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Federal CIO Council Issues Draft Overseas Travel Guidance for Government-Furnished Mobile Devices
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Federal CIO Council Issues Draft Overseas Travel Guidance for Government-Furnished Mobile Devices

The Federal CIO Council is seeking public comments on draft guidance that outlines best practices to mitigate threats to government-furnished equipment (GFE) used by federal employees during international travel.

The draft document released by the council’s federal mobility group (FMG) listed several measures government personnel should take before, during and after their overseas travel and explains the cybersecurity and physical threats to GFE, the council said Tuesday.

Some of the pre-travel tips outlined in the draft FMG International Travel Guidance for Government-Furnished Mobile Devices report are installing mobile threat defense software, protecting data in motion and at rest, securing the wireless communications link, protecting voice and text communications and disabling nonessential mobile device capabilities.

During travel, GFE users should inspect their mobile devices for signs of tampering, maintain possession of their devices, turn off wireless communications and exercise caution when connecting to Wi-Fi networks. Post-travel tips include a physical inspection of devices and GFE return procedures.

The report also provides an overview of roles and responsibilities with regard to the use of mobile devices during international travel and mentions other considerations for government employees on temporary overseas travel.

Comments on the draft guidance are due Dec. 29th.

Supply Chain Cybersecurity: Revelations and Innovations

ExecutiveBiz, sister site of GovConDaily and part of the Executive Mosaic digital media umbrella, will host a virtual event about securing the supply chain on Oct. 26. Visit ExecutiveBiz.com to sign up for the “Supply Chain Cybersecurity: Revelations and Innovations” event.

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Nico Papafil: GSA’s 10x Program Seeks Digital Citizen Experience Improvement Ideas
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Nico Papafil: GSA’s 10x Program Seeks Digital Citizen Experience Improvement Ideas

Nico Papafil, director of the 10x program at the General Services Administration, said 10x will fund more ideas that seek to improve the digital customer experience in fiscal year 2022, Federal News Network reported Friday.

“We’re just asking the question, ‘what problems [are you] trying to solve?’ And we actually added these investment themes to kind of create some guidelines that just show where we want to add weight for the types of ideas we want to select,” Papafil said during a webinar Thursday. 

He said the program will be looking at three themes and the first two will focus on how to improve the way the public engages with the government and how to enhance digital services in relation to climate change.

“And the last one is equity and delivery. How are we better, as a government, providing more equitable service to underserved and underpopulated and underrepresented communities? And so those are the themes that we’re going to be looking at,” Papafil added.

According to the report, interested stakeholders have until Nov. 16 to propose ideas. The program expects the selected Phase I projects to begin by March 2022.

Papafil also noted that the program is also working on the Benefits Eligibility Awareness Recognition Service, which seeks to establish a centralized resource that would inform and direct citizens to federal government benefits they are eligible for.

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Sanjay Gupta: Cloud-Based Foundation Enabled SBA to Scale Up During Pandemic
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Sanjay Gupta: Cloud-Based Foundation Enabled SBA to Scale Up During Pandemic

The Small Business Administration (SBA) was tasked with processing more than $1 trillion in grants and loans for small enterprises during the COVID-19 pandemic and Sanjay Gupta, chief technology officer at SBA, discussed how a cloud-based foundation established in 2018 as part of the agency’s modernization strategy enabled SBA to manage such an increase in workload, Nextgov reported Friday.

Gupta mentioned how the cloud foundation helped SBA to rapidly scale up and accommodate users from anywhere.

“In terms of call centers, using services like [artificial intelligence] or machine learning, we have increasingly adopted more of those services from a cloud-based offering for the simple reason that it allows us to scale up quickly, but more importantly, it allows to initiate those services—turn those services on—very quickly,” Gupta said. 

“We don’t have to go through the typical acquisition life cycles of buying new hardware, configuring it and going through the whole acquisition process. Having a cloud foundation allows us to do that,” he added.

