GSA Unveils Pilot Web Platform to Help Contractors Manage Product Catalogs; Sonny Hashmi Quoted
Published on
GSA Unveils Pilot Web Platform to Help Contractors Manage Product Catalogs; Sonny Hashmi Quoted

The General Services Administration is testing a web-based platform to simplify access and management of product information on the GSA Advantage! purchasing website.

GSA announced Monday the Federal Acquisition Service Catalog Platform is positioned to replace the Schedule Input Program currently used by multiple award schedule contractors.

The tool is integrated with the agency’s contract writing systems, provides automatic compliance and pricing reports and data validation checks, and features a central hub displaying catalog statuses and actions for review.

FAS Commissioner Sonny Hashmi noted the agency intends to ensure contractor catalogs are “current, compliant and competitive.”

The FCP pilot is being conducted with Office Supply Fourth Generation Special Item Number vendors, and will expand to more MAS product catalog companies beginning October.

“This new application promotes a strong federal marketplace for our customers and is a huge improvement for our industry partners,” added Hashmi, a prior Wash100 Award honoree.

2023 GSA Forum

On May 23, GovCon Wire will host the 2023 GSA Forum to shine a light on the agency’s initiatives and priorities in acquisition reform, supply chain and technology. Be part of the virtual event by registering here.

/
DIU, DAU Kick Off Application Process for 2023 Immersive Commercial Acquisition Program; Cherissa Tamayori Quoted
Published on
DIU, DAU Kick Off Application Process for 2023 Immersive Commercial Acquisition Program; Cherissa Tamayori Quoted

The Defense Innovation Unit and the Defense Acquisition University have launched a 12-month program designed to train acquisition professionals on the use of other transaction authorities and the Commercial Solutions Opening process when procuring commercial technology offerings in support of warfighters.

DIU and DAU will competitively select up to six contracting officers from military and civilian agencies within the Department of Defense for the 2023 Immersive Commercial Acquisition Program, DOD’s innovation arm said Monday.

In October 2022, DIU selected four inaugural fellows for ICAP. These fellows are expected to finalize their capstone projects in October.

“I am incredibly proud of the first ICAP team – they have set a very high bar for future cohorts,” said Cherissa Tamayori, acquisition director at DIU.

“We’ve seen that the team has learned first-hand from this program how to leverage the OT authority, how to acquire novel commercial technologies, and be change agents in the use of flexible acquisition methods within their organizations,” Tamayori added.

Applications for the 2023 ICAP are due July 7.

/
Senate Bill Strives to Ensure Responsible Use of AI in Federal Government
Published on
Senate Bill Strives to Ensure Responsible Use of AI in Federal Government

Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., has introduced legislation that means to facilitate the responsible use of artificial intelligence across the federal government by conducting a review of existing AI policies.

The Assuring Safe, Secure, Ethical, and Stable Systems for AI Act would establish a task force to provide recommendations on aligning the government’s AI tools, policies and regulations with the public’s rights and liberties, Bennet’s office said Friday.

The legislation could also mandate the AI Task Force to recommend standards for facial recognition, data protection and risk assessments.

According to the lawmaker, the federal government must lead by example to ensure it uses AI tools and services responsibly.

“Americans deserve confidence that our government’s use of AI won’t violate their rights or undermine their privacy,” Bennet said.

/
Intelligent Waves & Signify Join Forces to Create Non-RF Light-Based Wireless Offering; John Hammes Quoted
Published on
Intelligent Waves & Signify Join Forces to Create Non-RF Light-Based Wireless Offering; John Hammes Quoted

Intelligent Waves has formed a strategic alliance with Signify to integrate the latter’s Trulifi technology with the former’s GRAYPATH offering.

The combination of these tools will create an obfuscated, non-radio frequency product to support modern warfighting needs, Intelligent Waves announced from its Reston, Virginia headquarters on Tuesday.

“Intelligent Waves is thrilled to incorporate Signify’s light-based communication solution with our award-winning cyber defense platform, GRAYPATH, which currently serves the most demanding and secure special operators in austere environments, and we look forward to integrating Trulifi by Signify into our existing platform,” said John Hammes, chief strategy officer of Intelligent Waves.

