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National Institutes of Health CIO Adele Merritt Resigns
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Adele Merritt. The NIH CIO resigned from her position to join the University of Maryland's ARLIS.

Adele Merritt has stepped down as the National Institutes of Health’s chief information officer, Federal News Network reported Friday.

Merritt is joining the University of Maryland’s Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security.

National Institutes of Health CIO Adele Merritt Resigns

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With Merritt’s departure, Jon Henke, the acting deputy director and deputy CIO at NIH, now serves as the agency’s acting CIO. Henke is also the National Human Genome Research Institute’s CIO.

Who Is Adele Merritt?

Merritt assumed the CIO role at NIH in December, bringing more than 20 years of experience in cyber and national security operations to the position.

Before NIH, she served as the intelligence community CIO at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, where she led modernization initiatives to improve security, transform enterprise IT and foster collaboration across intelligence agencies.

The former National Security Fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government was also principal deputy CIO for cyber at the Department of Energy and held senior roles at the White House National Security Council Staff.

The Pace University finance graduate holds a master’s degree and a doctorate in mathematics from the University of Rhode Island, Kingston.

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DSCA Names Manish Amin Deputy CIO for Data, Security & Technology
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Manish Amin, a deputy CIO at DSCA. Amin previously served as the agency's chief technology officer.

Manish Amin has assumed the responsibilities of deputy chief information officer for data, security and technology at the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The official confirmed his new role in a LinkedIn post Monday.

As deputy CIO, he will lead the agency’s data, security and technology division. He will also work with agency leadership to develop and implement data and technology strategy and best practices and drive continuous process improvements to enhance organizational efficiency and security.

Who Is Manish Amin?

Amin is a longtime DSCA official with 15 years of service to the government. He joined the agency as enterprise data delivery solutions team lead in 2010. Throughout his 15 years at the DSCA, he climbed the ranks and eventually landed the role of chief technology officer in 2020.

Prior to DSCA, he worked in data and IT-related jobs at Foot Locker, Sanofi-Aventis and Retail Decisions.

Amin has a bachelor’s degree from The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in India and holds certifications in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, enterprise IT and technology leadership from Cornell University, the U.S. Artificial Intelligence Institute and other organizations.

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NGA Using Advanced Geospatial Intelligence for Border Protection
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NGA seal. The NGA is working to enhance the DHS and DOD's border protection capabilities with advanced GEOINT technologies.

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is providing advanced geospatial intelligence support to the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense to enhance border security.

NGA Using Advanced Geospatial Intelligence for Border Protection

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Strengthening Border Security

NGA said Monday that GEOINT enhances the DOD and DHS’s ability to anticipate, detect, and respond to threats along the U.S. borders. This is reportedly crucial in addressing illicit activity along the borders, where drugs, weapons, other illegal items and even people are being smuggled through each year, including 21,000 pounds of fentanyl seized by the Customs and Border Protection in 2024.

GEOINT Capabilities

NGA is leveraging advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, next-generation sensors, cloud computing and unmanned systems to reinforce its GEOINT capabilities to address evolving threats and challenges. NGA provides the DOD and DHS with these advanced GEOINT capabilities to help them counter threats as they protect the border. These technologies include satellite imagery and analysis, aerial photography and mapping, geospatial data and analysis, and Maritime GEOINT.

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SBA Proposes Modification to Small Business Size Standards
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Small Business Administration logo. SBA proposed changes to its size definition of small businesses

The Small Business Administration intends to modify its definition of monetary-based small business size across 263 industries. In a recent notice for proposed rule published on the Federal Register, the agency said the modification would cover 259 receipts-based and four assets-based small business standards.

A proposed rule for changes in employee-based size standards will be issued at a future date

Why Change Small Business Standards?

According to SBA, by adjusting size standards, more firms will qualify as small businesses and capture set-aside contracting and financial assistance opportunities. Government procurement programs have set-aside opportunities for small businesses under SBA’s various contracting and business development programs, including Historically Underutilized Business Zones, or HUBZone; 8(a) Business Development; and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses. Small businesses can also access SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan, or EIDL, program, which grants a total of $223 million in funding annually.

Moreover, growing firms on the cusp of outgrowing their small business designation under the current standards will retain their small business status for longer.

For the federal government, the size modification will create a larger pool of small businesses and lower prices as a result of increased competition. With an expanded pool of small businesses, SBA also anticipates that agencies will award more small business set aside contracts.

