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Senators Introduce Amendment to FY 2022 NDAA to Advance Cyber Incident Reporting
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Senators Introduce Amendment to FY 2022 NDAA to Advance Cyber Incident Reporting

Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Mark Warner, D-Va., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, have proposed an amendment to the annual defense authorization bill that would require owners and operators of critical infrastructure and federal civilian agencies to report cyberattacks to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) within 72 hours.

The bipartisan provision would direct state and local governments, businesses and other organizations to inform the federal government within 24 hours if they pay a ransom following a cyber incident, update existing federal cybersecurity laws to enhance coordination between agencies and impel the government to implement a risk-based security approach, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee said Thursday.

The proposed language in the fiscal year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) would update the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) and provide CISA additional authorities to lead efforts when it comes to overseeing the response to cyber incidents involving networks of federal civilian agencies.

“This bipartisan amendment to significantly update FISMA will provide the accountability necessary to resolve longstanding weaknesses in federal cybersecurity by clarifying roles and responsibilities and requiring the government to quickly inform the American people if their information is compromised,” said Portman.

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Intell Veteran Tonya Wilkerson Named as NGA’s Next Deputy Director
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Intell Veteran Tonya Wilkerson Named as NGA’s Next Deputy Director

Tonya Wilkerson, a three-decade veteran of the U.S. Intelligence Community, has been appointed to serve as deputy director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA).

NGA said Friday that Wilkerson will join the agency from the CIA, where she serves as associate director for science and technology and strategy.

She previously worked at the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) in various roles associated with research, development, operations and acquisition functions.

Wilkerson is set to succeed 2021 Wash100 Award recipient Stacey Dixon, who was NGA’s eighth deputy director for two years before she transitioned to a new role as principal deputy director of national intelligence in August.

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White House Sets New Deadline for Federal Contractor Vaccination Mandate
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White House Sets New Deadline for Federal Contractor Vaccination Mandate

The White House has moved to Jan. 4th the deadline for federal contractors to comply with the COVID-19 vaccination requirement, Federal News Network reported Thursday.

The Biden administration said the new deadline for the federal contractor vaccine mandate aligns with the new Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rule and the emergency temporary standard of the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

“This will make it easier for employers to ensure their workforce is vaccinated, safe, and healthy, and ensure that federal contractors implement their requirements on the same timeline as other employers in their industries,” a White House fact sheet reads.

According to the White House document, the CMS rule or OSHA’s ETS will not be applied to workplaces subject to the federal contractor vaccine requirement to keep employers from tracking multiple vaccination requirements.

In September, the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force issued guidance requiring federal contractor personnel to be fully vaccinated no later than Dec. 8th.

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DIU’s Michael Brown: US Needs to Bolster Technological Commitment Amid China Competition
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DIU’s Michael Brown: US Needs to Bolster Technological Commitment Amid China Competition

Michael Brown, director of the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), said the U.S. needs to accelerate technological development to maintain an advantage against China and other competing countries, DOD News reported Friday.

He said at the 2021 Aspen Security Forum that this goal calls for the U.S. to strengthen its commitment to increasing talent in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“We need that kind of resurgence of excitement about what we can do in science and technology, and how that’s going to enable economic prosperity for the next 20, 30 or 40 years,” Brown said.

The U.S. needs to keep up with China as the Asian country develops industrial standards for the next two decades, he noted.

DIU's Michael Brown: US Needs to Bolster Technological Commitment Amid China Competition

Brown is scheduled to keynote the Potomac Officers Club’s 8th Annual Defense and Research Summit on Jan. 19, 2022. Sign up for this event to hear from government and industry leaders as they share insights on the Department of Defense’s innovation priorities and technology modernization efforts to stay ahead of the curve in the evolving defense sector.

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Space Force Kicks Off On-Orbit Servicing Tech Funding Program
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Space Force Kicks Off On-Orbit Servicing Tech Funding Program

The U.S. Space Force’s technology innovation arm SpaceWERX is launching a new initiative to provide funding opportunities for on-orbit servicing, assembly and manufacturing (OSAM) companies, SpaceNews reported Thursday.

The military service plans to award multiple Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBTT) contracts under the Orbital Prime initiative to develop technologies for debris removal and satellite refueling and repair, among others.

