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Verizon, BIE to Install High-Speed Internet at 80 Indigenous American Schools; Maggie Hallbach Quoted
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Verizon, BIE to Install High-Speed Internet at 80 Indigenous American Schools; Maggie Hallbach Quoted

Verizon has opted to partner with the Bureau of Indian Education to establish high-speed internet connection in 80 tribally-run schools throughout the United States.

The new networks will affect almost 42,000 Native American students living in 64 indigenous American reservations in 13 states and will build on Verizon’s prior work with BIE, the Basking Ridge, New Jersey-based company said Wednesday.

“A quality, high-bandwidth connection is critical for students to be able to learn from wherever they are. We believe this is a fundamental right for all students,” remarked Maggie Hallbach, senior vice president of the public sector business at Verizon.

Hallbach added that the collaboration is meant to aid in BIE’s objective to strengthen the caliber of education indigenous children receive in the U.S. while promoting the cultural and economic prosperity of distinct tribes.

The company’s modifications and network enhancements under its newly received Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions contract are set to be conducted through 2023, with the first bandwidth improvements available to students in fall 2022.

As a result of the network upgrades, the 80 schools in Verizon’s rollout will possess 1GB internet connections and a deeper technology arsenal for student usage. The endeavor is a function of the Citizen Verizon public good organization, which focuses on spreading “digital equity and inclusion.”

Previously, the telecommunications company worked with BIE under the Networx contract to evolve indigenous and tribal communities’ networks from T1 to 100MB internet connections. This prior project reached over 100 schools. Verizon consults third-party access suppliers in order to customize the network installations to the specifications of each site and tribe.

The new BIE contract follows the U.S. Department of Defense’s award of three task orders amounting to nearly $1 billion in March to Verizon Public Sector. The task orders require the VPS team to apply voice and data technical expertise to the Pentagon, the DOD National Capital Region and Fort Belvoir.

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Palo Alto Networks Products Available via Streamlined DOD ESI Contract; Scott Widdifield Quoted
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Palo Alto Networks Products Available via Streamlined DOD ESI Contract; Scott Widdifield Quoted

Cybersecurity software company Palo Alto Networks has won a contract from the U.S. Department of Defense that will increase access to Palo Alto products and cut down on the complexity of the selection process.

Under the DOD Enterprise Software Initiative program contract, Palo Alto will enable entities within the DOD and U.S. Intelligence Community to anticipate and fulfill cybersecurity needs down the line as well as complete their Program Objective Memorandum budgeting, the Santa Clara, California-based company said Tuesday.

“The ability to get leading-edge cybersecurity solutions faster from Palo Alto Networks into mission-critical environments can help agencies accelerate their efforts to enhance their security posture and improve the nation’s defenses,” explained Scott Widdifield, global director of defense sales at Palo Alto.

Although many Palo Alto products are already available to DOD and IC agencies via contract vehicles such as General Services Administration Schedule and Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement, the DOD ESI contract reportedly offers a more efficient and less bureaucratic process for procurement of company goods like Prisma Cloud and Cortex and their firewall platforms.

The DOD ESI contract also automatically confirms that a given purchase agreement of the Palo Alto products obeys Federal Acquisition Regulation and the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement.

Additionally, the contract is aimed to assist agencies with the Zero Trust policy adoption that was codified by President Biden’s March Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity. The newfound Palo Alto product availability is seen as a step toward broader digital transformation and information technology modernization in the DOD and IC.

Working with Palo Alto on the DOD ESI contract will be consistent partners and government-serving IT distributors immixGroup and Carahsoft Technology Group.

In January, it was announced that Palo Alto was tapped by the Department of Veterans Affairs to protect the department’s various assets with its cybersecurity strategies.

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DHS S&T Demos Remote Airport Security Screening Software
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DHS S&T Demos Remote Airport Security Screening Software

The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate has tested a remote screening software designed for airport security checkpoints at the Cape Cod Gateway Airport in Massachusetts.

The Integrated Defense & Security Solutions-built platform demonstrated its ability to send computed tomography X-ray images of carry-on baggage flagged by agents for potential threats to remote locations for analysis, DHS S&T said Tuesday.

The software also works to streamline airport security workflows by directing the images of baggage items to available transportation security officers at the airport or elsewhere to perform near real-time analysis.

John Fortune, manager of the DHS S&T’s Screening at Speed Program, said the software will enable the Transportation Security Administration to reduce screening time for carry-on baggage and promote more efficient checking-in procedures.

