Idaho National Laboratory Launches Website for Software Distribution, Licensing
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Idaho National Laboratory Launches Website for Software Distribution, Licensing

The Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory has officially made public its software marketplace website that offers research organizations access to a variety of readily available software codes and data sets.

The INL Software Marketplace serves as a platform for the laboratory to facilitate the widespread distribution and licensing of its software to support innovation in the energy and critical infrastructure sectors, INL said Thursday.

“At INL, technology transfer into the marketplace is important to our mission as it puts our innovations to use and makes actual impact in our community,” said Jason Stolworthy, director of technology deployment at INL.

Users can explore the website’s vast software library by topics, including hydropower, market and supply chain, structured threat and binary analysis.

INL plans to expand the website as more software and data sets become available and ready to download.

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DARPA Posts BAA for Software Compartmentalization Technology Against Cyber Attacks
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DARPA Posts BAA for Software Compartmentalization Technology Against Cyber Attacks

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is inviting vendors to submit proposals for a project aiming to automatically compartmentalize software in order to lower the risk of cyber attacks.

The broad agency announcement is for the Compartmentalization and Privilege Management program, which will help the agency reform its legacy computing systems to make them more resilient against online threats, DARPA said Monday.

The agency is looking into a cybersecurity approach that involves limiting accessibility privileges and subdividing software into small compartments. The methodology has shown potential in blocking initial penetration attempts from escalating into full attacks.

Howard Shrobe, CPM program manager at DARPA’S Information Innovation Office, said their team hopes the CPM program will “create sufficient confidence for commercial entities to make the investments necessary for large-scale adoption,” which could consequently lower the cost of compartmentalization.

The project includes two phases that will be conducted over a four-year period. The first phase will employ the Linux operating system for technology development, testing and evaluation. The second phase will involve demonstration on open-source systems relevant to the Department of Defense.

On June 8, the Potomac Officers Club will host its annual Cyber Summit to shine a light on cyberspace as “the newest warfighting domain.” To join the conversation, click on the image below to register.

POC - 2023 Cyber Summit
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DHA Solicits Industry Responses to Questions Related to MHS Genesis EHR Support
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DHA Solicits Industry Responses to Questions Related to MHS Genesis EHR Support

The Defense Health Agency has issued a request for information from industry related to the Department of Defense’s MHS Genesis electronic health record program.

The DOD Healthcare Management System Modernization program office is asking industry stakeholders about the level of integration work needed to sustain a commercial off-the-shelf system within the DOD enterprise, commercial best practices to operate a health-related system of systems in a cloud environment and their technical capability to perform work within the construct of a requirement like MHS Genesis, according to a notice published Thursday.

The RFI also seeks responses about strategies and methodologies used to manage data interoperability across EHR systems; commercial approach to training capabilities that require an interface with the main EHR platform; and contract vehicles that may be aligned with the requirement.

The DHMSM program office is also evaluating business practices for system and software engineering, lifecycle logistics support, software release management, among other aspects, and may use the responses and comments to develop additions or modifications to future draft requests for proposals.

FCW reported the DHA market research effort is for a follow-on contract for the MHS Genesis program.

The MHS Genesis system was developed by the Leidos Partnership for Defense Health, which consists of Leidos, Oracle Health, Henry Schein One and Accenture.

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EY Study: 31% of Federal Employees Say Agencies Spend Over $50M on Cybersecurity
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EY Study: 31% of Federal Employees Say Agencies Spend Over $50M on Cybersecurity

An Ernst & Young study has found that one in three federal employees said their agencies annually spend more than $50 million on cybersecurity and that organizations are more likely to spend on security operations and data protection and privacy.

EY teamed up with Market Connections to survey 200 employees across federal civilian and defense agencies between November and December 2022 to identify key trends in cybersecurity investment and found that 63 percent of respondents said their agencies have in place a cyber roadmap that focuses on operational technology.

Of those with a roadmap, 61 percent of respondents said they assess their cyber roadmaps and priorities on a quarterly basis.

