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NIST to Standardize ‘Lightweight Cryptography’ Algorithms to Secure IoT Devices
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NIST to Standardize ‘Lightweight Cryptography’ Algorithms to Secure IoT Devices

A team of security experts at the National Institute of Standards and Technology has decided to standardize Ascon, a group of cryptographic algorithms designed to protect information generated by Internet of Things devices.

NIST said Tuesday Ascon will provide lightweight cryptography for miniature technologies used in health care, infrastructure, transportation and other key industries that require protection from potential cyberthreats.

“Small devices have limited resources, and they need security that has a compact implementation. These algorithms should cover most devices that have these sorts of resource constraints,” said Kerry McKay, a computer scientist at NIST.

Ascon was determined as the most efficient set of lightweight algorithms for small devices after the NIST Lightweight Cryptography Team concluded a selection and evaluation process that started in 2018.

Ten finalists were selected from 57 algorithm candidates through a multi-round public review process.

Ascon was developed by a cryptography team from Graz University of Technology, Infineon Technologies, Lamarr Security Research and Radboud University.

The algorithms will support authenticated encryption with associated data and hashing to ensure the security of small platforms.

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Space Force Launches Third Pathfinder Mission Aboard Hispasat Satellite
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Space Force Launches Third Pathfinder Mission Aboard Hispasat Satellite

Space Systems Command has launched the U.S. Space Force’s third Pathfinder mission aboard Spanish satellite communications operator Hispasat‘s Amazonas Nexus from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

SSC said Monday the Pathfinder 2 mission aims to demonstrate the capabilities of commercially available technologies to provide wideband satellite communications for military applications.

The payload serves as a high bandwidth protected communications transponder to enable connectivity for the U.S. military.

“Pathfinder 2 satisfies warfighter requirements by procuring commercially provided pre-launch transponders and securing bandwidth at a lower total ownership cost,” said  Charlotte Gerhart, chief of SSC’s Tactical SATCOM Acquisition Delta.

The Amazonas Nexus satellite launched to orbit onboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40. It separated from its upper stage and reached its targeted orbit approximately 35 minutes after launch.

FCC Seeks Industry Input on Licensed Spectrum Rules for Drone Operators
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FCC Seeks Industry Input on Licensed Spectrum Rules for Drone Operators

The Federal Communications Commission has begun requesting industry comments on proposed rules to enable unmanned aircraft system operators to access licensed spectrum to ensure the reliability of drone operations.

A notice published Tuesday in the Federal Reserve states that the FCC is seeking companies’ input on the cost and benefits of adopting a band plan and service rules to grant drone operators access to interference-protected control-and-non-payload-communications in the 5030-5091 MHz band.

FCC aims to develop band plans and service rules for two broad UAS use cases: non-networked operations, which occur within the radio line-of-sight of the UAS operator; and network-supported operations, which use network infrastructure to go beyond radio LOS.

The commission also plans to establish a licensing process for UAS operators to communicate with air traffic control and other aircraft to facilitate flight coordination and ensure the safe integration of drone operations in controlled airspace.

Responses are due March 9.

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U.S., Japan, Australia & India Launch Joint Challenge to Promote Responsible Cyber Habits
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U.S., Japan, Australia & India Launch Joint Challenge to Promote Responsible Cyber Habits

A cybersecurity challenge has been launched by the U.S., Japan, Australia and India — the four member nations of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad — to promote the safe and responsible use of information technology in their territories.

In a joint statement released Tuesday by the White House, the group invited all Internet users, from individuals to organizations, to dedicate at least one hour to improving cyber hygiene between April 10 and 14.

The Quad Cyber Challenge includes a checklist of activities to keep devices safe from vulnerabilities over a five-day period.

Some of the steps are as simple as installing security updates, identifying phishing and other online scams, changing passphrases and using multi-factor authentication.

Participants will receive training and basic cybersecurity information resources throughout the duration of the event.

GAO: Commercial Product Development Principles Could Improve Execution of DOD’s Middle-Tier Acquisition Pathway
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GAO: Commercial Product Development Principles Could Improve Execution of DOD’s Middle-Tier Acquisition Pathway

The Department of Defense should follow the key principles of commercial product development to accelerate the invention and deployment of weapon systems under the middle tier of acquisitions pathway, the Government Accountability Office said.

