/
Gen. Charles Brown Nominated to Lead Joint Chiefs of Staff
Published on
Gen. Charles Brown Nominated to Lead Joint Chiefs of Staff

Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown, chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, has been nominated to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Reuters reported Wednesday.

A senior White House official said President Joe Biden accepted the recommendation of Lloyd Austin, secretary of the Department of Defense and 2023 Wash100 awardee, to nominate Brown for the position.

The official noted that Brown has deep knowledge of the challenges posed by China and understanding of the capabilities and perspectives of NATO allies.

Prior to his current role, Brown was the commander of the Pacific Air Forces, air component commander for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and executive director of Pacific Air Combat Operations Staff.

The Air Force general previously served as deputy head of U.S. Central Command, commander of U.S. Air Forces Central Command and director for the Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff Executive Action Group.

Brown, a command pilot, also served as a National Defense Fellow at the Institute for Defense Analyses in Alexandria, Virginia.

He would succeed Army Gen. Mark Milley, a four-time Wash100 Award winner, if confirmed by the Senate.

/
NSA & Five Eyes Alliance Issue Joint Advisory Over China-Sponsored Cyber Actor
Published on
NSA & Five Eyes Alliance Issue Joint Advisory Over China-Sponsored Cyber Actor

The National Security Agency has collaborated with six other government agencies in the U.S. and other countries to issue an advisory over a China-sponsored cyber actor that blends in with legitimate software and networks to evade detection.

The cybersecurity warning, which was issued Wednesday by the Five Eyes intelligence alliance of the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, aims to help critical infrastructure network defenders find and detect the threat, known as Volt Typhoon.

The cyber actor’s behaviors were flagged by NSA’s private sector partners, which reported that it was using “living off the land” malware to attack critical infrastructure organizations without leaving a trace. It uses built-in tools such as wmic, ntdsutil, netsh, and PowerShell to avoid detection.

“This joint advisory will give network defenders more insights into how to detect and mitigate this malicious activity,” said Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “At the same time, we must recognize the agility and capability of PRC cyber actors, and continue to focus on strong cybersecurity practices like network segmentation and ongoing investments in promoting the resilience of critical functions under all conditions,” added Easterly, a Wash100 awardee.

NSA Cybersecurity Director and fellow Wash100 honoree Rob Joyce echoed her remarks, stressing that it is “imperative for us to work together to find and remove the actor from our critical networks.”

NASA Seeks Feedback on Plan to Increase Research Data Public Access
Published on
NASA Seeks Feedback on Plan to Increase Research Data Public Access

NASA is seeking public comment for its draft Public Access Plan, which aims to improve the availability of data from scientific research and scholarly publications supported by the agency.

The agency issued an RFI notice inviting individuals and institutions from the scientific community, healthcare sector, and publishing entities to share their insights on the extent of access that should be allowed, and the concepts of software sharing and archiving.

The Public Access Plan is guided by the Office of Science and Technology Policy’s Memorandum on Increasing Access to the Results of Federally Funded Research, which was first published in 2013 and updated in 2022.

NASA is attempting to expand access to research data while respecting the right of researchers and authors to decide where and how their results will be published.

The agency is considering submitting the final published materials to databases such as its Scientific, Technical And Research Information Discovery System, Astrophysics Data System, and NASA PubSpace. The documents would also appear in the Clearinghouse for the Open Research of the United States.

NASA is counting on public feedback to shape its policies on equity in publication accessibility, monitoring community impact of publication fees and regulations, transparency of research and software archiving and management.

The deadline for comments is Aug. 17.

/
DHS 2nd Remote Identity Validation Tech Demo Challenge to Focus on ID & Selfie Photo Comparison
Published on
DHS 2nd Remote Identity Validation Tech Demo Challenge to Focus on ID & Selfie Photo Comparison

The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate has begun accepting applications for the second track of its Remote Identity Validation Technology Demonstration Challenge.

While Track 1 of the challenge focused on identity document authentication, the new round will center on fraud detection through ID and selfie photo comparison, the agency said Tuesday.

The Remote Identity Validation Technology Demonstration is a collaborative effort of DHS and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Transportation Security Administration and the Homeland Security Investigations Forensic Laboratory. The series of challenges are expected to lead to the development of user-friendly yet secure and accurate technologies to prevent identity fraud.

RIVTD Track 2 will test the capability of remote validation software to distinguish whether a selfie photo and ID photo contain images of the same person. The demonstrations apply to incidents “when fraudsters attempt to use lost or stolen genuine IDs to open new accounts or apply for benefits,” said Arun Vemury, Lead of S&T’s Biometric and Identity Technology Center.

Applications for RIVTD Track 2 are due on June 22.

FAA Requests Feedback on 4 BVLOS Drone Operation Requests
Published on
FAA Requests Feedback on 4 BVLOS Drone Operation Requests

The Federal Aviation Administration is seeking feedback from industry on requests by four companies to fly unmanned aerial vehicles beyond visual line-of-sight.

Aerial data acquisition services provider Phoenix Air Unmanned, UAS technology developer uAvionix and autonomous delivery companies UPS Flight Forward and Zipline have sought permission to conduct BVLOS drone operations at or below 400 feet, the FAA said Tuesday.

The agency grants BVLOS waivers to public organizations looking to fly drones beyond a remote pilot’s normal visual range.

Members of the public have 20 days to submit comments on the proposed waivers.

The FAA will use the gathered information to inform its ongoing policy and rulemaking activities.