When asked about the maturity of their cyberthreat intelligence programs, only 19 percent said they consider their initiatives as “very” mature.

The report showed that only 46 percent of respondents said their agencies have supply chain risk management programs and nearly 60 percent said their organizations have conducted a cyber tabletop exercise in the past year.

Of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s five pillars of zero trust, 42 percent said they are “very” prepared for the identity aspect. At least 20 percent of respondents said they are very prepared when it comes to network and data pillars, while 9 percent are very ready for devices and 8 percent for applications.

The study recommends that agencies conduct a cyber tabletop training exercise annually, prioritize SCRM programs to mitigate risks, facilitate the decision-making process through cyberthreat intelligence initiatives and come up with a security framework that encompasses all aspects of zero trust.

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FDA in Search of Small Businesses to Provide AI Technology for Characterizing Pharmaceuticals
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FDA in Search of Small Businesses to Provide AI Technology for Characterizing Pharmaceuticals

The Food and Drug Administration issued a sources sought notice for small businesses capable of providing artificial intelligence analysis of non-invasive, high-resolution imaging of pharmaceutical products.

In a notice posted on SAM.gov, FDA’s Office of Pharmaceutical Quality stated that it is seeking companies for a five-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for drug imaging, which will be used in examining how product quality and performance is affected by manufacturing processes.

The agency is looking for technologies that can visually scan, analyze and measure the physical and microstructural parameters of freeze-dried and complex pharmaceuticals. According to the notice, OPQ intends to use AI technology to simulate the parameters and correlate them with product performance as well as manufacturing processes.

Vendors qualified as small businesses may submit their responses until April 19.

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Frank Calvelli: Space Force Eyes Shortened Contract Timelines to Accelerate Launches
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Frank Calvelli: Space Force Eyes Shortened Contract Timelines to Accelerate Launches

Frank Calvelli, assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisitions and integration, said the U.S. Space Force plans to drive speed by using fixed-price contracts, developing smaller systems and shortening contract timelines to three years or less to accelerate launches, Defense One reported Monday.

“Our competitors seem to have figured out speed. It’s time we do the same,” Calvelli said in an April 5 letter obtained by the publication.

He said the service should advance “program baseline stability,” reduce non-recurring engineering and leverage commercial satellite buses to move faster.

In October, Calvelli released a memo outlining nine “space acquisition tenets” meant to transform the way the service procures space systems.

Some of the tenets mentioned in the memo are building smaller satellites and using existing technology and designs.

Air Force Pilots Test LIFT-Manufactured Next Generation Fixed Wing Helmet
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Air Force Pilots Test LIFT-Manufactured Next Generation Fixed Wing Helmet

Engineers with the 46th Test Squadron and the 28th Test and Evaluation Squadron are conducting a series of tests to validate the performance of the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation fixed wing-helmet.

During the developmental flight tests, five pilots from the 301st Fighter Squadron flew the F-22A Raptor wearing the LIFT Airborne Technologies-manufactured headgear, which will replace the Air Force’s current HGU-55 aircrew helmet system, the service branch said Monday.

Maj. Brett Gedman of the 301st Fighter Squadron said the lightweight helmet provides increased visibility and mobility that make the technology a “massive improvement” over the previous system.

“It is clear this has been a generational leap in technology that the fighter pilot deserves, which is long overdue,” Gedman said.

Flight advancements, including night-vision goggle mounts, are standard on the new helmet.

LIFT secured a prototype development contract for its NGFWH design from the Air Force in July 2022.

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Brynt Parmeter Takes on Inaugural Chief Talent Management Officer Role at DOD
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Brynt Parmeter Takes on Inaugural Chief Talent Management Officer Role at DOD

Brynt Parmeter, a talent acquisition executive with decades of combined military and industry experience, has been appointed chief talent management officer at the Department of Defense.

In this inaugural role, Parmeter will work within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and help drive the DOD Total Force talent acquisition and management strategy, the Pentagon said Monday.

His responsibilities include overseeing reforms for remote and hybrid work arrangements, implementing talent development and tracking practices, promoting flexible career pathways and increasing talent retention.