When using the integrated technology, military forces on the ground will be able to communicate beyond the radio spectrum and conduct critical communications across scattered locations without deconfliction of the spectrum.

GRAYPATH Next-Generation enables the obfuscated transmission of sensitive data using any transport method native to all current airfield communication packages. It also permits transmission within host country communications networks that may be accessible during FEAS operations. By operating through asymmetric routing and employing all transport paths concurrently, GRAYPATH ensures the highest level of redundant communications.

Together, the technologies’ capabilities support the combination of low-bandwidth dishes to increase overall bandwidth and allow high-speed communications for photos, videos and other information sent to commanders.

Signify’s Trulifi light-enabled wireless communication tool operates on invisible light rather than on radio, which prevents the connection from jamming. Its integration with GRAYPATH is intended to deliver low-probability detection and low-probability intercepted communications in both enterprise and operational environments.

GRAYPATH offers quantum-resistant routing and encryption techniques and allows users to employ multiple methods of transport at the same time for flexible movement within the cyber domain. When LiFi technology is applied in an operational environment, signals from electromagnetic sources are removed, which allows users to quickly deploy an efficient and secure wireless tool.

The combined product will be presented at SOF Week on May 9-11.

HHS CIO Karl Mathias Receives 2023 Wash100 Award From Jim Garrettson
Published on
HHS CIO Karl Mathias Receives 2023 Wash100 Award From Jim Garrettson

Karl Mathias was recently presented with his 2023 Wash100 Award during a meeting with Jim Garrettson, CEO of Executive Mosaic and founder of the coveted recognition.

Each year, the Wash100 Award highlights the top figures in the government contracting industry following a rigorous selection process that weighs the achievements of each nominee. The award’s remarkable 10th anniversary cohort is a prime representation of the high level of talent Wash100 seeks out.

Mathias, who joined the ranks of Wash100 for the first time this year, assumed his current position as chief information officer of the Department of Health and Human Services in March 2022. Since joining the department, he has publicly spoken about the necessity of strengthening national health information technology infrastructure and initiated the development of a new cybersecurity strategy for HHS.

Click here to read his full profile.HHS CIO Karl Mathias Receives 2023 Wash100 Award From Jim Garrettson

While considering past accomplishments, the Wash100 Award also anticipates future successes. With Mathias’ dedication to upgrading HHS technology, there is no doubt that the department will reach new heights as the year unfolds.

Don’t miss the opportunity to select your 10 favorite 2023 Wash100 winners! The annual popular vote competition wraps up tonight at 11:59pm, and your vote may be the one that determines who comes out on top. To participate, please visit Wash100.com.

HHS CIO Karl Mathias Receives 2023 Wash100 Award From Jim Garrettson

Mathias will deliver a keynote address at the Potomac Officers Club’s 4th Annual CIO Summit on May 16. The event will bring together top GovCon CIOs to discuss IT challenges and opportunities in a variety of engaging speeches and conversations. To learn more and register to attend, please visit the Potomac Officers Club events page.

/
Air Force Conducts 1st Operational Mission With Joint Light Tactical Vehicle
Published on
Air Force Conducts 1st Operational Mission With Joint Light Tactical Vehicle

The U.S. Air Force has moved to modernize the security forces vehicle fleet to protect the nuclear arsenal by performing the first operational Joint Light Tactical Vehicle mission.

Security forces airmen from the 90th Missile Security Forces Squadron conducted the JLTV mission supporting maintenance at a launch facility in Harrisburg, Nebraska, the service branch said Saturday.

The JLTV program is part of Air Force Global Strike Command’s efforts to update and improve the capabilities of airmen to safeguard the nuclear enterprise and is meant to replace the Humvee, also known as the Up-Armored High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle.

“The JLTV is an extremely robust and versatile vehicle, offering improved point of view, responsive suspension systems, increased power and modern safety features,” said Lt. Col. William Brokaw, 90th MSFS commander.

Brokaw added that the vehicle demands investment in training to ensure the safety and further improve the skills of operators.

The Air Force procured the JLTV through a U.S. Army contract with Oshkosh.

/
IARPA Selects Teams for AGILE Predictive Data Analysis Program
Published on
IARPA Selects Teams for AGILE Predictive Data Analysis Program

The Intelligence Advanced Research Project Activity has named the participants in a research program that aims to engineer computer architecture designs to support the intelligence community’s data analysis efforts.

