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2 CISA Senior Advisers Stepping Down
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2 CISA Senior Advisers Stepping Down

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency senior advisers Bob Lord and Lauren Zabierek announced that they are resigning from their roles at CISA, Nextgov/FCW reported Monday.

“While CISA’s approaches to Secure by Design evolve, our commitment to the principles remain steadfast. I thank Bob Lord and Lauren Zabierek for helping to lay the foundation on which future work in this space can be built,” Bridget Bean, acting director of CISA, said in a statement.

What Is Secure by Design?

According to the report, Lord and Zabierek helped lead the agency’s Secure by Design initiative, which seeks to provide incentives for software providers in the private sector to integrate security features into their offerings by default.

In his LinkedIn post announcing his resignation, Lord described the initiative as a movement that involves other U.S. agencies, international partners, software companies, open source projects and other stakeholders who “are pushing the software industry toward a future where safety is built in from the start.”

“There’s a role for everyone in making software safer,” Lord said. “The Secure by Design movement will only succeed if more people take ownership of the problem. So wherever you sit in the software ecosystem, I hope you’ll find your way to contribute.”

In her post on the professional networking platform, Zabierek said she is proud of her work on the Secure by Design initiative.

“Being part of this initiative has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my career, one that truly embodies the spirit of public-private partnership and both interagency and international collaboration. One of government’s most important roles is to catalyze innovation that serves the public, and then find a way for it to scale, adapt, and endure. What started as a government-led call to action has quickly become a global movement and we look forward to continuing the momentum,” Zabierek wrote.

Bob Lord’s Career Background 

Before joining CISA, Lord was chief security officer at the Democratic National Committee, according to his LinkedIn profile.

He previously served as chief information security officer at Yahoo and Rapid 7.

He also held senior security leadership roles at Twitter, Red Hat, AOL and Netscape Communications.

Earlier in his career, Lord served as a manager at Andersen Consulting.

Lauren Zabierek’s Career Highlights

Zabierek is a visiting fellow at the National Security Institute.

She previously served as director of the cybersecurity project at Harvard’s Belfer Center and senior intelligence analyst at Recorded Future.

The retired U.S. Air Force intelligence officer worked as a consultant at Deloitte and spent five years as an intelligence analyst at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

Bridget Bean will be one of the speakers at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Cyber Summit on May 15. Join her and other experts as they discuss new cyber policies, modernization strategies and other trends shaping the cyber domain. Save your spot now for this key event!

POC - 2025 Cyber Summit
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Marco Rubio Unveils State Department’s Reorganization Plan
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Marco Rubio Unveils State Department’s Reorganization Plan

Secretary of State and a 2025 Wash100 awardee Marco Rubio has announced a reorganization plan that seeks to deliver on the Trump administration’s America First foreign policy and bring the State Department into the 21st Century.

“This approach will empower the Department from the ground up, from the bureaus to the embassies,” Rubio said in a statement published Tuesday.

“Region-specific functions will be consolidated to increase functionality, redundant offices will be removed, and non-statutory programs that are misaligned with America’s core national interests will cease to exist,” he added.

Rubio Orders Cyber & Intel Bureau Movement

Nextgov/FCW reported that the State Department’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, which has operated under the deputy secretary’s office since its creation in 2022, will be part of the department’s Economic Growth office as part of the reorganization.

The Bureau of Intelligence and Research, which is responsible for safeguarding the department’s secret networks and generating insights to inform diplomatic decisions, will now operate as part of a new Bureau of Emerging Threats.

According to the report, the changes will result in the elimination of about 15 percent of domestic personnel and the closure of 132 offices.

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SSC Awards Raft API Gateway Development Contract to Enhance Data Access
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SSC Awards Raft API Gateway Development Contract to Enhance Data Access

Defense technology company Raft has secured a $2.9 million contract from the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command to develop an application programming interface gateway for the cloud-based Unified Data Library.

The API gateway will turn legacy and current data messaging formats into modern API endpoints, addressing data access issues, SSC said Tuesday.