In a report published Tuesday, GAO cited obstacles in the implementation of the MTA pathway, including unclear or inaccurate data and schedule delays due to unfulfilled requirements.

The MTA program was created in 2016 as an alternative acquisition process, with a 5-year turnaround time for weapons development until deployment. DOD established the program aiming to expedite prototyping and fielding of armaments.

The use of MTA authorities increased from 35 programs in 2019 to 100 in 2022, prompting GAO to look into MTA oversight and execution.

Based on its review of 15 MTA projects across the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy and Special Operations Command, the government watchdog made 26 recommendations to ensure that the purpose of middle-tier defense acquisitions is fulfilled.

GAO referred to the key product development principles used by private companies and urged DOD branches to incorporate them into MTA policies. Specifically, DOD components should create solid business cases and apply consistent design approaches, GAO stated. They should also maximize schedule by off-ramping capabilities and less urgent requirements, and implement lessons learned from previous development processes.

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Farooq Mitha on Importance of Pentagon’s Small Business Strategy
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Farooq Mitha on Importance of Pentagon’s Small Business Strategy

Farooq Mitha, director of the office of small business programs at the Department of Defense, said small companies and their innovative technologies could enable the U.S. to maintain a military edge in this era of strategic competition and DOD recognizes its role with the release of its Small Business Strategy.

Mitha wrote in an opinion piece published Tuesday on The Hill that the strategy seeks to increase small businesses’ involvement in defense procurement efforts.

“We will do this by streamlining points of entry into the department for small companies, so it is easier for them to know where to start, ensure that small business activities align with efforts to sustain and expand the department’s industrial base and modernization priorities, and stepping up our engagement and resources to support industry,” he noted.

Mitha said the department will facilitate access for small enterprises by taking a more integrated approach across its programs and make business.defense.gov a key point of entry for small companies looking to do business with the Pentagon.

He also cited the current administration’s move to introduce changes to category management to increase opportunities for small businesses and DOD’s plan to strengthen engagement with such businesses through APEX Accelerators and provide cybersecurity training and other related resources through Project Spectrum.

“These initiatives and others in our Small Business Strategy aim to make small businesses an indispensable partner in the mission to protect our national security,” Mitha added.

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Nokia Federal’s Ken Riordan Elected to National Spectrum Consortium Executive Committee
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Nokia Federal’s Ken Riordan Elected to National Spectrum Consortium Executive Committee

Ken Riordan, principal architect for Nokia Federal, has been elected as a member of the National Spectrum Consortium’s executive committee, where he will serve as a representative for large, non-traditional companies.

During his three-year term, Riordan will support NSC’s mission to drive the development of novel electromagnetic spectrum technologies by facilitating cooperation between industry, academia and federal organizations, Nokia told ExecutiveGov on Wednesday.

“The NSC has proven itself to be a vital force in connecting government with industry and academia. I look forward to continuing that cause as an executive committee member,” Riordan commented.

Riordan brings more than two decades of experience in the telecommunications industry to the committee. Throughout his career, he has developed products for mobile devices and network equipment and has participated in the establishment of AMPS, GSM, CDMA, WiMAX, LTE and 5G networks, encompassing the full history of cellular communications standards.

Before assuming his current role at Nokia, Riordan held several positions within the company over seven years. Most recently, he served as senior director of business development, after which he took a four-year hiatus from Nokia to work on the Alphabet-owned Loon connectivity initiative.

While in operation, Loon had a goal of harnessing high-altitude, stratospheric balloons to bring connectivity to rural and remote areas. Riordan served as the project’s head of product management for connectivity solutions before returning to Nokia in 2022 following Loon’s conclusion.

Earlier in his career, Riordan spent over 12 years with Motorola, during which he held directorial positions within the organization’s main business as well as its solutions sector.

Riordan has also served as technical committee chair and forum vice-chair for the Wireless Innovation Forum and as a member of the Small Cell Forum’s executive board.

Currently, Riordan is president of the HAPS Alliance, an organization of industry leaders who aim to remove digital divides and increase the scope of connectivity worldwide.

His term with NSC officially began last month and will run through December 2025.

