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Space ISAC Creates Operational Watch Center to Track Potential Threats to Assets; Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting Quoted
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Space ISAC Creates Operational Watch Center to Track Potential Threats to Assets; Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting Quoted

The Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center inaugurated an operational watch unit to analyze data feeds and imaging for potential vulnerabilities and report them to government and industry partners and members.

Space ISAC’s Operational Watch Center will enable a unified defense of space-based assets with rapid response times, the organization announced Thursday.

The watch center is comprised of 10 analysts and mobilized in collaboration with over 30 government agencies around the world. It will use the Aerospace Corporation’s Space Attack Research & Tactic Analysis platform to enhance the team’s information and communication capabilities.

Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of Space Operations Command, said the information sharing initiative will help the space enterprise become “smarter, faster and more safe.”

“The vision of Space ISAC is precisely what is needed if we’re going to stay ahead of pacing threats as well as strengthen the cyber resilience of systems in space and supporting the infrastructures on the ground,” he remarked.

Officials from MITRE, Microsoft and Battelle have expressed support for the center.

“As we work to help protect our networks and critical infrastructure across all domains, we’re thrilled to support the Space ISAC in their mission of bringing cyber resilience to the space community,” said Wen Masters, MITRE’s vice president of cyber technologies.

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Alejandro Mayorkas Highlights CISA Initiative Against Transnational Repression During Recent Summit
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Alejandro Mayorkas Highlights CISA Initiative Against Transnational Repression During Recent Summit

Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and a Wash100 awardee, has detailed new U.S. initiatives to fight the misuse of technology.

During a recent summit in Washington, D.C., Mayorkas stated that the U.S. has launched a new approach to address digital authoritarianism and ensure that technology advances human rights and democracy, according to a DHS release published Thursday.

“We are changing our policies, deepening our collaboration with democratic partners to accelerate our efforts and creating new initiatives to protect vulnerable communities here and abroad,” said Mayorkas.

He noted a Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency initiative that seeks to strengthen cybersecurity of U.S. civil society organizations and other communities facing increased risk of transnational repression as a part of the strategy.

In support of CISA’s High Risk Community Protection Initiative, the U.S. and the U.K. will co-host a strategic dialogue to facilitate information sharing on transnational repression-related threats facing high-risk communities, enhance the cybersecurity of civil society organizations and identify collaboration opportunities.

CISA expects the first meeting to occur in the coming months with the participation of the agency’s counterparts from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway and the U.K.

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DOE To Invest in Advanced Technologies for Underground Electric Grid Construction; Evelyn Wang Quoted
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DOE To Invest in Advanced Technologies for Underground Electric Grid Construction; Evelyn Wang Quoted

The Department of Energy will invest up to $40 million to finance a new initiative to develop technologies for the construction of underground medium-voltage power distribution grids in urban and suburban communities.

On Thursday, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy said that the funding will support the creation of technologies to automate installation, prevent damage and eliminate errors and underground obstacles.

“We know that by undergrounding our grid, we can create a more resilient and reliable U.S. power grid. But right now, we need to develop the solutions to make the process safer and more cost-effective,” said Evelyn Wang, director of ARPA-E.

Selected teams under the Grid Overhaul with Proactive, High-speed Undergrounding for Reliability, Resilience and Security program will create high-speed construction tools, advanced look-ahead sensors and automated cable splicing systems.

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NASA Establishes Moon to Mars Program Office, Selects Amit Kshatriya as Office Lead
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NASA Establishes Moon to Mars Program Office, Selects Amit Kshatriya as Office Lead

NASA has established its new Moon to Mars Program Office to support and conduct human exploration work on the lunar surface and prepare for future crewed missions to Mars.

Veteran space professional Amit Kshatriya will lead the office, which falls under NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate led by Associate Administrator Jim Free, the agency said Thursday.

“The golden age of exploration is happening right now, and this new office will help ensure that NASA successfully establishes a long-term lunar presence needed to prepare for humanity’s next giant leap to the Red Planet,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

In support of the organization’s Artemis missions on the moon, which are intended to drive the future of scientific discovery and prepare for future human missions to Mars, the office will focus on mission integration, hardware development and risk management efforts for various related programs. These initiatives include the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System rocket and Gateway, among others.