“The technology will also enable future concepts of operations, such as checkpoint automation, which is a priority for TSA, and allow passengers a more seamless and expeditious screening experience,” Fortune added.

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Air Force Seeks to Partner With HBCUs for New Research Center; Frank Kendall Quoted
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Air Force Seeks to Partner With HBCUs for New Research Center; Frank Kendall Quoted

The Department of Defense and the U.S. Air Force plan to establish a research center affiliated with a historically black college or university in a push to tap into the next generation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics workforce.

The Air Force will allocate $12 million per year for five years to fund its first university-affiliated research center that is expected to produce a well-trained STEM workforce for the U.S. military, the Pentagon reported Tuesday.

Heidi Shyu, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering and a 2022 Wash100 Award recipient, said both DOD and the Air Force are looking to grow the nation’s STEM talent pool to support national security programs.

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, said the new research center serves as “an opportunity to tap into universities that have an enormous amount of capability in science and technology.”

“The partnership opportunity we’re announcing today will create a major contributor to the Space and Air Forces’ rapidly advancing tactical autonomy program and it will strengthen collaboration between the Department of the Air Force and the outstanding talent in our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities,” Kendall added.

The new UARC will focus its research efforts on tactical autonomy, which the Air Force Research Laboratory defines as “autonomous systems acting with delegated and bounded authority of humans in support of tactical, short-term actions associated with a longer-term strategic vision.”

Air Force Seeks to Partner With HBCUs for New Research Center; Frank Kendall Quoted

Kendall, a three-time Wash100 Award winner, is scheduled to deliver the keynote address to the Potomac Officers Club’s 2022 Air Force Summit on July 26. Visit the POC Events page to learn more about the upcoming in-person event.

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FBI Campaign Seeks to Raise Cybersecurity Awareness in Washington Metropolitan Area
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FBI Campaign Seeks to Raise Cybersecurity Awareness in Washington Metropolitan Area

The FBI has kicked off a three-month-long campaign in the Washington metropolitan area to inform government and private institutions about a rise in cyber threats and to help them reinforce the country’s cybersecurity.

The Washington Field Office-led campaign from June to September will highlight the need for organizations to partner with their local bureau in preparation for possible cyber attacks including those against critical infrastructure and supply chain, the agency said Tuesday.

To raise awareness, the FBI will conduct presentations to local industry groups and use both traditional and social media channels to engage with government and private sector players.

“When organizations in the National Capital Region partner with the FBI’s Washington Field Office, we can share intelligence, threat trends, and actionable guidance to strengthen their defenses against cybersecurity attacks,” said Wayne Jacobs, special agent in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division.

He added that collaboration will help the FBI in its incident response, threat identification and damage mitigation efforts.

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VA Offers Unified Sign-in Experience With Login.gov Implementation; VA CTO Charles Worthington Quoted
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VA Offers Unified Sign-in Experience With Login.gov Implementation; VA CTO Charles Worthington Quoted

Veterans with Login.gov accounts will now be able to use their login credentials to access websites of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Small Business Administration and Office of Personnel Management.

VA said Tuesday it adopted Login.gov in an effort to provide former military members with a unified sign-in experience and to support a White House directive focused on federal customer experience transformation.

Aside from VA.gov, veterans will be able to use their Login.gov accounts on My HealtheVet and the flagship Health and Benefits mobile application.

“As part of the department’s digital transformation efforts focused on continuous improvement, we’re embracing the innovative technology designed by Login.gov to provide our Veterans a seamless sign-in experience to better serve, engage and enhance the customer experience,” said Charles Worthington, chief technology officer at VA.

Login.gov, which is operated by the Technology Transformation Services of the General Services Administration, works to provide a secure digital credential to customers looking to access government services.

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The Cyber AB Announces Formation of Academic Advisory Council
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The Cyber AB Announces Formation of Academic Advisory Council

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Accreditation Body, which now operates as The Cyber AB as part of a rebranding effort, has established a new council composed of thought leaders from higher education institutions to provide recommendations and share insights on how to implement the CMMC program in academic environments.

The Academic Advisory Council will also promote the integration of CMMC training curricula within university and college professional education programs, the body said Tuesday.

“The AAC is bringing together recognized leaders from higher education to confer with us as we support DoD in implementing CMMC,” said Melanie Kyle Gingrich, vice president for training and certification at The Cyber AB.

Gingrich will serve as chair of ACC in addition to her role at The Cyber AB. Michael Corn, chief information security officer at the University of California, San Diego, will serve as vice chair of the council.

