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USCYBERCOM to Virtually Announce New Academic Partners in Workforce Development Effort
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USCYBERCOM to Virtually Announce New Academic Partners in Workforce Development Effort

U.S. Cyber Command will run a virtual event to present the 84 newest member institutions of its Academic Engagement Network, an effort to fortify a workforce of cyber professionals.

The event, which is scheduled to occur on Thursday, will inform the new partners on program implementation plans covering the next nine months.

Faculty members and students will also receive access to specific program and planning information. USCYBERCOM’s academic partner network consists of 69 universities, four military service academies, four military war and staff colleges, nine minority-serving institutions and 13 community colleges.

“Cyber Command’s goal for the AEN is to strengthen our relationships and communication with these participating institutions,” said David Frederick, the command’s executive director.

USCYBERCOM aims for AEN to bolster efforts in the areas of future workforce, applied analytics, strategic issues and applied cyber research.

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David Spirk: DOD Eyes Expanded Data Partnerships to Improve Military Operations
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David Spirk: DOD Eyes Expanded Data Partnerships to Improve Military Operations

David Spirk, Department of Defense’s chief data officer and 2021 Wash100 Award recipient, has revealed plans of speeding up information flow for military operations through expanded data partnerships between his organization and U.S. allies, FCW reported Wednesday.

Spirk told reporters during a Defense Writers Group event that he has been calling on allied data organizations to join an existing international council of chief data officers and has been in talks with NATO for improved data management collaborations.

According to the official, proper data organization brought on by partnerships would enable information workflows from the tactical edge to decision-making board rooms that will help senior leaders keep up with the competition.

Gen. James Cartwright, a former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, noted in a separate event that partnerships would allow allies to gather a diverse set of data he said U.S. adversaries do not possess.

Meanwhile, Ellen Lord, DOD’s former acquisition chief, pointed out in an Atlantic Council event that any expanded data alliance would first require an improved and interoperable National Technology Industrial Base.

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Cyberspace Solarium Commission to Continue as Reformatted Group; Mark Montgomery Quoted
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Cyberspace Solarium Commission to Continue as Reformatted Group; Mark Montgomery Quoted

The Cyberspace Solarium Commission, which stood up in 2019, will soon shut down but then revive as a nonprofit this year, Defense One reported Wednesday.

Mark Montgomery, the commission’s executive director, told FCW that the revived group will consist of existing commissioners excluding Chris Inglis, who is currently the national cyber director.

Montgomery added that his team will also need to hire appropriate people to build the future nonprofit’s required workforce.

The commission’s life span of over two years resulted in almost a hundred cybersecurity recommendations for Congress. Its work has influenced cyber-focused policies including those related to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

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NetImpact Receives ServiceNow ITAM Product Line Certification, Now Platform Workflow Badge; CIO Chad Sheridan Quoted
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NetImpact Receives ServiceNow ITAM Product Line Certification, Now Platform Workflow Badge; CIO Chad Sheridan Quoted

NetImpact Strategies announced on Thursday that the company has received an IT Asset Management (ITAM) Product Line Certification as well as the Now Platform® Badge within the Partner Program. 

“We continue to deliver market leading capabilities with the ITAM product line certification and workflow badge to enable our Government customers to accelerate their digital journey,” said Chad Sheridan, NetImpact chief innovation officer.

As a certified Partner in the ITAM Product Line, NetImpact’s accredited ITAM Practice and PlatformFirst software capabilities will allow its customers to optimize hardware, software, and cloud costs through the process of ServiceNow ITAM at a Federal enterprise scope. 

In addition, NetImpact receiving the Now Platform Workflow Badge recognizes all product line achievements for the Now Platform workflow and indicates NetImpact’s measurable depth of experience within the Digital Workflow.

“These capabilities built as a part of our comprehensive next generation digital transformation solution platform provide significant benefits to our customers including faster delivery, higher quality and lower costs,” Sheridan added. 