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AFMC Announces Initial Operational Capability to Support USSF
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AFMC Announces Initial Operational Capability to Support USSF

Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) has achieved initial operational capability to support members of the U.S. Space Force as a major command.

The milestone represents AFMC’s readiness to service Space Force-assigned Airmen and establishes a formal agreement memorandum between the Department of the Air Force and USSF, the U.S. Air Force said Thursday.

AFMC and USSF developed a programming plan in preparation for the IOC. The plan defines the functional support that AFMC will perform for USSF.

The command will service USSF as a major command with responsibilities such as policy guidance, developmental team representation and professional development.

The Air Force expects AFMC to achieve full operational capability as USSF’s servicing command by the fall of next year.

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UTSA to Help AFRL Address 5G, IoT Challenges; President Taylor Eighmy Quoted
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UTSA to Help AFRL Address 5G, IoT Challenges; President Taylor Eighmy Quoted

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has formed an $18 million partnership with the University of Texas at San Antonio to support research and development across mutually important areas, including artificial intelligence, data sciences, cybersecurity and cloud computing. 

Projects under the partnership will tackle challenges associated with 5G connectivity and internet of things applications, UTSA said Thursday.

“Our long-standing research relationships with our various military branches, particularly the Air Force, helps address grand challenges in cyber and national security,” said Taylor Eighmy, president of UTSA.

UTSA’s National Security Collaboration Center (NSCC) will manage the scope of work with the leadership of retired Brig. Gen. Guy Walsh. John Huggins, NSCC’s technology officer, will oversee research and development projects under the partnership.

NSCC will also work with other UTSA research centers to support AFRL’s pursuits. The MATRIX AI Consortium at UTSA will use AI models to drive R&D based on resilient, emerging 5G and IoT technologies.

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Defense Innovation Unit Launches 5G Communications Project With Nokia, Somewear; Jeff Kleck Quoted
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Defense Innovation Unit Launches 5G Communications Project With Nokia, Somewear; Jeff Kleck Quoted

The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has tasked Nokia and Somewear Labs to prototype 5G networks designed to deliver mobile data and voice services for emergency response operations.

DIU said Friday its new project will initially focus on emergency responders serving within the California state. Nokia will provide portable cellular radios and Somewear Labs will deliver wearable devices designed to extend mobile cellular network at the edge.

The two companies’ technologies will help California’s military department roll out a mobile cellular network.

“Bringing a portable cellular network to the response site can extend the reach of cellular devices beyond carrier coverage,” said Jeff Kleck, director of DIU’s cyber and telecommunications portfolio.

DIU expects the project to allow responders to use push-to-talk, geolocation and other networked applications while beyond the range of normal cellular networks.

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Leidos Algorithm for TSA Prohibited Item Detection Moves to Certification Phase
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Leidos Algorithm for TSA Prohibited Item Detection Moves to Certification Phase

A new Automatic Prohibited Item Detection (APID) machine learning-based algorithm for identifying non-explosive weapons and other items prohibited aboard commercial aircraft will now move into the certification and qualification process, following successful testing at Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport earlier this year.

APID is intended to integrate with existing CT X-ray scanners to accelerate the detection of prohibited items and reduce the frequency of secondary screenings and Transportation Security Officer intervention, the Science and Technology Directorate said Thursday.

The algorithm was developed and matured by Leidos through funding by the Department of Homeland Security S&T’s Screening at Speed Program.

“Using machine learning algorithms to create rapid inspection processes at the nation’s airport checkpoints will not only improve overall security, but boost TSO screening efficiency and cognitive load and enhance traveler satisfaction with the airport security-screening experience,” said Dr. John Fortune, manager of the S&T Screening at Speed Program.

The Screening at Speed Program conducts transformative research and development efforts aimed at improving passenger experiences while increasing the effectiveness of aviation security.

TSA’s Office of Requirements and Capability Analysis ran a two-week study in August to study the algorithm in an operational environment, gain TSO feedback and evaluate the effectiveness of the operations concept.