The council’s inaugural members who will voluntarily serve and meet on a monthly basis are:

  • Adam Grant, Export Compliance Officer, University of Maryland
  • Jeffrey Sun, J.D., Ph.D. Professor & Distinguished University Scholar, University of Louisville
  • Jodi Ito, CISO, University of Hawaii System
  • Jordan DiMaggio, VP, Policy and Digital Strategy, University Professional and Continuing Education Association
  • Kenneth Williams, Ph.D., Executive Director, Center for Cyber Defense, American Public University System
  • Kim Milford, J.D., Executive Director, REN-ISAC
  • Mike Borowczak, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Computer Science, University of Wyoming
  • Mladen Vouk, Ph.D., Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, North Carolina State University
  • Nelson Baker, Ph.D., Dean, Professional Education, Georgia Institute of Technology
  • Peter Schiffer, Ph.D., Frederick W. Beinecke Professor of Applied Physics, Yale University
  • Scott Dolan, Ph.D., Dean, School of Graduate Studies, Excelsior College
  • Sol Bermann, J.D., CISO, University of Michigan
  • Talitha Washington, Ph.D., Director, Data Science Initiative, Atlanta University Center Consortium
  • Von Welch, Associate VP, Information Security, Indiana University
  • William (Bill) Butler, Ph.D., VP of Academic Affairs, Capitol Technology University
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NOAA Unveils 2 Weather, Climate Supercomputers; Ken Graham Quoted
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NOAA Unveils 2 Weather, Climate Supercomputers; Ken Graham Quoted

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced the addition of two supercomputers to its Weather and Climate Operational Supercomputing System to increase computing and storage capacity as part of efforts to improve the delivery of climate and weather forecasts to the public.

The Dogwood system in Manassas, Virginia, and the Cactus platform in Phoenix are Hewlett Packard Enterprise-built Cray supercomputers that can operate at a speed of 12.1 petaflops each, NOAA said Tuesday.

The agency said the twin supercomputers will enable its environmental modeling center to implement new applications developed through the Unified Forecast System in the next five years, facilitate update to the U.S. Global Forecast System in the fall and pave the way for the launch of the Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System, which is expected to be operational in the hurricane season of 2023.

General Dynamics’ information technology business installed the two supercomputers under a contract awarded in February 2020. The two platforms replace the agency’s Cray and IBM supercomputers in Reston, Virginia, and Orlando, Florida. 

“Researchers are developing new ensemble-based forecast models at record speed, and now we have the computing power needed to implement many of these substantial advancements to improve weather and climate prediction,” said Ken Graham, director of NOAA’s National Weather Service.

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Frank Calvelli: Fixed-Price Contracts Could Help Speed Up Acquisition Process
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Frank Calvelli: Fixed-Price Contracts Could Help Speed Up Acquisition Process

Frank Calvelli, assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisitions and integration, said one of the approaches he plans to borrow from the National Reconnaissance Office and apply to military space acquisitions is doing more fixed-price contracting to help reduce costs and keep acquisition programs on schedule, Government Executive reported Tuesday.

He said Friday at a virtual event that fixed-price contracts could also help accelerate the acquisition process.

“We want to go fast, which means if we’re smart, we use existing technology where we can, and take a page out of [the Space Development Agency’s] playbook, which is use what you can get and go off and build on to your centers,” said Calvelli, former principal deputy director and deputy acquisition executive at NRO.

“And so when you start using existing technology capabilities and you want to go fast, fixed price helps in that as opposed to cost plus,” he added.

Calvelli said he also plans to address the disconnect between space and ground systems and apply NRO’s techniques when it comes to cloud, mission applications, system engineering and mission frameworks.

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White House Announces $700M in Industry Commitments for Electric Vehicle Charger Production
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White House Announces $700M in Industry Commitments for Electric Vehicle Charger Production

The White House has announced $700 million in private sector investments to build more than 250,000 new electric vehicle chargers per year and create at least 2,000 jobs. 

The investments include $450 million announced by Electrify America and more than $250 million by Siemens, the White House said Tuesday.

The investment that Electrify America announced will be coming from Volkswagen Group and Siemens to support the installation of up to 10,000 ultra-fast chargers at 1,800 charging stations.

Siemens will expand its manufacturing facilities in Grand Prairie, Texas, and Pomona, California, to support its plan to develop 1 million EV chargers in the next four years.

The investments build on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which authorizes $7.5 billion to establish a charging infrastructure for EVs.

Other companies and institutions that announced initiatives to support the administration’s efforts to build a network of EV chargers are ABB E-mobility, ChargePoint, FLO, Tesla, Tritium, IBEW and Volta.

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