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Jerome Powell Says ‘Disinflationary Process’ Has Started
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Jerome Powell Says ‘Disinflationary Process’ Has Started

Jerome Powell, chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, said inflation has started to ease but the process would take time and warned that the Fed could continue to raise interest rates in response to unfavorable economic data, CNBC reported Tuesday.

“The disinflationary process, the process of getting inflation down, has begun and it’s begun in the goods sector, which is about a quarter of our economy,” Powell said Tuesday during an event in Washington, D.C. “But it has a long way to go. These are the very early stages.”

He noted that the Fed will likely increase rates if data shows higher inflation.

“The reality is we’re going to react to the data,” Powell said. “So if we continue to get, for example, strong labor market reports or higher inflation reports, it may well be the case that we have do more and raise rates more than is priced in.”

On Feb. 1, the Fed voted unanimously to raise the interest rate by 0.25 of a percentage point to 4.5 percent to 4.75 percent. This marks the eighth increase in rates since March 2022, according to the report.

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Lawmakers Cite Need for US to Adjust Force Posture in Response to China’s Nuclear Buildup
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Lawmakers Cite Need for US to Adjust Force Posture in Response to China’s Nuclear Buildup

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and three other congressional members have issued a statement highlighting the need for the U.S. to strengthen its nuclear force posture and increase its capabilities as China ramps up its nuclear modernization efforts.

The statement was in response to a Jan. 26 report from U.S. Strategic Command that China has surpassed the U.S. when it comes to the number of land-based mobile and fixed intercontinental ballistic missile launchers.

“It is not an understatement to say that the Chinese nuclear modernization program is advancing faster than most believed possible,” the lawmakers stated.

“We have no time to waste in adjusting our nuclear force posture to deter both Russia and China. This will have to mean higher numbers and new capabilities,” they added.

Rogers issued the statement with Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., ranking member of HASC’s strategic forces subcommittee; Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee; and Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., ranking member of SASC’s strategic forces subpanel.

The Wall Street Journal reported that STRATCOM informed Congress that China has not surpassed the U.S. in the number of ground-based intercontinental-range missiles and nuclear warheads mounted on such missiles.

U.S. officials said the notification to Congress does not cover long-range bombers and submarine-launched missiles, according to WSJ.

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Iridium’s Matt Desch & Splunk’s Bill Rowan Land 2023 Wash100 Award for Government Collaborations, Technology Innovation
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Iridium’s Matt Desch & Splunk’s Bill Rowan Land 2023 Wash100 Award for Government Collaborations, Technology Innovation

Today, two commercial industry power players, Matt Desch of Iridium and Bill Rowan of Splunk, were singled out for their achievements and recent induction into the 2023 Wash100. During 2022, the executives both demonstrated a high level of partnership with the federal government while helping their respective companies usher innovative new technologies into the marketplace.

For the last decade, the Wash100 Award has been the gold standard for recognizing the government contracting and federal sectors’ best and most brilliant change-makers. To receive consideration, an executive must both have a stellar track record and promise great things to come in the next year.

Desch this year earned his ninth consecutive Wash100 Award. He celebrated a company-best EBITDA of $105.9 million in the second quarter of FY 2022 and a subscriber base of 1.97 million by the end of the third quarter, attributed in part to a growing demand for Internet of Things technologies.

Read Desch’s profile at GovCon Wire here.

The Iridium CEO also spoke to Executive Mosaic’s Summer Myatt for a video interview in September 2022 that highlighted his career arc, what the future holds for the company and more. Watch the full video here.

Rowan won the attention of the Wash100 voting body for his expansive cybersecurity ambitions. He came to Splunk as public sector vice president in July 2022 after serving at software company VMware for over 12 years.

“Cybersecurity is not about just one platform — that’s what gets us into problems. We need to have a much more holistic view. When I was making the decision to join the company, I could see that Splunk was very well positioned to help attack that specific problem,” Rowan shared in an Executive Spotlight interview with ExecutiveBiz.

Read Rowan’s profile at ExecutiveBiz here.

Executive Mosaic extends its warmest congratulations to Matt Desch, Bill Rowan and the teams that support them. To throw your support behind these worthy candidates, visit Wash100.com and participate in the popular vote contest. Until the end of April, all 100 of the 2023 Wash100 inductees will compete for a place in the top 30. You get 10 votes to make your voice heard.

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