Teams can compete for funding worth $250,000 during the first round of contracts and $1.5 million in the second round. Strategic financing will be provided to projects provided that companies raise matching funds from private investors.

SpaceWERX seeks to award contracts for the initial phase of the program in early 2022, with a plan to launch an in-orbit demonstration within three years, said Lt. Col. Brian Holt, co-lead of AFWERX Space Prime.

Selected teams will be given access to testing ranges and mentoring on contracting and regulatory requirements.

Gabe Mounce, deputy director of SpaceWERX, estimates that the entire program could be worth as much as $100 million, with funding coming from both the government and private sector.

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DHS Taps Northeastern University to Spearhead CoE for Engineering Secure Environments
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DHS Taps Northeastern University to Spearhead CoE for Engineering Secure Environments

The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate has tasked Northeastern University to lead a new security-focused Center of Excellence over a 10-year period.

The university will work with other academic institutions and various partners to establish the Center of Excellence for Engineering Secure Environments from Targeted Attacks (ESE), DHS said Wednesday. S&T will award a $3.6 million grant to fund ESE’s first year of operations.

“Researching and developing science and technology solutions to combat emerging threats is a top priority for DHS, and I am looking forward to continuing this important work in partnership with Northeastern University,” said Alejandro Mayorkas, the secretary of homeland security.

ESE will produce a research portfolio of technologies, tools and security measures that support counterterrorism.

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SGT President, CEO Tina Dolph Joins National Defense University Foundation Board
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SGT President, CEO Tina Dolph Joins National Defense University Foundation Board

The National Defense University (NDU) Foundation has appointed Tina Dolph, president and CEO of Siemens Government Technologies (SGT) and a three-time Wash100 Award, to the foundation’s board of directors along with three other industry executives.

“These Board appointments further our strategic efforts to partner with business, industry, and other organizations to ensure the National Defense University remains the international community’s premier institution for national security, public diplomacy, and global security education,” said Michael Manazir, vice president of global services at Boeing and chairman of the NDU Foundation.

The new board members will work to reinforce the NDU Foundation’s commitment to identify new and strategic public-private partnerships that align leadership and innovative capabilities to affect national defense and security, public policy, and industry to achieve domestic and global peace and stability.

SGT President, CEO Tina Dolph Joins National Defense University Foundation Board

In addition to Dolph’s appointment, Pat Tamburrino Jr., a vice president with LMI has been named to the NDU Foundation board along with Swami Iyer, president of Aerospace Systems for Virgin Galactic Holdings and Anduril Industries’ Senior Director of Space Strategy Sarah Mineiro.

“These appointees have demonstrated the ability to innovate new ideas and solutions in critically relevant domains of energy, space, cyber, nuclear capabilities, and national defense and security,” RADM Michael Manazir added.

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Gina Raimondo: Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration Awards Statewide Planning Grants to 30 States
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Gina Raimondo: Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration Awards Statewide Planning Grants to 30 States

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration is awarding $1 million grants to 30 states and territories through its American Rescue Plan, which aims to provide Americans with direct COVID-19 relief by boosting statewide economic development and planning.

Funding from the grants will be used to accelerate pandemic-related economic recovery efforts specific to each awarded state, including skills-gap analysis programs, broadband planning and innovation cluster development programs, among other initiatives, the department said Thursday.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said the funding from the Statewide Planning Program will lay the groundwork for the White House’s Build Back Better agenda to build and maintain resilient economies and remain competitive on a global scale.

“The Biden Administration is giving states and territories the unprecedented opportunity to bring all their communities together to develop comprehensive plans to build back better and stronger,” Raimondo explained.

Specifically, Alejandra Castillo, assistant secretary of commerce for economic development, said the grants will assist state and territory leaders in addressing “workforce training, business recruitment, capital access, infrastructure, broadband, entrepreneurial growth, economic diversification,” and other challenges.

The EDA’s Statewide Planning Program is one of six programs designed to distribute its $3 billion in funding from the American Rescue Plan stimulus package passed in March 2021.