/
OSTP Seeks Public Comments on Critical AI Issues
Published on
OSTP Seeks Public Comments on Critical AI Issues

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has issued a request for information to solicit insights to inform the development of a national strategy that will provide a roadmap for the U.S. to mitigate the risks and leverage the benefits of artificial intelligence.

OSTP is seeking responses from the public on several questions associated with protecting rights, safety and national security; advancing equity and strengthening civil rights; and bolstering democracy and civic participation, according to the RFI published Tuesday.

The agency also wants input on questions related to promoting economic growth and good jobs and innovating in public services.

Responses are due July 7.

The RFI is one of the initiatives announced by the White House on Tuesday to advance the development of responsible AI.

OSTP also issued a national strategic plan outlining goals and priorities for federal investments in AI research and development efforts.

The Department of Education released a new report that addresses the opportunities and risks related to AI in learning, teaching, assessment and research.

/
Army Maj. Gen. Robert Barrie Jr. Appointed Deputy for Acquisition, Systems Management
Published on
Army Maj. Gen. Robert Barrie Jr. Appointed Deputy for Acquisition, Systems Management

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Robert Barrie Jr., the service’s program executive officer for aviation since July 2020, has been selected to assume the role of deputy for acquisition and systems management, the Department of Defense announced Tuesday.

He will work within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology and oversee acquisition programs in aviation, intelligence, electronic warfare, missile and ground combat.

Barrie served as the project manager for cargo helicopters in PEO Aviation from 2013 to 2017 and was assigned as chief of staff for ASA (ALT) in 2018.

He returned to PEO Aviation a year later as deputy PEO.

Barrie held various leadership roles across the Army and the Department of Defense since he was commissioned as an aviation officer in 1990.

/
NSA & Partners Release Updated Guide to Prevent Ransomware, Data Extortion
Published on
NSA & Partners Release Updated Guide to Prevent Ransomware, Data Extortion

The National Security Agency, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have released an updated document outlining best practices and recommendations for preventing and responding to ransomware and data extortion.

The “#StopRansomware Guide” cybersecurity information sheet updates CISA’s 2020 guide to include recommended practices for preventing common initial infection vectors and addressing cloud backups and zero trust architecture, NSA said Wednesday.

These recommendations align with CISA’s Cross-Sector Cybersecurity Performance Goals and incorporate insights from NSA, the FBI and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center.

CISA also added threat-hunting tips for detection and analysis to the guide’s ransomware response checklist.

“Malicious cyber actors are not only encrypting files and asking for ransom, they are also exfiltrating data and threatening victims to release it as a form of extortion,” said Rob Joyce, director of cybersecurity at NSA.

“Most importantly, the speed of compromise and impact have increased dramatically, requiring even more effort on the part of defenders,” added the two-time Wash100 awardee.

/
Report: Lt. Gen. Timothy Haugh Nominated as CYBERCOM Chief, NSA Director
Published on
Report: Lt. Gen. Timothy Haugh Nominated as CYBERCOM Chief, NSA Director

U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Timothy Haugh, deputy commander of U.S. Cyber Command, has been nominated to serve as head of CYBERCOM and director of the National Security Agency, Politico reported Tuesday.

An Air Force notice obtained by the publication states that President Joe Biden nominated Haugh to lead CYBERCOM and NSA and for promotion to four-star general.

An official with the service branch confirmed the move to the publication.

If confirmed by the Senate, Haugh would succeed Gen. Paul Nakasone, who plans to step down from the dual-hatted role in the coming months. Nakasone is a seven-time Wash100 Award recipient.

Prior to his current position, Haugh was commander of the Sixteenth Air Force, head of the Air Forces Cyber and commander of the Joint Force Headquarters-Cyber at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas.

He previously served as director of intelligence for CYBERCOM and commander of the Cyber National Mission Force.

Watch: Pentagon’s Commercial Cloud Providers Underscore Future Impact of JWCC
Published on
Watch: Pentagon’s Commercial Cloud Providers Underscore Future Impact of JWCC

Cloud technology is paving the way for the Department of Defense’s enterprise-wide modernization goals, and it’s the cornerstone for massive forward-looking efforts like JADC2.

On the heels of the first task orders being awarded under the Pentagon’s $9 billion Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability contract, Executive Mosaic sought out insights from the awardees on how this program will change the game for DOD modernization.

Executive Mosaic’s latest installment of its JWCC video interview series features commentary and expertise from each of the four commercial cloud service providers on the contract: Amazon Web Services, Google, Microsoft and Oracle.

“We have Azure 5G, we have Azure space — all of those capabilities come together to allow us to operate our cloud anywhere, anytime securely to support DOD missions,” answered Microsoft Federal President Rick Wagner, a Wash100 Award recipient, when asked what his company will bring to the table on the contract.

Google Public Sector Vice President Leigh Palmer noted that “this is one of the first contracts that is truly multi-cloud.”

“It really reflects the department’s desire for more diversity, more choice, more flexibility in all the vendors who serve them. And Google is just honored to be a part of this contract. We’ve been supporting the DOD since 2008 and our work in JWCC is another step forward to this partnership,” she added.

Glen Dodson, a senior vice president at Oracle, emphasized the revolutionary nature of the unprecedented cloud effort.

Through JWCC, Dodson said the DOD is “engaging four of the largest hyperscale cloud providers on the planet, and that in itself will be transformational for the department and for the warfighter.”

Liz Martin, director of the DOD business at Amazon Web Services, said, “The adoption of cloud technology is critical for maintaining our military technological advantage, and JWCC will really enable the DOD to fully leverage the capabilities of the cloud to meet current and future mission initiatives.”

1 … 547 548 549 550 551 … 2,619