About NetImpact 

NetImpact Strategies, Inc. (NetImpact) is a digital transformation disruptor solving today’s challenges for our clients while readying them to capitalize on tomorrow’s opportunities.

Serving as Trusted Advisors, NetImpact partners with customer agencies to deliver high-performance, secure digital solutions to transform operations and accelerate mission outcomes.

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HawkEye 360 Series D Funding Totals $150M With Leidos Investment; John Serafini, Paul Engola Quoted
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HawkEye 360 Series D Funding Totals $150M With Leidos Investment; John Serafini, Paul Engola Quoted

Geospace analytics provider HawkEye 360 has received a $5 million investment from Leidos, creating a strategic partnership that aims to enhance the enterprise’s data and analytics service offerings.

The Herndon, Virginia-based company said Thursday that the investment will leverage HawkEye 360’s work in space-based radio frequency geospatial intelligence data to continue Leidos’ long-standing relationship with National Security Space customers.

John Serafini, CEO of HawkEye 360, commented that the company looks forward to working with an organization at the forefront of the defense and intelligence community. Serafini continued, saying that the investment would allow them to bolster national security, as well as “[address] some of the most complex global challenges facing humanity and the environment.”

Hawkeye 360’s principle technology utilizes RF signals to provide actionable intelligence for the U.S. and international governments, as well as commercial markets.

“We are pleased to invest in HawkEye 360 and their innovative work to enhance geospatial intelligence solutions,” remarked Leidos’ Executive Vice President of National Security Space, Paul Engola. “This will also create innovative pathways to deliver bold solutions to our customers as they work to safeguard U.S. and allied interests.”

Together, the companies’ shared information and combined efforts are expected to impact the humanitarian, environmental, commercial and national security sectors.

The investment brings HawkEye 360’s total Series D round funding to $150 million and its total capital to $307 million to date. HawkEye 360’s last round of Series D funding, which included an investment from Jacobs, allowed the company to expand its satellite constellation.

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FedRAMP Updates Readiness Assessment Report Guide, Templates for 3PAOs
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FedRAMP Updates Readiness Assessment Report Guide, Templates for 3PAOs

The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) has announced the release of updated Readiness Assessment Report (RAR) templates and guide for third-party assessment organizations.

The updated RAR guide and templates seek to streamline template tables and sections to reduce duplication and address complexity, clarify instructions and requirements as per feedback from cloud service providers and 3PAOs and align RAR with FedRAMP’s current requirements and guidance, the program said Tuesday.

The RAR document allows a 3PAO to document the operational, technical and management capabilities of a cloud service offering and attest the platform’s readiness to undergo the authorization process for FedRAMP.

CSPs can use the completed RAR to know if their platform has the capabilities to secure authorization under FedRAMP.

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Senators Want to Know How DHS, DOT Will Address Cyberthreats to Transportation Infrastructure
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Senators Want to Know How DHS, DOT Will Address Cyberthreats to Transportation Infrastructure

A group of 10 lawmakers led by Sens. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and Roger Wicker, R-Miss., asked the departments of Homeland Security and Transportation how they carry out their responsibilities as co-sector risk management agencies for the U.S. critical transportation infrastructure amid rising cybersecurity threats to transportation systems.

The senators wrote a letter to DHS Secretary and 2021 Wash100 Award winner Alejandro Mayorkas and DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Monday asking them to share information on how they meet their certain responsibilities as co-SMRAs.

Those responsibilities include efforts to support risk sector management and incident management, contribution to emergency preparedness activities and initiative to facilitate information sharing regarding physical security and cybersecurity threats within the designated sectors or subsectors.

The lawmakers also want information on the two agencies’ security-related processes to help detect, respond and prevent cyberthreats, including each component agency’s responsibilities under the Transportation Systems Sector-Specific Plan to ensure the security of the country’s critical infrastructure.

