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House Bill Aims to Tackle Potential Quantum Security Risk
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House Bill Aims to Tackle Potential Quantum Security Risk

A bipartisan bill introduced by three House lawmakers calls for the federal government to develop a strategy to incorporate quantum-resistant algorithms and encryption tools into agency information technology systems.

The Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act would mandate the Office of Management and Budget to work with the Chief Information Officers Council to help agencies adopt a cryptography approach to protect IT assets from future computer security risks, the office of Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said Monday.

Khanna co-sponsored the legislation with Reps. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., and Nancy Mace, R-S.C.

Under the bill, OMB would also assess critical federal systems one year following the release of National Institute of Standards and Technology standards on post-quantum cryptography.

IBM, Google and Quantinuum are among the technology companies that support the proposed bill.

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DHS Releases iOS-Based Geospatial Mapping Tool
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DHS Releases iOS-Based Geospatial Mapping Tool

The Department of Homeland Security has released a mobile application built to help emergency response, law enforcement and military personnel view location data and communicate with each other when they perform public safety missions.

DHS’ science and technology directorate said Wednesday it funded the development of the Team Awareness Kit for iOS devices through a contract with Pennsylvania-based technology company Syzygy Integration.

The Air Force Research Laboratory originally developed the digital tool to support coordination and collaboration among first responders in the event of a critical situation.

DHS S&T deployed the Android version of the geospatial mapping technology in November 2017. Users of the initial app has performed missions such as hurricane relief, firefighting and national security operations, the directorate added.

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Navy Researchers Conduct Wireless Electricity Transfer Through Microwaves; Christopher Rodenbeck Quoted
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Navy Researchers Conduct Wireless Electricity Transfer Through Microwaves; Christopher Rodenbeck Quoted

U.S. Navy researchers recently transmitted 1.6 kilowatts of electrical power over a kilometer using a 10 gigahertz microwave beam during a showcase of terrestrial microwave power beaming in Maryland.

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory said Wednesday the event is the second demonstration under the Safe and COntinuous Power bEaming – Microwave (SCOPE-M) program, which is aimed at proving the feasibility of point-to-point wireless electricity transfer through microwaves.

At U.S. Army Research Field in Blossom Point, Maryland, SCOPE-M used thousands of X band antennas connected with a rectifier diode to receive and convert microwave beams packing 1.6 kW in energy, the highest amount in nearly 50 years, into direct current electricity.

While the project focuses on terrestrial transfer, Brian Tierney, SCOPE-M electronics engineer, pointed out that the Department of Defense could use the same approach to beam electricity from space to power ground troops.

“From the standpoint of technology readiness level, I feel we are very close to demonstrating a system we can truly deploy and use in a DOD application,” shared Christopher Rodenbeck, NRL’s Advanced Concepts Group head and the program’s principal investigator.

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Palo Alto Networks Achieves FedRAMP Authorization for IoT Security Solution; GovCon Expert Dana Barnes Quoted
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Palo Alto Networks Achieves FedRAMP Authorization for IoT Security Solution; GovCon Expert Dana Barnes Quoted

Palo Alto Networks announced on Thursday that the company’s IoT Security solution has achieved Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) Moderate Authorization.

“As cyberattacks become more frequent and sophisticated, the IoT Security solution helps automate Zero Trust security with quick, accurate discovery and best-in-class protection,” said Dana Barnes, senior vice president of Public Sector of Palo Alto Networks and a key member of Executive Mosaic’s GovCon Expert program.

With the recent FedRAMP authorization, Palo Alto Networks can now offer its customers protection the unmanaged IoT devices in use with government agencies to provide them with machine learning powered visibility,  threat prevention and Zero Trust enforcement within a single platform.

During a recent Executive Spotlight interview with ExecutiveBiz, Dana Barnes discussed the impact that emerging technologies continue to have on the federal workforce as well as the necessary changes that government agencies need to make to our national security efforts.

“We are committed to protecting the U.S. government and its federal agencies from all security threats with reliable solutions,” Barnes added, who is also a 2022 Wash100 Award recipient.

“It is time for the federal government to invest in and build integrated cyber defenses that unify endpoint, network, cloud, and analytic platforms,” GovCon Expert Dana Barnes explained. “At that point, the government can have hunt teams governmentwide to detect threats and vulnerabilities.

Then, it ties together with information sharing. If agencies have an integrated endpoint detection and response capability and are sharing information captured across the government, they can be a lot more secure,” Barnes explained.

Before April 30, you have TEN votes to cast in this year’s Wash100 Vote Standings!

Voice your support as a member of the GovCon community for the most important executives you believe deserve to be recognized amongst your peers. Every vote counts and you have ten!

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Vinod Brahmapuram Joins Lumen Technologies as Head of Security Business Development
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Vinod Brahmapuram Joins Lumen Technologies as Head of Security Business Development

Lumen Technologies announced on Thursday that Vinod Brahmapuram, former chief information security officer for the State of Washington, has been appointed the head of Security Business Development for the company’s state and local government and education markets.

“Vinod is a recognized cybersecurity thought leader with a passion to foster and transform security in the public sector,” said Sonia Ramsey, regional vice president of Lumen’s state and local government and education markets, who Brahmapuram will be reporting following his appointment.

Prior to his previous role in Washington, Brahmapuram served as the deputy chief information security officer for the State of South Carolina. In addition, he was also the CISO of Strategic Planning as well as Enterprise Governance, Risk and Compliance with the Department of Health and Human Services for New Hampshire.

Vinod Brahmapuram joined the DHHS in 2005 as a Business Analyst for a small program and progressed through a broad range of business functions to CISO for the $2 billion Department, providing health and human services to the citizens of New Hampshire.

