by generative artificial intelligence and threats of aggressive cyber operations from China are defining today’s threat landscape, Nextgov reported Wednesday.

Easterly said technology companies and critical infrastructure operators must prioritize implementing enhanced security practices amid concerns about the proliferation of unregulated generative AI tools and China’s cyber pursuits.

“These are the types of threats that we need to be prepared to defend against, and that’s why continuing to resource our budget is so incredibly important,” the 2023 Wash100 awardee said.

According to Easterly, the Biden administration’s proposed fiscal year 2024 budget allocates $3.1 billion to CISA, a $145 million increase to the agency’s current budget.

Easterly’s statement follows a warning from the Center for AI Safety regarding the dangers of using AI tools, saying that “mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.”

“When you have 350 experts coming out and saying there’s a potential for extinction of humanity, I think there’s a lot to worry about there,” Easterly said.

Leidos Anticipates Adoption of NCMA Contract Management Standard; Kim Denver Quoted
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Leidos Anticipates Adoption of NCMA Contract Management Standard; Kim Denver Quoted

Leidos plans to align with the National Contract Management Association’s Contract Management Standard.

The process will involve setting workforce competency requirements that meet the American National Standards Institute-approved guidelines, the Reston, Virginia-based company announced on Thursday.

“Leidos Contracting is excited to lead the industry in the adoption of the CMS,” said Kim Denver, senior vice president and chief corporate contracts executive at Leidos.

He noted the importance of contract management professionals, which he said are “paramount to mission success.”

“Through the CMS framework, our tradecraft will be incorporated under one common standard, elevating both federal and industry contract management professionals who are critical to our nation’s success,” said Denver.

The new classification was announced by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy in a January memo, which said that CMS will become the foundation of a novel contract training system for every civilian agency beginning Feb. 1. Since then, it has been embraced by the federal government and institutions of higher education.

As an adopter of CMS, Leidos intends to expand its work to maintain positive customer relationships by applying standards of professional conduct and shared understanding. The company also aims to develop the contract management profession as a fulfilling career path to empower those supporting federal missions from both public and private sector positions.

“NCMA is pleased to have Leidos join the growing community of CMS adopters dedicated to building a stronger bridge between industry and government,” said Kraig Conrad, CEO of NCMA.

“This adoption reinforces Leidos’ commitment to the profession, their contract management teams and the missions we serve together,” he added.

NCMA CMS serves as the international standard within the contracting field and informs hiring and training frameworks as well as the NCMA’s ANSI National Accreditation Board-accredited Certified Contract Management Associate certification.

Leidos Anticipates Adoption of NCMA Contract Management Standard; Kim Denver Quoted

Leidos is sponsoring the Potomac Officers Club’s 2023 Cyber Summit, which offers you the opportunity to cultivate your understanding of the current cyber contracting landscape. To learn more and register to attend the event on June 8, click here.

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Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, Maj. Gen. Heath Collins Nominated to DIA, MDA Leadership Posts
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Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, Maj. Gen. Heath Collins Nominated to DIA, MDA Leadership Posts

President Joe Biden has nominated U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse to lead the Defense Intelligence Agency as director, and Maj. Gen. Heath Collins to oversee Missile Defense Agency as its director.

If confirmed, Collins will be promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, Defense Secretary and 2023 Wash100 top honoree Lloyd Austin announced Wednesday.

Kruse is currently the director’s adviser for military affairs at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. He has been in military service since 1991, and has been deployed to Osan Air Base in South Korea and Operation Inherent Resolve in Southwest Asia. From 2016 to 2019, he was director of intelligence of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

Collins is the program executive for ground-based weapon systems at MDA in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. He has been in the Air Force since 1993, becoming commander for the first time in 2008 upon his appointment to the Space-based Infrared Systems Space Squadron.

Among his many roles, Collins was program executive officer for fighters and bombers at the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, as well as PEO for weapons and director of the Armament Directorate at Eglin AFB.

