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OMB Will Take Industry Feedback on Cybersecurity Standards
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OMB Will Take Industry Feedback on Cybersecurity Standards

Steve Kelly, a senior director for cybersecurity and emerging technology on the National Security Council, said the U.S. Office of Management and Budget will soon take feedback from industry experts for its planned rollout of new cybersecurity standards, FedScoop reported Wednesday.

Kelly discussed the industry consultation during the Fortinet Federal Security Transformation Summit on Dec. 8 and adds that OMB is partnering with software providers as it introduced the new standards.

“OMB is working closely with agencies to ensure a consistent approach to implementation, and [we] plan to soon host a listening session with software makers and other interested parties to continue to take their feedback on some of the language,” said Kelly.

OMB is set to publish the minimum cybersecurity requirements for vendors by January 2023.

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Space Force Officially Deactivates Lockheed-Built Military Communications Satellite
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Space Force Officially Deactivates Lockheed-Built Military Communications Satellite

The U.S. Space Force’s 4th Space Operations Squadron has officially retired and placed in a disposal orbit a satellite designed to provide high-volume, secure voice and data communications, due to the culmination of its operational life.

The Lockheed Martin-built Defense Satellite Communications Systems III satellite B7 spent nearly three decades working as part of a geosynchronous orbit military satellite constellation to provide high-priority communication capabilities to the Department of Defense, the Space Force said Wednesday. 

B7’s retirement began in October when the Space Operations Command took over the responsibility of the satellite from U.S. Space Command.

Col. Jay Steingold, chief of the SATCOM Mission Area Team chief, said B7 will remain in the supersynchronous orbit “until new methods are developed to address the issue of space junk permanently.”

Launched in 1995, B7 surpassed its initial 10-year design life by 15 years. The Space Force attributed the satellite’s extended service life to its engineers and operators.

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Senate Approves Measure Banning TikTok Use on Government Devices
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The U.S. Senate on Wednesday unanimously approved a bill that would prevent federal employees from installing or using the Chinese social media app TikTok on official devices, Reuters reported.

The bill will need to pass in the House of Representatives before the current congressional session ends next week and receive final approval from President Biden to become law.

According to the legislation’s sponsor Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., “TikTok is a major security risk to the United States, and it has no place on government devices.”

Hawley re-introduced the bill in legislation in 2021 after a similar measure that the Senate passed in a prior Congress failed to advance in the lower chamber.

A day before the Senate approval, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., has proposed a bipartisan bill that would prohibit TikTok from operating in the U.S. amid national security threats.

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AFRL, Partners Develop Wearable Biomolecular Sensor Technology for Warfighters
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AFRL, Partners Develop Wearable Biomolecular Sensor Technology for Warfighters

The Air Force Research Laboratory, in collaboration with the Nano Bio-Materials Consortium and Case Western Reserve University, has developed wearable sensor technology designed to track warfighters’ health status. 

Air Force Materiel Command said Wednesday research efforts from the Biomolecular Structure and Integration for Sensors program resulted in the founding of private company Sensate Biosystems, which will develop the technology for applications in the commercial market.

Lawrence Drummy, a senior materials engineer in the materials and manufacturing directorate and BioSIS technical lead, said that the technology will work to ensure warfighters’ safety during critical missions by sensing when they become stressed, excessively fatigued or hyper-stimulated.

“These wearable sensors can take on a variety of forms such as mouthguards, patches applied to the skin or microneedle patches that just penetrate the epidermis into the interstitial fluid, for example,” Drummy explained.

He added that the technology offers advanced human monitoring capabilities that can enable commanders to make more informed decisions.

The BioSIS program included AFRL’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, the 711th Human Performance Wing, the NBMC and Case Western Reserve University.

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VA to Create Enterprise Supply Chain Modernization Office; Dave Sloniker Quoted
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VA to Create Enterprise Supply Chain Modernization Office; Dave Sloniker Quoted

The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to establish a new office of enterprise supply chain modernization to help manage the integration of functions of nearly 60 logistics and ordering systems across the Veterans Benefits Administration, Veterans Health Administration and the National Cemetery Administration, Federal News Network reported Wednesday.

Dave Sloniker, executive director for logistics redesign at VA, will oversee the new office.

“This new office will look at the whole environment: Here are the things that need to be changed in terms of process and policy. Our current policies are driven around our current systems, but if you change the system, you have to come in and redesign your process and policies, so we’re going to look at both issues at the same time … we want to achieve a better veterans experience and a better user experience for the people who are using it,” said Sloniker.

News on the VA office comes as the department plans to compete a contract to replace its Defense Medical Logistics Standard Support system with a cloud-based platform.

According to FNN, VA aims to announce the vendors for the acquisition contract’s prototyping phase by spring 2023 and award the single-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract by midway through 2023.

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Cybersecurity, Identity Proofing Top State CIOs’ Priority Lists for 2023
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Cybersecurity, Identity Proofing Top State CIOs’ Priority Lists for 2023

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers on Monday released a report identifying the highest priorities of state CIOs in the coming year.

Cybersecurity and risk management topped the list of policy and services priorities for 2023, while identity proofing and multifactor authentication was the biggest concern in terms of applications and technologies.

