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CISA Seeks $425M in FY24 Budget for Cyber Analytics & Data System; Eric Goldstein Quoted
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CISA Seeks $425M in FY24 Budget for Cyber Analytics & Data System; Eric Goldstein Quoted

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is requesting $424.9 million in its fiscal year 2024 budget proposal to fund the establishment of a new Cyber Analytics and Data System, Federal News Network reported Friday.

Eric Goldstein, executive assistant director for cybersecurity at CISA, told FNN in an emailed statement the proposed CADS platform will enable the agency to analyze and initiate actions to address vulnerabilities and other cyberthreats before breaches occur.

He noted that CADS will serve as a single data repository for the agency’s cyber analysts and incorporate data from multiple sources, including CISA’s sensors, vulnerability scanning service and commercial and public data feeds.

“Tools and capabilities provided through CADS will facilitate the ingestion and integration of data as well as orchestrate and automate analysis that supports the rapid identification, detection, mitigation, and prevention of malicious cyber activity,” Goldstein added.

CADS is part of the “restructuring” of CISA’s National Cybersecurity Protection System, also known as EINSTEIN, and will absorb the analytics, core infrastructure and information sharing capabilities of NCPS, according to budget documents obtained by FNN.

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OUSD A&S CTO Christine Michienzi Becomes Senior Technology Adviser
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OUSD A&S CTO Christine Michienzi Becomes Senior Technology Adviser

Christine Michienzi has transitioned from chief technology officer to senior technology adviser at the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, she announced in a LinkedIn post.

Thee executive will be responsible for exploring innovations relevant to the design and development of the agency’s products and services and helping advance its procurement system.

Michienzi started her career in 1996 as a chemist and program manager at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, a position that she held for 18 years. She was a co-author in five patents for U.S. Navy gun propellant technologies. She was also a senior technologist at the Naval Sea Systems Command’s Program Executive Office for Integrated Warfare Systems.

At the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Michienzi began as a staff specialist of insensitive munitions. Her role included conducting risk and requirements analysis, as well as technical feasibility of technologies developed either by government or contractors.

She served in other posts within OSD A&S, such as senior industrial analyst of missiles and munitions under the Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy, and director of industrial assessments under the A&S Industrial Policy.

US Army Building Single Program Executive Office for Network Modernization Efforts
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US Army Building Single Program Executive Office for Network Modernization Efforts

The U.S. Army is consolidating its communications and network modernization efforts into a single program executive office in support of the service branch’s vision to achieve a unified network, DefenseNews reported Saturday.

Beginning on Oct. 1, the Program Executive Office for Command, Control and Communications-Tactical will take responsibility for the integrated enterprise network projects overseen by the Program Executive Officer for Enterprise Information Systems.

PEO C3T spokesperson Paul Mehney said the office will absorb “camp-, post- and station-modernization efforts.”

“It’s the larger satellite efforts that are coming to us, and then all of the base first responder-type radios and networks are coming over, as well,” Mehney added.

Currently, PEO EIS is in charge of modernizing and managing the network and enterprise business systems that support soldiers’ daily operations, while PEO C3T leads development and deployment of capability sets and supporting network systems to troops worldwide.

The Army will announce a new name for the single network office upon completion of the integration.

Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth Highlights 6 Operational Imperatives for Army of 2030
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Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth Highlights 6 Operational Imperatives for Army of 2030

Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth provided a status update on the U.S. Army of 2030 activities and the early developmental stages of the Army of 2040.

The branch on Thursday published her speech at the McAleese 14th Annual Defense Programs Conference, held on March 15 in Washington, D.C.

The branch needs farther and more persistent sight and sense of the battlefield to achieve the envisioned Army of 2030, Wormuth stated. This can be done through multi-source raw data collection and analysis, hence their modernization of surveillance, reconnaissance and aerial intelligence capabilities.

Wormuth, a 2023 Wash100 awardee, also reported progress in the integration of combat power through investments and upgrades of multi-purpose vehicles and other modes of battlefield transportation. This operational imperative applies to artillery, which the branch is currently enhancing through the procurement of precise and longer-range fires.