Parmeter will also engage with officials from the military departments, Joint Staff, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and other interagency partners.

“Growing and shaping our workforce is critical for achieving DoD’s mission to defend the nation now and in the future. That’s why we created and prioritized the new senior-level position of the CTMO,” said Kathleen Hicks, deputy secretary of defense and a 2023 Wash100 Award recipient.

Parmeter joins DOD following a three-year stint at retail chain Walmart, where he served as head of non-traditional talent and senior director for military programs.

He also led talent management initiatives for approximately 160,000 service members at U.S. Army Human Resources Command.

Mattermost’s Barry Duplantis Shares 3 Steps to Break Down Barriers Preventing Implementation of Unified Military Collaboration Platform
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Mattermost’s Barry Duplantis Shares 3 Steps to Break Down Barriers Preventing Implementation of Unified Military Collaboration Platform

According to Barry Duplantis, vice president and general manager of Mattermost’s North American public sector business, the wide variety of technology solutions needed by different military stakeholders has posed a challenge to the services as they work to maintain their preparedness for modern conflicts.

In a piece published to Homeland Security Today late last month, Duplantis said that the U.S. military must embrace a unified collaboration platform that streamlines technology tools, data and communication in a “secure, user-friendly way,” to bridge the gaps between stakeholder demands.

Duplantis shared three steps the military can take to diminish the political and technical barriers slowing the deployment of a centralized platform, the first of which is providing teams with technology tools that can remove bottlenecks.

Understanding the communication styles of younger talent is also essential. Duplantis noted that there is a generational gap between military leaders and technical users, who communicate and organize and consume data “in radically new ways.”

“If military leaders want to recruit and retain the technical talent that will help advance their missions, they need to equip them with the devices, apps, and instant-message functionality they’ve been using their entire lives,” he said.

Successfully implementing a unified platform requires confidence in its ability to satisfy military security demands. To meet these standards, Duplantis said that the platform should operate privately in an on-premises data center or private cloud and be deployable in Department of Defense environments.

“That gives military organizations complete data sovereignty and control to meet the strictest compliance requirements,” he explained.

“These collaboration technologies have been tested, proven, and are already in use by military ‘software factories’ such as Platform One, the innovation hub of the U.S. Air Force,” he added.

Duplantis said that connecting every stakeholder in one digital location will boost understanding, empower informed decision-making and help the warfighter respond with the right actions at the right times.

“A unified collaboration platform can help ensure the military isn’t trying to fight the next war with the last war’s information technology,” wrote Duplantis.

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DOD Study Examines Defense Industry’s Financial Health; William LaPlante Quoted
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DOD Study Examines Defense Industry’s Financial Health; William LaPlante Quoted

A Department of Defense study has found that amid a financially healthy defense industry, small businesses face challenges when it comes to securing cash flow to cover operating expenses and do not enjoy the same opportunities that their large counterparts have when it comes to obtaining working capital.

Failure to obtain functional capital to conduct contract activities may force small businesses to turn to debt and use personal assets, according to the Defense Contract Finance Study.

DOD said Monday the study also looked at financing and payment policy impacts to defense subcontractors and accounting system and related government requirements over a two-decade timeframe.

The study offered seven major recommendations, such as recognizing the role of profit and cash flow in a healthy defense industrial base, improving means to ensure timely payments to subcontractors, assisting small businesses on defense contracts with financing and determining the effectiveness of performance-based payments.

The report consists of major analyses from a federally funded research and development center and three universities, as well as two DOD studies and feedback from small and large companies and trade associations.

“A financially healthy and robust industrial base is foundational to our ability to deliver the capabilities our warfighters need at speed and scale,” said William LaPlante, under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment.

“As the first time the Department has comprehensively assessed contract financing in over 35 years, I look forward to acting upon the study’s recommendations to attract new entrants to the defense marketplace at all levels of the supply chain while maintaining the financial health of our existing partners,” added LaPlante, a 2023 Wash100 awardee.

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