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Space Force Reports Milestone for Wide Field of View GEO Satellite With ‘First Light’ Data
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Space Force Reports Milestone for Wide Field of View GEO Satellite With ‘First Light’ Data

A satellite that Boeing’s Millennium Space Systems subsidiary built for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command to help track hypersonic missiles and provide missile warning capabilities received “first light” data from its sensor.

The command said Monday the sensor data that will be collected by the Wide Field of View Geosynchronous Earth Orbit demonstration satellite will enable the service to detect reentry vehicles and fast-moving missiles to help improve technical intelligence and battlespace awareness.

“We are very excited for this milestone as we continue to march towards WFOV joining the family of contributing sensors to the missile warning architecture,” said Col. Heather Bogstie, senior material leader for SSC Space Sensing Directorate.

SSC and the Tools, Applications and Processing Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, initiated and completed the calibration for the spacecraft.

“WFOV and the team at the TAP Lab are key contributors to the pivot of missile warning/missile tracking, as it will enhance data exploitation and streamline test and certification of non-traditional sensors into the architecture. This will enable the network to transmit validated data to the warfighter faster than with traditional sensors,” Bogstie added.

In August, WFOV went online a month after launching aboard a United Launch Alliance-made rocket. The space vehicle comes with an infrared sensor payload built by L3Harris Technologies.

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Sen. Ron Wyden Cites Need for Top Security Clearances for FTC Officials
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Sen. Ron Wyden Cites Need for Top Security Clearances for FTC Officials

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, on Tuesday wrote a letter to the heads of the Federal Trade Commission and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence highlighting the need for top-level security clearances for FTC officials, specifically those who perform investigations into data privacy and security cases.

Wyden noted in the letter that his office learned that only four FTC personnel have Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance and that the commission has not taken part in classified discussions on cyber threats.

“The FTC should promptly request TS/SCI clearances for its Chair and the other Commissioners, other senior leadership, and some of the staff in the FTC’s Division of Privacy and Identity Protection,” the lawmaker wrote in the letter.

“The DNI should expand its cooperation with the FTC and invite FTC staff to classified briefings. The DNI should also identify for the FTC the kinds of datasets that are being or are likely to be targeted by foreign hackers,” Wyden added.

According to the legislator, China and other foreign governments have been involved in efforts to gain access to personal data of U.S. citizens through legal and illegal approaches and giving the FTC with visibility into security threats could help counter foreign hacking efforts.

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IBM, Sierra Space to Collaborate on Next Generation Space Technology
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IBM, Sierra Space to Collaborate on Next Generation Space Technology

Space technology company IBM and commercial space transportation and infrastructure organization Sierra Space have signed a memorandum of understanding to solidify their collaboration plans for technology development endeavors.

In line with this agreement, the two companies will work to apply IBM’s space technology and software platforms along with Sierra Space’s collection of vehicles and infrastructure, the Armonk, New York and Louisville, Colorado-based organizations confirmed on Wednesday.

“Through this planned agreement with IBM, we will leverage the full depth of its industry expertise and innovative technology portfolio to evaluate and support unique in-space challenges we will face as we build the future of commercial space,” stated Tom Vice, Sierra Space CEO.

The goal of the agreement is to create a platform to support cloud technology and mission operations in space while also promoting the development of new applications across a variety of areas including commerce, research and tourism.

Using IBM’s platform would advance Sierra Space’s ambition to improve business processes for stronger performance. These developments would entail further automation of IT systems, application and data flows, and networks used for zero-touch operations. These improvements will inform understanding of threats, orchestration actions and automated responses.

This technology integration will also enhance task organization for Sierra Space astronauts using data analysis and collection. 

Through collaboration, IBM and Sierra Space aim to develop a computing landscape in which users can build and modernize applications, prepare data for AI and combine and direct workloads through open and secure operations

“Collaborating with a leader like Sierra Space will support the growth of a more robust space economy in low-Earth orbit and beyond,” remarked IBM Space CTO Naeem Altaf.