Space Force is still using legacy data messaging formats that modern API endpoints cannot read, making such data unusable. With the API gateway, the legacy formats will be transformed and translated into the latest formats automatically, allowing legacy systems to work with modern applications and enabling fast delivery of accessible and actionable data to warfighters.

How Does Enhanced Data Access Benefit Warfighters?

According to USSF Lt. Col. Dan Kimmich, Global Mission Data Dominance materiel leader for SSC’s Battle Management, Command, Control and Communication and Space Intelligence’s Program Executive Office, the capability to speed up information delivery will enhance mission readiness and turn the Digital Space Force Vision, which aims to establish the Space Force as a digitally dominant, innovative and interconnected service, into a reality.

Developing the API gateway also supports the Department of Defense’s effort to accelerate the turnover of scaled digital capabilities to warfighters and keep the U.S. military’s superiority on the battlefield and advances the implementation of the Space Force’s FY 2025 Data and Artificial Intelligence Strategic Action Plan.

Raft was awarded the contract through the Space Enterprise Consortium’s other transaction authority.

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DCSA Background Investigations Inventory Down 24% in 6 Months
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DCSA Background Investigations Inventory Down 24% in 6 Months

The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency’s security clearance background investigations inventory dropped 24 percent to 222,700 cases in April from 291,200 investigations in September 2024.

The reduction in backlogged cases was attributed to the implementation of solutions and changes proposed by the personnel vetting tiger team after it identified where the investigation process could be streamlined, DCSA said Tuesday.

According to Ryan Christianson, DCSA business transformation adviser, the agency expects the case inventory to fall below 200,000 by the end of the current fiscal year, depending on the execution of recommended solutions.

“Some of them are going to be very simple and easy to implement, but we’re also looking at more complex solutions that might change how we operate in the agency,” Christianson added.

With the positive impact of the ongoing effort, the tiger team looks forward to improving the DCSA adjudications and continuous vetting processes using a three-phase approach it utilized to transform background investigation processes, beginning with a discovery phase and followed by Phase Two – Solutioning and Phase Three – Execute, Monitor and Adjust.

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Army, General Dynamics OTS Unveil New 155mm Artillery LAP Facility
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Army, General Dynamics OTS Unveil New 155mm Artillery LAP Facility

The U.S. Army, in collaboration with General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, opened a new load, assemble and pack, or LAP, facility in Camden, Arkansas, on April 22.

Boosting Critical Artillery Production

The new LAP facility is intended to bolster the production of 155 mm high-explosive artillery projectiles, the Army said Tuesday. This aligns with the service branch’s efforts to bolster its production capacity, with the goal of producing 100,000 155 mm artillery projectiles a month. The modern projectile loading facility has two new LAP lines expected to manufacture 50,000 high-explosive projectiles monthly.

The Camden facility will be utilized for the final stage of the critical artillery production. During this stage, the 155 mm metal projectile bodies will be filled with explosive materials and assembled with other parts before they are packed for delivery.

The new facility is also meant to revitalize the defense industrial base and enhance readiness to reinforce deterrence. It is equipped with advanced automation, digital quality tracking and other technological capabilities to boost consistency and production rate. In addition, the LAP facility is fitted with a modern air-cooling system for explosive curing to minimize water usage compared to existing cooling methods.

“The Camden load, assembly, and pack munitions facility is just one of several modernization investments the Army is making to reinforce and strengthen our defense industrial base,” said Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll.

The Army and General Dynamics also worked together to open production facilities in Mesquite, Texas and Marion, Illinois, in 2024.

Potomac Officers Club presents the 2025 Army Summit on June 18. Register and join Army officials, government leaders and industry trailblazers as they discuss the service branch’s most urgent priorities and challenges.

Army, General Dynamics OTS Unveil New 155mm Artillery LAP Facility
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NASA Developing Aerogel Antenna for Enhanced Satellite Communications
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NASA Developing Aerogel Antenna for Enhanced Satellite Communications

NASA has been developing an advanced antenna made of lightweight material intended to enhance satellite communications in situations with limited power and space.