Of the 59 states and territories invited to apply for a $1 million grant, the awardees include:

  • Alaska
  • American Samoa
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Washington, D.C.
  • Delaware
  • Guam
  • Iowa
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Louisiana
  • Maryland
  • Minnesota
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • North Dakota
  • Nebraska
  • New Hampshire
  • New Mexico
  • Ohio
  • Oregon
  • Puerto Rico
  • South Dakota
  • Texas
  • Virginia
  • Vermont
  • Washington
  • Wyoming
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DOD Releases Climate Adaptation Plan Companion Document to Highlight Recent Initiatives, Achievements
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DOD Releases Climate Adaptation Plan Companion Document to Highlight Recent Initiatives, Achievements

The Department of Defense has released a Companion Document to its Climate Adaptation Plan (CAP), which was published Sept. 1, 2021 and outlines DoD’s projects and activities focused on addressing climate change.

The recently published companion document highlights examples of DoD’s climate-focused projects and provides an updated overview of the department’s ongoing initiatives across five defined Lines of Effort and focus areas aimed at ensuring DoD resilience and continued success in the face of climate-related obstacles and threats.

As part of the first LOE, climate-informed decision-making, the CAP companion document includes the DoD’s Climate Assessment Tool and Regionalized Sea Level Database resources, which give military branch leaders, engineers and planners important insights and tools for adapting to climate change.

The second LOE featured in the document outlined the department’s plan to train and equip a climate-ready force, specifically in relation to mitigating the growing threat and frequency of wildland fires. 

$2 million was recently awarded to a pilot study at Fort Huachuca in Arizona through the Readiness and Environmental Protection Program Challenge to reduce wildfire risk, promote compatible land use and protect the water supply across 2,000 acres of Fort Huachuca’s surrounding working ranges and forests.

Additional highlights regarding DoD’s second Line of Effort include educational initiatives such as the Air Force Wildland Fire Branch’s higher-level courses taught to nearly 800 Air Force and partner organization personnel.

The DoD’s third line of effort details how the department is working to create resilient built and natural infrastructure in response to the increase of coastal and inland flooding caused by climate change. DoD facilities such as the Norfolk Naval Shipyard and Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia are implementing measures like flood visualization tools and floodwalls to increase resilience to storm-induced flooding.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Reefense program also aims to bolster coastal protection through the development of novel hybrid biological and engineered structures that mimic reefs and mitigate wave and storm damage to critical facilities.

Under the fourth LOE, supply chain resilience and innovation, the DoD has been working to install backup power generators and mechanical equipment at higher elevations throughout Defense Logistics Agency facilities to ensure operational continuity in the event of a climate-related service disruption.

DoD is also optimizing its acquisition system and logistical support requirements to make its supply lines less vulnerable to climate change effects.

Finally, the fifth LOE addressed in the CAP companion document explains how the agency will enhance adaptation and resilience through collaboration between government agencies, industry partners and the community. 

Programs like the Compatible Use Plan, as well as the Military Installation Resilience and the Defense Community Infrastructure pilot programs, work to pair DoD agencies with community partners to advance sustainment and resilience efforts.

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Senate Bill Would Establish DOD AI Data Libraries
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Senate Bill Would Establish DOD AI Data Libraries

Sens. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, have introduced a bill that would establish data repositories at the Department of Defense to support the development of artificial intelligence tools.

Rosen’s office said Thursday that the Advancing American AI Innovation Act calls for DOD to run a pilot program on libraries intended to inform commercial companies about the department’s AI technology requirements.

The two lawmakers based the legislation on the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence’s (NSCAI) recommendation pertaining to the software needs of the government’s digital workforce.

“We must fully utilize the public, as well as the private sector, to synchronize and develop our AI capabilities across the transportation, health care, manufacturing and national security policy spaces,” Portman said.

He believes the bipartisan bill can drive government-industry collaboration in this field.

Senate Bill Would Establish DOD AI Data Libraries

Executive Mosaic’s Potomac Officers Club will host a virtual forum on Tuesday for the GovCon community to gain insight into the budget planning and funding considerations in government AI programs. “The Cost of AI” event will feature Timothy Grayson, director of the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency’s Strategic Technology Office, as opening keynote speaker and Maj. Gen. Matthew Easley, director for cybersecurity and chief information security officer of the U.S. Army, as closing keynote speaker.

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