There are currently discussions surrounding the use of these technologies both terrestrially and in space.

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VMware’s Keith Nakasone: Agencies Must Speed Up the Adoption of Zero Trust Architecture
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VMware’s Keith Nakasone: Agencies Must Speed Up the Adoption of Zero Trust Architecture

In the ever-evolving cyber security landscape, moving to a more secure zero trust system is key for protecting data, according to Keith Nakasone, federal strategist at VMware.

The concept of zero trust is built around the idea that trust cannot be assumed and thus must be continuously verified to ensure the security of critical information.

“To stay ahead of cyberattacks, agencies need to accelerate the adoption of modern technology approaches like zero-trust architecture that enables them to decommission legacy systems,” urged Nakasone.

Following a May 2021 Executive Order, zero trust architecture standards, which include improvements to multi-factor authentication, consistent monitoring of who can access what data, modernizing encryption methods and implementing more thorough data organization and classification must be met by federal civilian executive branch agencies by the end of September 2024.

“Public sector agencies possess troves of information and data that make them prime targets for cybercriminals,” stressed Nakasone. Additionally, he emphasized the impact of cyberattacks on U.S. citizens who rely on many government services, such as social security, passports and emergency management.

Nakasone also commented on the importance of maintaining employee knowledge on policies regarding data security and the use of the DevSecOps model, which embeds security into the lifecycle process of IT and acquisition, to strengthen cloud security.

If you’re interested in learning more about how federal agencies are bolstering their cybersecurity practices, join the Potomac Officers Club for its Cybersecurity in the Modern Intelligence Community Forum on Nov. 16. Register here.

VMware’s Keith Nakasone: Agencies Must Speed Up the Adoption of Zero Trust Architecture
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Idaho National Laboratory Gets $150M in Funding to Boost Nuclear R&D
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Idaho National Laboratory Gets $150M in Funding to Boost Nuclear R&D

The Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory will receive $150 million in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act to support infrastructure improvement projects at its Advanced Test Reactor and Materials Fuels Complex.

DOE said Tuesday the investment aims to speed up the replacement of aging systems at ATR and MFC and support research and development efforts to advance nuclear fuels and reactor technologies.

The upgrades at the two facilities will include improvements to process control systems and water and electricity distribution systems.

“More than 300 commercial reactors operating around the world today can trace their roots back to Idaho National Laboratory, and these infrastructure investments allow America to continue leading the world in groundbreaking nuclear energy research and development,” said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.

The Inflation Reduction Act has allocated more than $35 billion for DOE to fund new and existing programs and included $150 million to boost R&D infrastructure at the Office of Nuclear Energy.

“Thanks to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, DOE is taking critical steps to strengthen domestic nuclear development and deployment—helping ensure the United States is on track to reach a clean energy future,” Granholm said.

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Cyber AB’s New Unit Launches Official Certified CMMC Professional Examination
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Cyber AB’s New Unit Launches Official Certified CMMC Professional Examination

The Cybersecurity Assessor and Instructor Certification Organization, a newly launched unit of the Cyber AB, has launched an official examination to verify assessors’ knowledge of the Department of Defense’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification.

The Certified CMMC Professional examination is aimed at ensuring that certified assessors are qualified and ready to support certified third-party assessment organizations that will evaluate defense contractors’ compliance with the cybersecurity standards, the Cyber AB said Tuesday.

“With the launch of the official CCP exam, we are validating that those individuals who achieve the CCP certification have a standard and consistent working knowledge of CMMC as a whole and how it is implemented in the context of assessments,” said Kyle Gingrich, interim executive director of CAICO.

The organization held a beta exam from August through September to assess how well test items can validate the knowledge a candidate must demonstrate to secure certification.

CAICO was launched in September and functions as an independent legal entity that provides training, professional exams and certification of CMMC instructors and assessors.