The entity will also oversee planning and analysis for development efforts in support of manned missions to the red planet.

Before assuming the office’s leading role, Kshatriya was assistant deputy associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate within the agency.

He began his NASA career as a robotics operator, and has since held a number of roles in the organization, including space station flight director and deputy manager of the International Space Station Vehicle Office and flight director of the

Lakiesha Hawkins will support Kshatriya as deputy for the office and Stephen Creech will serve as technical deputy, in which he will focus on addressing technical issues facing programs managed by the office.

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DOD’s HR Org Awards $222M in Contracts to Institute of International Education
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DOD’s HR Org Awards $222M in Contracts to Institute of International Education

The Department of Defense’s field activity overseeing personnel data and systems has issued a pair of awards worth a combined $222.5 million to the Institute of International Education in New York.

Defense Human Resources Activity chose IIE to manage the Project Global Officer, Language Training Center and Reserve Officers’ Training Corps programs under a contract valued at $187.2 million, according to a DOD notice published Thursday.

The agency received three offers for the five-year contract and is obligating $36.5 million on the award.

IIE also received a $35.3 million option under a separate contract to support national security workforce recruitment and training efforts.

Additionally, the nonprofit institute will administer a flagship initiative meant to help U.S. undergraduate and graduate students learn critical languages for national security.

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DOD Launches Website for Hack the Pentagon Initiative; Craig Martell Quoted
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DOD Launches Website for Hack the Pentagon Initiative; Craig Martell Quoted

The Department of Defense‘s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office Directorate for Digital Services has established a new website to expand and support its Hack the Pentagon program.

This website will serve as an educational tool to guide DOD organizations in launching bug bounties as well as a way to engage and recruit technical talent, the department said Thursday.

“With the HtP website launch, CDAO is scaling a long running program, which historically offered services on a project-by-project basis, by offering the Department better access to lessons learned and best practices for hosting bug bounties,” said Craig Martell, chief digital and AI officer of DOD and a 2023 Wash100 awardee.

He said that the website will play a role in a broader cybersecurity strategy by enabling the department to run continuous bug bounties.

Launched in 2016, the Hack the Pentagon program serves as DOD’s crowdsourced approach to digital security. It invites ethical hackers to detect security vulnerabilities on department-run websites.

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Laura Taylor-Kale Confirmed as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy
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Laura Taylor-Kale Confirmed as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy

Laura Taylor-Kale, a fellow for innovation and economic competitiveness at the Council on Foreign Relations, has received Senate confirmation to serve as assistant secretary for industrial base policy at the Department of Defense.

According to Inside Defense, the Senate confirmed Taylor-Kale, who was nominated by President Joe Biden in May 2022, in a 63-27 vote Thursday.

Taylor-Kale’s previous roles include assistant secretary for manufacturing at the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration and senior adviser for policy and operations at the Overseas Private Investment Corp.

Earlier in her career, Taylor-Kale spent nearly a decade as a foreign service officer at the State Department, during which she was stationed at U.S. embassies in Afghanistan, Cote d’Ivoire and New Delhi, India.

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Executive Mosaic Recognizes GDIT’s Amy Gilliland & US European Command’s Gen. Christopher Cavoli for 2023 Wash100 Award Wins
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Executive Mosaic Recognizes GDIT’s Amy Gilliland & US European Command’s Gen. Christopher Cavoli for 2023 Wash100 Award Wins

Amy Gilliland and Gen. Christopher Cavoli, two of the government contracting industry’s most esteemed leaders, have been honored for their 2023 Wash100 Award wins with comprehensive profiles.

This year’s class represents the 10th in the Wash100 Award’s decade-long history, a testament to the award’s status as the most elite recognition in the GovCon community. Continuing its tradition of highlighting the top tier of talent in the field, the annual award once again selected the 100 most distinguished GovCon executives to its ranks.

Gilliland, who currently serves as president of General Dynamics Information Technology, received her sixth consecutive Wash100 Award for her leading role in driving notable contract wins and raising the company’s margin and earnings.

GDIT’s most significant awards within the past year include an $829 million task order from the Defense Intelligence Agency and a $661.6 million contract from the Environmental Protection Agency. To read Gilliland’s full profile, click here.

As commander of the U.S. European Command and NATO’s supreme allied commander of U.S. forces in Europe, Cavoli has championed collective security and interoperability between the U.S. and its allied partners.