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Peraton to Support Missile & Space Intelligence Center Under $284M DIA Contract; Roger Mason Quoted
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Peraton to Support Missile & Space Intelligence Center Under $284M DIA Contract; Roger Mason Quoted

Peraton has booked a $284 Defense Intelligence Agency contract to bolster the Missile and Space Intelligence Center’s authoritative foreign threat analysis and assessment capabilities.

Work under the five-year task order is expected to impact the broader missile defense ecosystem and support initiatives across the community, Peraton announced from its Reston, Virginia headquarters on Thursday.

Roger Mason, president of Peraton’s space and intelligence arm and a four-time Wash100 Award recipient, emphasized that defeating advanced conventional weapons is “clearly a mission of national importance” and added that the company is honored to support MSIC through this award.

“We will bring our best expertise from across the team and multiple domains to enable this exciting new contract in Huntsville,” he added.

As the Solutions for Intelligence Analysis 3 Countering Advanced Conventional Weapons Analytical Requirements task order awardee, Peraton will apply science and technology intelligence to help decision makers—including warfighters, acquisition community customers and policymakers—properly respond to threats.

Contracting activities will provide the missile defense community with the flexibility required to modify the order of out-year weapon systems and modeling and simulation studies to meet changing mission demands and deter current and future threats.

Peraton has recently received a number of intelligence-related awards. In the first quarter of fiscal year 2023, the enterprise reported over $340 million combined in classified contracts for space and intelligence-related work.

Within the second half of 2022, Peraton secured multiple contracts also in the space and intelligence fields with a total value of $180 million.

In August 2022, the organization won an $850 million Department of Defense contract to deliver agile analytic platforms and data management products for the department’s intelligence systems.

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GSA’s Laura Stanton on Addressing Cyberthreats With Application Security Testing
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GSA’s Laura Stanton on Addressing Cyberthreats With Application Security Testing

Laura Stanton, a General Services Administration official, said federal agencies should develop an application security testing program that advances the adoption of various tools that continuously evaluate and address cyber vulnerabilities throughout the software development lifecycle.

“Ultimately, the goal is to create a holistic AST program of automated tools and manual testing that continuously examines applications as they are developed and continue through the SDLC,” Stanton, assistant commissioner for the office of information technology category at GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service, wrote in a blog post published Tuesday.

Some of the AST testing tools Stanton cited are Static AST, Dynamic AST and Software Composition Analysis.

She mentioned broken access control, injection and cryptographic failures as the top three app security threats and suggested best practices and AST tools that could be used to address such threats.

Stanton said agencies should consider the use of independent third-party testers for application security as part of their AST programs.

“These expert firms have the skills and certifications required to provide high-quality results and ensure applications hold up against real-world cyber attacks,” she added.

Want to learn more about the government’s efforts to address cyber threats? Attend the upcoming 2023 Cyber Summit, from Potomac Officers Club. This informative June 8 event will feature speakers such as DOD Deputy Chief Information Officer for Cybersecurity David McKeown and Department of the Air Force Chief Information Security Officer Aaron Bishop, among many others. Register here to reserve a spot today.

GSA's Laura Stanton on Addressing Cyberthreats With Application Security Testing
House OKs Bipartisan Measure to Suspend Debt Ceiling Until January 2025
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House OKs Bipartisan Measure to Suspend Debt Ceiling Until January 2025

The House voted 314-117 Wednesday to pass a bipartisan bill that would suspend the debt limit through Jan. 1, 2025, raise military spending by approximately 3 percent and reduce spending on domestic programs in fiscal year 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The measure, which is now headed to the Senate, would place a 1 percent limit on spending increases for FY 2025, increase the age of individuals who must work to get food assistance and accelerate environmental assessments for energy projects.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the proposed Fiscal Responsibility Act would cut government deficits by approximately $1.5 trillion over 10 years compared with the baseline forecast.

President Joe Biden called on the Senate to immediately approve the measure so he can sign the bill into law and noted that the budget agreement honors his commitment to protect Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security and other critical programs supporting families, veterans and students.

“I have been clear that the only path forward is a bipartisan compromise that can earn the support of both parties. This agreement meets that test,” Biden said in a statement released Wednesday.