The Army of 2030’s fourth operational imperative is the protection of maneuver forces using next-generation radars, command-and-control software, high-energy lasers and microwaves, and advanced air and missile defenses, the secretary said. She followed the discussion with an update on communication network integration, which is part of their Project Convergence. She additionally emphasized logistics as a critical element in a contested terrain where the battle is fought across long distances.

Executive Mosaic Celebrates Northrop Grumman’s Kathy Warden & CIA’s Nand Mulchandani in 2023 Wash100 Profiles
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Executive Mosaic Celebrates Northrop Grumman’s Kathy Warden & CIA’s Nand Mulchandani in 2023 Wash100 Profiles

On Monday, two 2023 Wash100 Award winners — Northrop Grumman Chair, CEO and President Kathy Warden and CIA Chief Technology Officer Nand Mulchandani — were highlighted and celebrated for their accomplishments and for their selection to the government contracting sector’s highest accolade.

The Wash100 Award annually recognizes the top 100 executives of consequence working in the vast GovCon ecosystem. While Executive Mosaic takes into account each executive’s career history, major achievements and current impact, it also looks toward the future. Individuals named to the prestigious Wash100 list are uniquely poised to be the movers and shakers of the industry in the coming year.

Kathy Warden received her eighth Wash100 Award this year for her work strategically aligning Northrop Grumman’s technology portfolio with the needs and priorities of the company’s defense customers. Notably in 2022, Northrop publicly debuted its new B-21 Raider long-range strike bomber aircraft developed in partnership with the U.S. Air Force. Read Warden’s full Wash100 profile here.

2023 marks Nand Mulchandani’s first year of recognition on the Wash100 list. Mulchandani made history in 2022 when he was named the CIA’s first-ever CTO. Throughout his past 10 months in the role, Mulchandani has worked to help harness cutting-edge technology innovations to further the CIA’s mission. Prior to joining the CIA, Mulchandani served as CTO for the Department of Defense’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center. Click here to read Mulchandani’s full Wash100 profile.

Make sure to vote for Warden and Mulchandani as your favorite 2023 Wash100 Award winners as part of this year’s popular vote competition! Cast your 10 votes at Wash100.com to determine who gets this year’s crown. Voting closes April 28.

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PCAST Launches Working Group to Boost Critical Infrastructure Resilience
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PCAST Launches Working Group to Boost Critical Infrastructure Resilience

The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology has unveiled a working group tasked with developing new approaches to safeguarding digital and physical systems of the U.S. critical infrastructure sector from cyberthreats.

In an announcement posted Wednesday, PCAST said it is requesting public input on how the working group on cyber-physical resilience can boost the survivability of mission-critical systems in the face of cyberattacks, software glitches, supply chain disruptions, natural disasters and other events.

PCAST seeks to consult experts from the public and private sectors and academia on how to maintain the resiliency of operations in degraded states and develop a framework for adopting secure digital systems.

The working group comprises PCAST members and other experts, who will work with external sources to formulate recommendations to the president over the next six months.

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DARPA Picks 3 Teams for ‘Oversight’ Space-Based Object Tracking Program
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DARPA Picks 3 Teams for ‘Oversight’ Space-Based Object Tracking Program

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has selected three industry teams to develop software architectures as part of the initial phase of a monitoring program. The products are designed to help military planners survey up to 1,000 targets of interest in space in support of tactical missions.

Apogee Research, BAE Systems’ information and electronics systems integration business and Systems & Technology Research will work under Phase 1 of DARPA’s Oversight program, the agency said Thursday.

“Through this program, DARPA aims to extend the applicability of U.S. space assets and make the space domain more tactically relevant for warfighters,” said Lael Rudd, Oversight program manager at DARPA’s tactical technology office.

The program’s first phase will run for 15 months with an option period of another three months to support further development and will focus on defining resource management needs, tracking requirements and interface between technology platforms in development.