Since assuming these roles in July 2022, Cavoli has made monumental efforts to support Ukraine in this “unprecedented time for Euro-Atlantic security.” His work to promote a collaborative approach to global security earned him his first-ever Wash100 Award this year. Click here to read his full profile.

Don’t forget to celebrate Amy Gilliland and Gen. Christopher Cavoli in this year’s Wash100 popular vote contest! To cast your vote and participate in this exciting competition, please visit Wash100.com.

Todd Probert: CACI President National Security And Innovative Solutions Sector
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Todd Probert: CACI President National Security And Innovative Solutions Sector

Todd Probert is known for leading the National Security and Innovative Solutions at CACI. He is a two-time Wash100 Award receiver and has accomplished national security missions. Read here to learn more about the career journey of CACI President Todd Probert.

Who is Todd Probert?

Todd Probert is the President of the National Security And Innovative Solutions Sector at CACI (NSIS). NSIS offers excellent services in C4ISR, cybersecurity, space operations, and resilience. He oversees the global technology solutions provider for defense, intelligence, and federal government customers.

Mr. Probert graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in aerospace engineering. He was named 2017’s Aerospace Engineer of the Year while earning his master’s in aeronautical and astronautical engineering at Purdue University.

Todd Probert Leadership History

Before joining CACI, Mr. Probert had a long and successful career at Raytheon Technologies. He held several high-level positions, including his most recent role as vice president of Command and Control, Space, and Intelligence.

Mr. Probert was in charge of 8,000 people worldwide who worked on developing, delivering, and implementing complex engineering solutions in the intelligence, defense, and civil space domains. Here is the list of Todd Probert’s career:

  • CACI International Inc President for National Security and Innovative (July 2020 – Present)
  • CAE Group President for Defense and Security (Feb 2020 – Jul 2020)
  • Raytheon Intelligence Information and Services
    • Vice President C2, Space and Intelligence (Jul 2019 – Feb 2020)
    • Vice President Mission Support and Modernization (Oct 2014 – Jul 2019
    • VP Engineering and Technology (May 2013 – Oct 2014)
  • Raytheon Technical Services Company VP Engineering for Technology and Field Operations (Feb 2012 – Apr 2013)
  • Raytheon VP and COO Mission Operations Solutions (Aug 2010 – Feb 2012)
  • Honeywell Technology Solutions Inc Vice President of Business Development and Strategy (Apr 1998 – Jul 2010)

Todd Probert Journey at CACI

CACI's national security, CACI headquarters

Image by Kristi Blokhin from Shutterstock.com

Since joining CACI in July 2020, Mr. Probert has contributed extensive knowledge in software modernization, systems engineering, integration, and business expansion strategies. He is adept at leading complex initiatives and portfolios, expanding into new international markets, and fostering a culture of operational excellence across functional and business teams.

Todd Probert contributes to the firm’s efforts to expand its competence to support government civilian, defense, and intelligence activities. In 2021, Probert was recognized for his contribution to the field of national security and was given his first Wash100 Award.

About CACI

CACI logo

Logo from the official Website of CACI

CACI assists the government and its clients in meeting the most challenging enterprise and mission issues in national security and government modernization. CACI is a multibillion-dollar corporation worth about $6.2 billion. The company’s mission, enterprise technology, and expertise help keep America safe, protect our troops, and help the government provide better services to more people.

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GSA Issues RFI for Login.gov Next-Gen Identity Proofing Tech Procurement Effort
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GSA Issues RFI for Login.gov Next-Gen Identity Proofing Tech Procurement Effort

The General Services Administration is soliciting feedback on the draft requirements for the procurement of next-generation identity proofing capabilities for Login.gov meant to provide the public access to digital services that federal, state, local and tribal agencies offer.

GSA’s Technology Transformation Services unveiled Login.gov in 2017 to provide a single digital account that citizens can use across multiple government sites in support of the government’s plan to improve customer experience and strengthen cybersecurity, according to a request for information notice published March 23.

The proposed contract will require the contractor to provide products and services across three functional areas: document capture and authentication, biometric comparison and identity resolution.

GSA is also seeking comments on the preliminary acquisition strategy for the procurement effort.

Responses are due April 7.

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