“He has more than 25 years of information technology experience with deep expertise in leading cross-functional teams of internal and external stakeholders in completion of large-scale innovative programs,” Ramsey emphasized. “Vinod has advised governors and legislators on key cyber issues and held leadership positions in cybersecurity in three states.”

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NIST Report Highlights Potential Use of Blockchain Tech in Product Traceability
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NIST Report Highlights Potential Use of Blockchain Tech in Product Traceability

A new National Institute of Standards and Technology report examines how blockchain technology may help companies identify and trace products throughout the manufacturing supply chain.

The “NIST Internal Report 8419” report offers multiple case studies exploring the potential of data storage and sharing platforms such as a distributed ledger to update the traceability process, the agency said Wednesday.

These investigations include a proof-of-concept demonstration in the aviation sector, a digital supply chain process for the Department of Defense and a blockchain integration effort that involves a production line of a Fortune 500 company.

NIST said its networked control systems team will work with the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence to pursue additional research on blockchain-based traceability.

According to the agency, blockchain goes through a pair of validation steps and creates a digital thread for goods moving through the supply chain. The approach allows technology users to access open data and verify product authenticity, NIST added.

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US, Allied Cyber Agencies Issue Advisory on Russian Cyber Groups Targeting Critical Infrastructure; CISA Director Jen Easterly Quoted
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US, Allied Cyber Agencies Issue Advisory on Russian Cyber Groups Targeting Critical Infrastructure; CISA Director Jen Easterly Quoted

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, National Security Agency, the FBI and international partners have released a joint advisory on malicious cyber operations by Russian state-sponsored threat actors against information technology and operational technology networks.

The advisory offers details on Russian-linked cybercrime groups, including those that have vowed support for the Russian government or people and have threatened to carry out cyber operations in response to materiel support to Ukraine or perceived attacks against Russia, NSA said Wednesday.

The U.S. federal agencies and cybersecurity partners from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the U.K. recommend several measures organizations should take to protect their IT and OT networks from cyberthreats.

These include patching known exploited vulnerabilities, enforcing multifactor authentication, providing end-user awareness and training and monitoring remote desktop protocol.

“Given recent intelligence indicating that the Russian government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks against U.S. critical infrastructure, CISA along with our interagency and international partners are putting out this advisory to highlight the demonstrated threat and capability of Russian state-sponsored and Russian aligned cybercrime groups,” said CISA Director Jen Easterly.

Easterly called on critical infrastructure operators and owners to review the guidance and take action to safeguard themselves from potential cyberattacks.

Rob Joyce, cybersecurity director at NSA, said organizations “must invest and take action” to counter Russian-linked threats to critical infrastructure.

Joyce and Easterly are both featured in Executive Mosaic’s 2022 Wash100 list.

Before April 30, you have TEN votes to cast in this year’s Wash100 Vote Standings!

Voice your support as a member of the GovCon community for the most important executives you believe deserve to be recognized amongst your peers. Every vote counts and you have ten!

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Deloitte, CU Boulder Collaborate on Climate Tech R&D Supporting Government Programs
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Deloitte, CU Boulder Collaborate on Climate Tech R&D Supporting Government Programs

Deloitte has partnered with the University of Colorado Boulder on a collaborative research and development effort to provide the government and communities with technologies envisioned to help address climate-related issues.

The new Climate Innovation Collaboratory will initially work on two projects involving wildfire risk assessments and drought mitigation in the western U.S. before moving toward a wider range of climate priorities, CU Boulder said Tuesday.

Deloitte also allocated an initial $2 million in funding to support the transition of the studies done by the consulting company and the academic institution to usable platforms for federal, state and local government agencies and communities.

According to Terri Fiez, vice chancellor for research and innovation at CU Boulder, the government could tap the Collaboratory to access climate data and science, promote public information exchange and support ongoing climate-related research. 

The Climate Innovation Collaboratory is currently located at the Mortenson Center in Global Engineering at the CU Boulder campus.

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Air Force Promotes Darrell Phillipson to Materials & Manufacturing Unit Head
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Air Force Promotes Darrell Phillipson to Materials & Manufacturing Unit Head

Darrell Phillipson, former vice director of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s 711th Human Performance Wing, assumed leadership of the materials and manufacturing directorate at AFRL and received appointment to join the Senior Executive Service.

He will manage an organization composed of more than 900 civilian, military and contractor personnel, AFRL said Wednesday.

The directorate led by Phillipson focuses on developing materials, processes and advanced manufacturing technologies to help produce military air platforms and ground systems.

Phillipson joined the Air Force in 1989 as a Strategic Air Command airman and entered civilian service in 2007 as deputy chief of AFRL’s plans and programs space sector.

Maj. Gen. Heather Pringle, commander of AFRL, presented the Meritorious Civilian Service Award to Phillipson at a ceremony held Friday in recognition of the latter’s service to the country.

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OMB Seeks to Strengthen ‘Made in America’ Requirements With New Guidance
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OMB Seeks to Strengthen ‘Made in America’ Requirements With New Guidance

The Office of Management and Budget has released new guidance meant to help federal agencies implement the “Build America, Buy America” provisions of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The guidance document will help agencies ensure that programs are covered by Made in America conditions for construction materials, iron and steel and manufactured products, Made in America Director Celeste Drake wrote in a blog post published Wednesday.

Drake said OMB expects the guidance to help agencies transition to new policies; come up with transparent processes for considering waiver requests; apply policies to help manufacturers and grant recipients understand new procedures; and use waivers as a strategic measure toward greater domestic sourcing.

The document offers direction for determining U.S.-made construction materials.

Drake noted that implementing the law’s provisions will help strengthen the U.S. industrial base and supply chains, drive investments and support job creation, U.S. companies and workers.

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