Aerogel Antenna

The agency said Tuesday its engineers are using aerogel, among the world’s lightest solid material and made of flexible polymer with 95 percent air content, to build the antenna that will be embedded directly on the skin of aircraft such as drones and future air transportation systems. The active phased array aerogel antenna is designed to conform to the shape of the aircraft to enhance aerodynamic performance and save valuable weight and space. In addition, it can adjust its array elements to minimize signal interference and boost communication.

To create the antenna, a layer of aerogel was integrated between a small circuit board and a network of thin copper cells. It was then covered with a film with high electrical insulation properties, resulting in a honeycomb-like device.

NASA In-Flight and Ground Tests

NASA researchers demonstrated a rigid version of the aerogel antenna in 2024. The antenna was integrated on a Britten-Norman Defender aircraft and flight tested at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland.

In October, NASA and Eutelsat America researchers conducted ground tests of the antenna. The platform-mounted antenna connected with an Eutelsat satellite in geostationary orbit, which sent a signal back to a satellite dish at the Glenn Research Center in Ohio. Tests conducted by Kepler also showed the antenna’s ability to connect to communications satellites in low Earth orbit.

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Paul Atkins Returns to SEC as Chairman
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Paul Atkins Returns to SEC as Chairman

Paul Atkins, who previously served as a Securities and Exchange Commission member from 2002 to 2008, was sworn in on Monday as the 34th chairman of SEC following his confirmation by the Senate on April 9.

“As I return to the SEC, I am pleased to join with my fellow Commissioners and the agency’s dedicated professionals to advance its mission to facilitate capital formation; maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets; and protect investors,” Atkins said in a statement published Monday.

“Together we will work to ensure that the U.S. is the best and most secure place in the world to invest and do business,” he added.

Paul Atkins’ Career Background

Prior to SEC, Atkins was CEO and founder of Patomak Global Partners.

From 2012 to 2015, he served as an independent director and non-executive chairman of the board of BATS Global Markets.

During his tenure as an SEC commissioner during President George W. Bush’s administration, he pushed for consistency, transparency and the use of cost-benefit analysis. He also represented the commission during meetings of the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets and the U.S.-EU Transatlantic Economic Council.

Atkins previously served as a consultant on securities and investment management industry matters and started his career as a lawyer in New York, supporting U.S. and international clients in mergers and acquisitions and securities offerings.

He has helped lead initiatives to establish best practices for the digital asset sector.

The Vanderbilt University School of Law graduate is a member of the New York and Florida bars.

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Air Force CIO Emphasizes Need to Invest in IT Infrastructure Upgrades
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Air Force CIO Emphasizes Need to Invest in IT Infrastructure Upgrades

Venice Goodwine, chief information officer of the Department of the Air Force and a two-time Wash100 awardee, highlighted the need to invest in IT system upgrades to maintain combat readiness and resilience amid threats posed by geopolitical adversaries, the U.S. Space Force reported Monday.

“As CIO, my role includes advocating to modernize information technology at our Air and Space Force installations – enterprise systems that need to be able to communicate with each other. Strategic readiness hinges on systems that are both interoperable and secure. To do this, we need to constantly invest in upgrading our critical IT infrastructure,” Goodwine said.

The Air Force CIO called on the service to be vigilant with its tech investments, particularly in modernizing IT infrastructure and command and control systems.

“Leaders might say, ‘Oh, the network worked fine today; I was able to send emails, make phone calls, join a VTC and the planes still took off.’ I understand that perspective and it can be challenging to convey the urgency. However, as technology advances, our adversaries are actively seeking vulnerabilities within our infrastructure and C2 systems. It’s crucial to remain vigilant in our investments to ensure we are always ready to fight tonight,” Goodwine stated.

What Is the Base Infrastructure Modernization Program?

Goodwine cited the Base Infrastructure Modernization, or BIM, program and discussed how it helps the Department of the Air Force address infrastructure needs.

The BIM program is an extension of DAF’s Enterprise IT as a Service initiative and seeks to deliver a modernized wireless architecture to facilitate interoperability with joint network and mission systems, offer reliable data connections across installations and provide centralized vulnerability management.