Following the successful review, the Screening at Speed Program will now direct its efforts to testing and maturing the algorithm for certification to meet TSA’s detection and operational standards, with the future goal of enterprise-wide integration and use.

 

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ODNI Report: Climate Change to Aggravate Risks to US National Security Over Next 20 Years
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ODNI Report: Climate Change to Aggravate Risks to US National Security Over Next 20 Years

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has issued a report that says risks to U.S. national security interests will rise through 2040 as countries respond to the increasing physical effects of climate change.

“Intensifying physical effects will exacerbate geopolitical flashpoints, particularly after 2030, and key countries and regions will face increasing risks of instability and need for humanitarian assistance,” the National Intelligence Estimate report reads.

The report discusses three key judgments and the first one states that as countries argue how to speed up efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement, geopolitical tensions are likely to increase.

ODNI notes that cross-border geopolitical flashpoints are likely to worsen driven by climate change’s physical effects.

“Elsewhere, as temperatures rise and more extreme effects manifest, there is a growing risk of conflict over water and migration, particularly after 2030, and an increasing chance that countries will unilaterally test and deploy large-scale solar geoengineering—creating a new area of disputes,” the report reads.

The document also states that developing countries are likely to be vulnerable to the climate change’s physical effects, which could potentially result in instability and internal conflict.

Jimmy Smith: Navy Begins Subcontracting Audit on Major Buying Commands
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Jimmy Smith: Navy Begins Subcontracting Audit on Major Buying Commands

Jimmy Smith, director at the Department of the Navy’s small business programs office, said that DON has finished its audit on Naval Sea Systems Command subcontracting efforts and will perform similar reviews for nine other buying commands, Federal News Network reported Thursday.

“We’ve already seen the results of that and now we’re sharing that information across the entire enterprise to go off and correct problems,” Smith told Federal News Network in an interview.

He noted that the department has met goals set for contract awards to smaller companies over the past four years and works with the National Defense Industrial Association in facilitating an annual event to find vendors that can help address warfighter requirements.

The office director also believes contracting officials should use technology such as machine learning to determine performance assessment reporting issues with industry partners to ensure they are meeting subcontracting goals as well.

“I think we have to come up with a mechanism that brings the importance level of subcontract and compliance up to a higher level to raise it to the attention that it’s deserved,” Smith added.

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Lockheed Martin Tops Defense Contract Recipients List in New DOD FY 2020 Defense Spending Report
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Lockheed Martin Tops Defense Contract Recipients List in New DOD FY 2020 Defense Spending Report

The Department of Defense’s Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation released its Fiscal Year 2020 Defense Spending by State report on Friday.

DoD’s report outlines information including categories of contracted goods and services, total spending figures, numbers and types of defense personnel and major defense vendors across each state and helps public and private sector organizations optimize defense investments.

“This report is presented as an opportunity for governors, local officials, and other leaders to understand the businesses/industries and workers presently supporting our nation’s defense, so they may plan and carry out the necessary transformations and support them to remain competitive, be responsive to our future national security needs, and remain resilient to natural and man-made threats,” said Patrick O’Brien, director of the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation.

The department’s defense spending rose in FY 2020, with contract obligations and payroll spending seeing an 8 percent increase of $43 billion. 

The top ten recipients of defense contracts were:

  • Lockheed Martin: $72.9 billion
  • General Dynamics: $22.8 billion
  • Boeing: $22.4 billion
  • Raytheon: $20.2 billion
  • Northrop Grumman: $14.1 billion
  • L3Harris Technologies: $8.5 billion
  • Huntington Ingalls: $7.9 billion
  • BAE Systems: $7.5 billion
  • United Technologies: $7.2 billion
  • Humana: $6.9 billion

 

L3Harris, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon saw the largest year over year increases with growth of 73 percent, 60 percent and 29 percent, respectively in FY 2020.

Additionally, large contracts to Lockheed Martin in Texas and Maryland as well as to Raytheon in Arizona contributed to each state seeing the largest increases in DoD spending from FY 2019 to FY 2020.

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