DHS and DOT have also been requested to share data on how they work together to prevent redundancies and gaps in federal risk management and efforts to update the Transportation Systems Sector-Specific Plan.

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Navy Veteran Jim Shannon Named VTG Government Relations EVP; John Hassoun Quoted
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Navy Veteran Jim Shannon Named VTG Government Relations EVP; John Hassoun Quoted

Jim Shannon, a retired Navy rear admiral, has been named executive vice president of government relations at Chantilly, Virginia-based defense systems engineering company VTG.

The 35-year Navy veteran most recently served as president of ASSETT, an undersea warfare and unmanned technology developer that VTG acquired in August 2021, the company said Wednesday.

John Hassoun, president and CEO of VTG, said he expects the appointment to help further the company’s support to the defense and intelligence sectors and position its technology portfolio to address customers’ mission requirements.

Shannon served on multiple afloat commands during the first two decades of his military career and supported acquisition programs at the Department of the Navy for more than 15 years.

His roles while in service include commander of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, deputy assistant secretary for international programs at the Navy and deputy commander of Naval Sea Systems Command.

He worked as a consultant for naval executive advisory services at the former PwC public sector business.

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GovCon Expert McAleese Expects Compromise of Up to 7% Rise in FY 2022 DOD Funding
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GovCon Expert McAleese Expects Compromise of Up to 7% Rise in FY 2022 DOD Funding

A McAleese & Associates report forecasts that Congress will reach a final compromise of 5 percent to 7 percent increase in fiscal year 2022 defense funding in late February or early March.

Jim McAleese, founder of McAleese & Associates and a three-time Wash100 winner, reported the compromise could increase the Department of Defense’s FY 2022 funding by $36 billion to $46 billion to hit $740 billion to $750B, up from the enacted funding level of $704 billion in FY 2021.

McAleese noted that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., called for equal “parity” in 2022 increases in both DOD and domestic funding and that the House Appropriations Committee will likely back the 5 percent jump in DOD’s funding for the current fiscal year.

According to the report, the Senate Appropriations Committee previously proposed a 13 percent rise in FY 2022 domestic funding in parallel with a 4.5 percent increase in defense funding to reach $736 billion.

McAleese explained that an absolute parity in allocation of about $118 billion of requested increase in overall discretionary funding for FY 2022 would provide an 8 percent rise, or $59 billion, in this year’s Pentagon funding to reach $763 billion.

The House Appropriations Committee-Defense is set to hold a hearing on Jan. 12 to assess the impact of continuing resolution on the military. The government is operating under a stopgap funding measure that will expire on Feb. 18.

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BAE Systems Lands $137M Contract for U.S. Navy C5ISR Training
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BAE Systems Lands $137M Contract for U.S. Navy C5ISR Training

BAE Systems has landed a five-year contract, $137 million from the U.S. Navy to aid defense technologies and training. 

The contract was awarded back in Nov. 2021 to provide management and sustainment of combat systems such as C5ISR, the Farnborough, United Kingdom-based arms and security company said Wednesday. 

C5ISR, for which BAE will provide training, are systems implemented to strengthen decision making and situational awareness for military operators.

“Our deep C5ISR sustainment experience, skilled workforce, and in-place resources positioned us well to recompete for this important work,” said Lisa Hand, vice president and general manager of BAE Systems Integrated Defense Solutions.

Hand went on to say that training in C5ISR will instill a “tactical edge” in personnel and enable its users to solve difficult problems in combat situations.

Built into the contract will be post-fielding efforts from BAE Systems in order to maintain the viability of the technology. This will mean upgrades, cyber hardening and logistical support to personnel on-site at U.S. government facilities. 

Recently, in September 2021, BAE Systems was awarded a $478 million contract by the U.S. Navy to continue its support of the 

U.S. Navy’s Strategic Systems Program office. A month later, in October 2021, BAE won a $65.8 million contract from the U.S. Navy to offer precision approach and landing systems onboard aircraft carriers.

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