“By contracting out non-military IT functions, we ensure that the new equipment is consistent with industry best practices and can be implemented more quickly than a piecemealed approach. Working with our acquisitions partners, BIM-provided systems provide baked-in cybersecurity features and adhere to a standardized risk framework,” the DAF official said.

In August 2024, the Air Force awarded 23 companies spots on the $12.5 billion BIM multiple award contract to modernize, maintain and operate DAF’s base area network infrastructure.

Join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Digital Transformation Summit on April 24. Listen to experts as they discuss how emerging technologies and the latest tech advancements are reshaping government operations. Register now!

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FAA to Deploy Modernized Aviation Safety Comms System in September
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FAA official

The Federal Aviation Administration is modernizing a decades-old, critical safety system years ahead of schedule. The agency said Monday that a new Notice to Airmen, or NOTAM, will be delivered in the coming months.

“Americans deserve the best aviation system in the world,” commented Chris Rocheleau, administrator of the FAA. “We worked with the best and brightest and came up with an accelerated approach to bring our technology into the 21st Century.”

The FAA initially planned to develop and deploy a new NOTAM by 2030 but, according to the new schedule, CGI Federal is expected to deliver the modernized system by July. Deployment of the critical system is planned for September. 

Table of Contents

What Is NOTAM?

NOTAM is used to disseminate information about flight operations to relevant personnel across the National Airspace System. Details about temporary runway closures or obstructions, for instance, are communicated to pilots and flight planners through NOTAM. 

Over 4 million notifications are issued per year.

In 2023, the critical necessity to modernize NOTAM was made apparent by an outage that forced the FAA to halt all domestic flight departures across the United States. The agency also had to use a backup system in February during another outage that authorities said caused “minimal disruptions” to flights. 

“The Notice to Airmen system is deeply outdated and showing serious cracks”, stated Sean P. Duffy, secretary of transportation.

“It’s time our technology enters the 21st Century. NOTAM modernization is the first step as we work to deliver an all-new air traffic control system that makes air travel safer and more efficient,” he added. 

New NOTAM

The modernized NOTAM is expected to facilitate near-real-time data exchange and improve stakeholder collaboration. It will be hosted on a cloud platform, which will support system resilience and scalability.

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Army Expands Wickr Communication Audience
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Army Expands Wickr Communication Audience

The U.S. Army Office of the Chief Information Officer’s Enterprise Cloud Management Agency, or ECMA, has widened the audience reach of the Army Enterprise Wickr to enable more users to communicate in an end-to-end encrypted messaging system protected against adversarial communication threats. Requests for Wickr access can now be filed, with application acceptance prioritized based on mission needs, ECMA said Thursday.

FedRAMP IL5 High Certification

The agency manages the cloud-native messaging and collaboration platform in the cArmy landing zone. Under the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, Army Wickr has an Impact Level 5 certification for handling controlled unclassified information. The platform has been piloted operational security in various Army programs, such as during training exercises that call for file sharing, video, chat, text and voice communications.

Army Wickr offers enterprise-level data storage and administrative controls for record-keeping requirements. Its users can manage data remotely and tap federation capabilities between networks.

The platform is also designed for seamless integration with the Android Tactical Assault Kit, a geospatial system and situational awareness tool for users to have a real-time common operating picture.

Army’s Future Plans for Wickr

The Army further plans to expand Wickr’s current use in on-demand translation, data storage and as broadcast bots. The future uses that ECMA is eying include integrating the platform with enterprise cross-domain system and cross-platform chat to make it interoperable with Army Vantage, the Army Intelligence Data Platform, mission support services and a custom chatbot with capabilities in generative artificial intelligence and large language models. 

Amazon Web Services made the Wickr platform available on the Department of Defense Cloud One as a recall, alert and messaging, or RAM, service in August 2022. Wickr, which AWS acquired in 2021, initially secured a potential two-year contract in 2020 worth $35 million for the RAM platform’s adoption across the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force.

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