According to the survey, state CIOs intend to focus primarily on digital services to improve government customers’ experience, as well as on reimagining the federal workforce and replacing legacy platforms. They are also seeking broader adoption of cloud services and deeper exploration of data and information management. Deploying 5G and other means to improve connectivity ranked ninth in the list of policy priorities, while customer relationship strategies was tenth.

The respondents cited software-as-a-service and other X-as-a-service models, security enhancement applications and artificial intelligence as some of their target technologies and tools for 2023. Business intelligence and other data analytics, low-code/no-code software development, enterprise resource planning and business process integration systems rounded up the list.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken Unveils Plans to Form Bureau of Global Health Security & Diplomacy
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken Unveils Plans to Form Bureau of Global Health Security & Diplomacy

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced plans to establish the Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy in response to the national security risks arising from different global health crises.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Blinken said he intends to appoint Global AIDS Coordinator John Nkengasong as head of the bureau.

To advance the new division’s objectives, the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator will work with other agencies under the State Department, including the Office of International Health and Biodefense, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs and the functions of the Coordinator for Global COVID-19 Response and Health Security.

The bureau’s structure will enhance the prevention, detection and response to existing and future health threats, according to Blinken, who received the Wash100 Award in 2021. He added that he is “looking forward to working Congress” toward the creation of the new division.

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Lt. Gen. Robert Skinner on DISA’s Role in Advancing National Security Objectives
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Lt. Gen. Robert Skinner on DISA’s Role in Advancing National Security Objectives

U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Robert Skinner, director of the Defense Information Systems Agency, said DISA’s work in information technology, cybersecurity and emerging technologies play key roles in achieving the objectives set in the 2022 National Defense Strategy.

During his speech at the 2022 Department of Defense Intelligence Information System Worldwide Conference, Skinner highlighted DISA’s efforts to deliver advanced warfighting capabilities including its Thunderdome zero trust security project, the agency said Wednesday. 

“Innovation is alive and well. Innovation is here in the United States and innovation will continue to make us powerful,” Skinner, a 2022 Wash100 awardee, remarked. 

The official said that DISA also works to secure identity credentialing and access management for the Department of Defense’s applications and uses commercial cloud infrastructure.

In addition, Skinner mentioned the recent $9 billion Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability contract vehicle to awarded Amazon Web Services, Google, Microsoft and Oracle.

“JWCC is an example of us being ready. We have developed an environment with systems integration, infrastructure as a code, a marketplace system and DevSecOps,” Skinner said.

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US-Africa Space Forum Highlights Need to Strengthen Space Partnership, Welcomes 2 Countries to Artemis Accords
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US-Africa Space Forum Highlights Need to Strengthen Space Partnership, Welcomes 2 Countries to Artemis Accords

The U.S.-Africa Space Forum held Tuesday highlighted the importance of the space partnership to strengthen commercial and scientific space cooperation and address challenges related to global food crises and climate change. 

Participants in the inaugural forum welcomed Nigeria and Rwanda as the first African countries to sign the Artemis Accords, bringing the total number of signatories of 23, the White House said Tuesday.

In 2020, NASA and its counterparts from seven countries launched the Artemis Accords to establish a set of principles to guide international cooperation to ensure peaceful exploration of the lunar surface and deep space.

Isa Ali Ibrahim, Nigeria’s minister of communications and digital economy, and Francis Ngabo, CEO of the Rwanda Space Agency, signed the Artemis Accords.

“The 23 Artemis Accords signatories represent a diverse set of nations with a wide range of space capabilities and interests. The Accords support our activities in NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, among other objectives,” Monica Medina, assistant secretary of State, said during her remarks.

“As we expand our cooperation and capabilities in outer space, we must commit to doing so responsibly. That’s why the Artemis Accords focus on peaceful space exploration,” she added.

The forum also cited the private sector’s role in advancing the partnership between the U.S. and Africa in the space domain. 

Some of the companies have announced plans to invest in the U.S.-Africa space partnership, including Atlas Space Operations, Planet Labs PBC and Zipline. Atlas, for instance, teamed up with the Rwanda Space Agency to build a large satellite antenna and teleport.

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State Department Turns to Data to Modernize Federal Procurement Efforts
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State Department Turns to Data to Modernize Federal Procurement Efforts

Jaime Gracia, director of strategic enterprise programs at the State Department, has highlighted the importance of data analytics to streamline the department’s information technology procurement and contracting process, Federal News Network reported Tuesday. 

Speaking at an ACT-IAC Federal Insights Exchange event, Gracia said that gathering data-driven insights will enable contracting officers to select the appropriate contract vehicles for procurement efforts and provide fair contracting opportunities to small, disadvantaged businesses. 

According to Gracia, the State Department is looking to digitize its acquisition forecasts and modernize its procurement analytics data architecture to provide contractors with real-time updates on contracting opportunities.

The department is modernizing its contracting process ahead of a major IT services procurement effort. 

Early in December, the State Department began seeking bids for a potential seven-year, $10 billion indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to procure IT services from the commercial sector.

The Evolve contract seeks to provide services in areas of IT management, cloud and data center, application development, network and telecommunication, and customer and end user support.

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