The passage of the bill in the lower chamber came days after President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached the deal.

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DLA Issues Broad Agency Announcement on IT Modernization Efforts
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DLA Issues Broad Agency Announcement on IT Modernization Efforts

The Defense Logistics Agency is soliciting research and development proposals to support eight focus areas under its Acquisition Modernization Technology Research program.

A broad agency announcement published Tuesday says the agency is aiming to update procurement systems and processes through the adoption of industry best practices and modern technology platforms.

DLA plans to assemble a working group of contractors tasked with advising and assisting the AMTR program office on efforts to implement cutting-edge technology such as robotic process automation, artificial intelligence and digital engineering tools.

The agency intends to award cost-type indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts under the BAA and expects the performance period to consist of one base year and four one-year options.

DLA will keep the BAA open for five years, but initial responses to the solicitation notice are due Oct. 28.

The AMTR focus areas listed in the notice are as follows:

  • Maximizing enterprise IT modernization
  • Integrating data science and analytics
  • Leveraging a connected and secure supply chain
  • Capitalizing on emerging technology
  • Deepening industry engagement for innovation
  • Applying innovative processes
  • Strengthening knowledge-rich acquisition workforce
  • Enhancing market intelligence
FirstNet Band 14 Spectrum Secures Reauthorization From FCC
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FirstNet Band 14 Spectrum Secures Reauthorization From FCC

The Federal Communications Commission has reauthorized the First Responder Network Authority’s Band 14 spectrum dedicated to first responders and public safety users.

The spectrum license renewal is valid for another 10 years or for the remaining period of the nationwide public safety broadband network’s authorization from Congress, FirstNet Authority said Friday.

According to the independent authority, the reauthorization will provide public safety organizations with uninterrupted access to advanced broadband services to better serve their communities.

“The FirstNet Authority will continue to work diligently to further innovate and grow the network to ensure it consistently meets public safety’s needs.”

AT&T developed the national public safety wireless broadband network under a potential $6.5 billion contract awarded by FirstNet Authority in March 2017.

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Guidehouse Recommends Specific Configurations for Microgrid Deployment as Cybersecurity Countermeasures
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Guidehouse Recommends Specific Configurations for Microgrid Deployment as Cybersecurity Countermeasures

A new Guidehouse Insights report has recommended specific configurations for microgrid deployments to reduce electrical components’ vulnerabilities to cyber exploitation and prevent cyberattacks on the U.S. power grid.

The report recommended that microgrid software developers and original equipment manufacturers incorporate protective measures as early as the design stage of the development, Guidehouse Insights said Tuesday.

Guidehouse Insights also suggested that vendors using pay-for-performance models develop value-based pricing for cyber resilience services that account for the benefits of deploying microgrids as cybersecurity countermeasures.

Microgrids, utilities and end users should also incorporate best cybersecurity defense practices in their microgrid deployment processes, the report added.

“The only safe harbor for manufacturers to avoid liability is to consider cybersecurity from the design phase of a transmission and distribution expansion, deploying microgrids in ways that enhance rather than undermine cybersecurity,” said Christopher Cooper, senior research analyst at Guidehouse Insights.

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OSTP Names Former Chief Data Scientist Denice Ross Deputy CTO
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OSTP Names Former Chief Data Scientist Denice Ross Deputy CTO

Denice Ross, former chief data scientist at the Office of Science and Technology Policy, has been named deputy chief technology officer for tech capacity, FedScoop reported Tuesday.

She is responsible for ensuring openness, equity and effectiveness in the technological endeavors of local, state, federal, tribal and territorial government entities.

Ross joined OSTP as chief data scientist in November 2021. Prior to that, she was a senior fellow of the National Conference on Citizenship, and a fellow at the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation.

Earlier in her career, Ross held the position of senior advisor of community solutions at the Office of Management and Budget. She was also part of the Commerce Agency Review Team during the presidential transition to the Biden-Harris administration.

Ross succeeds Lynne Parker as deputy CTO, and was replaced by Dominique Duval-Diop in the chief data scientist role.

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