Rudd noted that DARPA is working with service branches to facilitate early transitions during the program’s first phase.

“We want to get initial products out as fast as possible and that will help cultivate the development needs in Oversight Phase 2, during which we plan to have applications running on hardware resources,” Rudd added.

DARPA said it expects Oversight capabilities developed through the second phase to be integrated with in-orbit spacecraft by fiscal year 2026.

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Sen. Gary Peters Leads Committee Hearing to Shine a Light on Healthcare Cybersecurity
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Sen. Gary Peters Leads Committee Hearing to Shine a Light on Healthcare Cybersecurity

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee led a hearing to discuss current threats and actions to strengthen cybersecurity in the healthcare sector.

The committee announced Thursday that it examined the severity of healthcare-specific computer-based attacks and exchanged ideas on possible additional efforts from Congress to safeguard patients and healthcare providers’ personal and medical data.

The meeting was presided by Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., chairman of the committee and co-author of the Strengthening American Cybersecurity Act of 2022. He justified how the law’s requirement to report Internet-based attacks to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency can benefit industries including healthcare.

Industry and government officials also reported unique cybersecurity challenges. They shared insights on how rural and small hospitals can fund IT defense measures despite limited financial resources.

“Cyber-attacks on hospitals, and other health care providers, can cause serious disruptions to their operations, and prevent them from effectively providing critical, lifesaving care to their patients,” Peters said. “These relentless cyber-attacks show that foreign adversaries and cybercriminals will stop at nothing to exploit cybersecurity vulnerabilities our critical infrastructure and most essential systems.”

Electronic data in healthcare will be discussed in-depth at the 2nd Annual Healthcare IT – Digital Transformation Forum, hosted by GovCon Wire, sister website of ExecutiveGov. Become part of the virtual event on May 17 by clicking on the image below to register.

Healthcare IT - Digital Transformation Forum
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Report: US Asks China-Based Owner of TikTok to Sell Stakes in Video-Sharing App
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Report: US Asks China-Based Owner of TikTok to Sell Stakes in Video-Sharing App

The Biden administration has called on Chinese company ByteDance to divest its stakes in TikTok and warned of a possible ban of the social media platform if it fails to do so, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

The Department of the Treasury’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. made the demand for the sale of stakes in the video-sharing app, according to sources cited by WSJ.

TikTok said a possible divestment of the platform would not address national security risks.

“The best way to address concerns about national security is with the transparent, U.S.-based protection of U.S. user data and systems, with robust third-party monitoring, vetting, and verification, which we are already implementing,” Brooke Oberwetter, a spokeswoman for TikTok, said in a statement.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is scheduled to appear next week before House Energy and Commerce Committee members to field questions from lawmakers on security issues related to the app, according to the report.

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FCC Proposes Licensing Rule to Authorize Space-Based Connections in Mobile Devices
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FCC Proposes Licensing Rule to Authorize Space-Based Connections in Mobile Devices

The Federal Communications Commission has proposed a new rule to connect satellites with mobile devices to enable 5G communications in remote and underserved areas.

FCC said Thursday it aims to establish a framework for delivering space-based services to smartphone users to address wireless coverage gaps in internet-denied communities.

The commission proposes authorizing satellite operators to manage space stations on a licensed radio frequency spectrum allocated to terrestrial service providers. 

Non-geostationary orbit satellite operators may also apply for FCC authorization to access the terrestrial spectrum if certain requirements are met.

Rick Lober, vice president for defense programs at Hughes Network Systems, said in a Breaking Defense report that the proposed rule would help address the Department of Defense’s “terminal problem, that they’ve been living with for a lot of years, of very expensive terminals that are all proprietary systems.”

However, Lober noted that there are security concerns about enabling direct satellite-to-phone services for combat operations because the frequencies used by mobile devices are “open to jamming.”

Hughes is working with DISH Wireless to provide a cyber-protected 5G network for U.S. Navy personnel at Whidbey Island Naval Station.

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