Advanced Micro Devices, Georgia Institute of Technology, Indiana University, Intel Federal, Qualcomm and the University of Chicago have been selected to perform research and development activities under the Advanced Graphic Intelligence Logical Computing Environment initiative, IARPA said Friday.

AGILE seeks to develop new system designs to enable a predictive analysis of massive data from various sources to predict events with national security implications.

The resulting technology will be used depending on each agency’s specific data analysis needs and mission requirements.

“With AGILE, the intent is to provide a productive platform to agencies so they can apply it to various scenarios, whether classified or unclassified,” said William Harrod, program manager of AGILE.

/
CISA Seeks Public Input on Proposed Self-Attestation Forms to Improve Software Security
Published on
CISA Seeks Public Input on Proposed Self-Attestation Forms to Improve Software Security

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is seeking public feedback on requiring government agencies to obtain self-attestation forms from developers of new software to be installed within their organization.

The proposed requirement is part of the Office of Management and Budget’s guidance to improve the security of U.S. software supply chains, CISA said in a notice published Thursday on Federal Register.

The Department of Homeland Security proposed the self-attestation form in response to the OMB guidance, which mandates that federal agencies only purchase from software producers that can prove compliance with the secure software development framework established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

DHS, through CISA, is inviting comments on how to reduce the financial and time burdens expected from filling out self-attestation forms. The agency is welcoming suggestions on automation and other technological techniques to make annual electronic submissions of the pdf forms easier.

Respondents have until June 26 to submit their input to CISA.

On June 8, the Potomac Officers Club will host its annual Cyber Summit, a venue for government, military and industry experts to pool their insights on cyber’s impact on the public sector. This exciting event is now open for registration.

POC - 2023 Cyber Summit
ODNI’s 10th Annual Intelligence Transparency Report Notes Continued Decline in FISA Targets
Published on
ODNI’s 10th Annual Intelligence Transparency Report Notes Continued Decline in FISA Targets

The number of “probable cause” court orders under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act declined from 430 in 2021 to 337 last year, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s Annual Statistical Transparency Report.

The report, which was released Friday, also showed a decline in the percentage of probable cause targets who are estimated to be U.S. persons.

The Annual Statistical Transparency Report Regarding the Intelligence Community’s Use of National Security Surveillance Authorities discloses how the intelligence community uses FISA in alignment with the Principles of Intelligence Transparency.

ODNI noted lower cases of probable cause-based electronic surveillance and physical searches, targeting of U.S. persons abroad and pen register and trap and trace court orders and targets in 2022.

From December 2021 to November 2022, FBI reported 16 U.S. person queries for the purpose of retrieving criminal evidence. The agency arrived at the number using new methodology that eliminates duplicate inquiries and aligns closer to other IC elements.

Kathleen Hicks Discusses DOD’s Mission to Advance US Battery Supply Chain
Published on
Kathleen Hicks Discusses DOD’s Mission to Advance US Battery Supply Chain

Kathleen Hicks, deputy secretary of the Department of Defense and a 2023 Wash100 awardee, has hosted discussions regarding the Pentagon’s mission to advance the domestic battery supply chain with executives from lithium-ion battery and critical mineral manufacturing companies.

The in-person roundtable involved dialogues addressing the challenges faced by the U.S. military as a battery customer, including lack of standardization across platforms, the Pentagon said Friday.

It also served as a platform for executives from Bren-Tronics, EaglePicher, Enersys, Forge Nano, General Motors Defense, and Our Next Energy to comment on possible solutions to the problems and converse about ways to build a more resilient industrial base for batteries. 

Lithium-ion batteries are used in a wide range of applications, including powering aircraft, munitions, unmanned vehicles and other defense systems.

Hicks said that advancing the domestic supply chain for batteries will help increase lethality and maintain the U.S. military advantage.

The roundtable also saw participation from Radha Plumb, deputy undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment; Halimah Najieb-Locke, deputy assistant secretary of defense for industrial base resilience; and Joe Bryan, DOD chief sustainability officer and senior climate adviser.

1 … 556 557 558 559 560 … 2,610