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Lisa Rosenmerkel Named VA Acting Chief Data Officer, Executive Director
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Lisa Rosenmerkel Named VA Acting Chief Data Officer, Executive Director

Lisa Rosenmerkel, a two-decade veteran of the Department of the Treasury, has been named acting chief data officer and executive director of the Office of Data Governance at the Department of Veteran Affairs.

In a LinkedIn post, Rosenmerkel shared she initially joined VA as deputy chief data officer and deputy executive director for data governance and analytics after serving as special assistant to the assistant secretary at Treasury’s Office of Economic Policy.

Rosenmerkel previously held various roles of increasing responsibility during her 18-year career at the Internal Revenue Service, including as chief of data modeling and optimization and associate director of the data management division.

She will succeed Kshemendra Paul who is leaving the department in November to serve as assistant inspector general for cybersecurity assessments and data analysis at the Department of Energy, according to a report from Federal News Network.

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Lt. Gen. John Shaw on Deep Space Exploration
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Lt. Gen. John Shaw on Deep Space Exploration

Lt. Gen. John Shaw, deputy commander of U.S. Space Command, participated in a panel discussion on Monday at a conference in Las Vegas and talked about deep space and the security challenges facing deep space exploration, the Space Force said Tuesday.

“I think there will always be national security needs,” Shaw said.

“That automatically means that there is a security issue facing commercial companies that we need to be thinking through in the future as we enter a potential crisis or conflict,” he added.

Shaw highlighted the need to implement guiding principles to advance a more sustainable and safer space domain.

“I would like to see this idea of cooperative ‘norms of behavior’ that support all of the sectors, the commercial, the civil and the national security, again, to be something that we can share across the globe,” he noted.

He also cited the importance of collaboration in addressing security issues in the space domain and the role of the commercial sector in advancing deep space exploration.

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Rick Spinrad: New NOAA Investments to Support Climate Change, Resiliency Research
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Rick Spinrad: New NOAA Investments to Support Climate Change, Resiliency Research

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is allocating $15.2 million this year for new research on climate-related topics as the government aims to help U.S. communities become more resilient to extreme weather phenomena.

Sixty-three projects involving universities, research institutions and public agencies in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands will receive the funds through NOAA’s Climate Program Office, the agency said Tuesday.

The awardees will team up with NOAA programs, research laboratories and centers, and may receive financial support from the agency for three to five years.

Studies will focus on topics such as wildfire pollutants in urban-to-wilderness transition zones, drought management and resilience in tribal nations and creating atmospheric simulations of aerosols, which are elemental to a proposed global dimming method.

Rick Spinrad, administrator of NOAA, said climate is a top priority for the agency and the Department of Commerce.

“These new NOAA investments are essential to improve understanding of climate change, how to mitigate increasing impacts and bolster community resilience. All of these substantive steps work together towards our goal of building a Climate-Ready Nation,” he added.

CPO has been investing in climate science since 2016, mostly in the state of Colorado, which has received a total of $29.1 million for at least 51 projects in the past six years.

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Reports: Drew Myklegard Appointed Full-Time Deputy Federal CIO
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Reports: Drew Myklegard Appointed Full-Time Deputy Federal CIO

The Office of Management and Budget has appointed Drew Myklegard as deputy federal chief information officer, a role he has held on an acting basis since April, FedScoop reported Tuesday.

OMB started its search for an individual to take the full-time position in March, when Maria Roat retired after more than four decades of federal service.

Myklegard initially held an associate role at the OMB Office of the Federal Chief Information Officer and before that position he spent more than eight years at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

While at the VA, he oversaw a division focused on DevSecOps product engineering, software as a service and platform as a service and digital transformation initiatives.

He also served at the Army National Guard as an intelligence analyst and strategic planner and worked for Booz Allen Hamilton as an associate.

According to a Federal News Network report, Myklegard is the sixth official to hold the deputy federal CIO post and will coordinate with CIOs at federal agencies to drive enterprise initiatives across the government.

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