The change will likely not incur direct costs for firms to gain or retain small business status for firms already registered in the System for Award Management, or SAM, website.

SBA is inviting industry to review and submit a comment about the proposed rule by Oct. 2.

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NSF Funds Research Teams to Advance 5G, Nex-Gen Wireless Networks
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National Science Foundation logo. NSF has provided research grants to teams to improve wireless networks.

The U.S. National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships has awarded more than $17 million to three research teams in grant funding over two years to improve 5G and next-generation wireless networks as part of its Breaking the Low Latency Barrier for Verticals in Next-G Wireless Networks program. The teams for the program, which is also known as NSF Breaking Low, will be composed of universities and technology companies, NSF said Monday.

NSF Breaking Low Program Details

The Breaking Low program was designed to address bottlenecks in public cellular and wireless networks, advance ultra-low-latency wireless technology and enable new applications that could transform how people live and communicate. The program is part of NSF TIP’s investments to speed up practical research, train a skilled workforce and keep the U.S. competitive in key technology areas.

Under the program, the research teams will determine and address major architectural and technological challenges that hinder the development of current 5G and future Next-G wireless networks. Breaking Low offers an “Ideas Lab” concept where experts and stakeholders from various fields work together to find opportunities to develop and test solutions. The program also emphasizes breaking down barriers between academia and industry by bringing researchers, students and tech leaders together.

NSF’s Erwin Gianchandani Shares Thoughts

Commenting on the grant, Erwin Gianchandani, assistant director for NSF TIP, said the agency was committed to making America the world leader in key technologies, including low-latency wireless communications technologies.

“The NSF Breaking Low program was designed specifically to advance U.S.-developed wireless telecom technologies and also position the U.S. to take the lead in many emerging application ‘verticals’ such as telemedicine, remote health care and intelligent transportation,” he said.

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GSA & FedRAMP Accelerate AI Cloud Services Authorization
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GSA logo. GSA and FedRAMP have collaborated to accelerate AI cloud services authorization.

The  U.S. General Services Administration, in collaboration with the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, revealed a new initiative that prioritizes authorization of artificial intelligence-powered cloud services.

The new initiative is designed to streamline the deployment of advanced AI technologies to enhance operations and innovation within federal agencies, GSA said Monday.

FedRAMP will work with the Office of Management and Budget and the Chief Information Officers Council to help accelerate the authorization process for AI vendors that meet compliance standards, ensuring secure integration into federal systems.

This effort, prompted by a FedRAMP Board and CIO Council recommendation, directly supports the White House’s America’s AI Action Plan. It targets high-demand enterprise-grade services included in the GSA Multiple Award Schedule program and capable of fulfilling FedRAMP 20x pilot authorization standards within a two-month window.

Remarks From FAS Commissioner, GSA Deputy Commissioner

“Prioritizing FedRAMP reviews for AI solutions is a critical step in getting trusted AI tools deployed across government and in use to streamline operations and improve workflows,” said Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum, recipient of the 2025 Wash100 Award.

“In the 20x Phase One pilot, automated validation enables tech companies to rapidly showcase their security posture. This expedited authorization process not only shortens the timeline from months to a few weeks but also delivers a deeper understanding of their security choices,” stated GSA Deputy Administrator Stephen Ehikian.

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NASA, ResilienX Partner to Develop Advanced Air Mobility Preflight Planning Tools
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Handshake representing partnership. NASA and ResilienX partnered to develop advanced air mobility preflight planning tools.

NASA and ResilienX, an aviation safety company, have collaborated to develop new tools to enhance preflight planning and reduce safety risks for advanced air mobility, or AAM, aircraft.

The agency said Friday the tools aim to provide timely and predictive risk assessments in a single platform, ensuring drone and air taxi operators make informed decisions before takeoff. The tools also ensure the safety of both passengers and people on the ground.

AAM Tool Integration & Testing

The strategic partnership conducted a demonstration at ResilienX’s Syracuse, New York, facility in June to evaluate the tools’ integration into commercial systems. NASA developed three specialized services that enable flight operators to submit their flight plans before departure, receive timely risk assessments and make informed decisions about whether to proceed or revise their flight plans. Researchers utilized these services to assess the risks of flying a highly automated aircraft at low altitudes over urban environments.

Under a Phase III NASA Small Business Innovation Research contract, the collaboration builds on earlier efforts to assess weather-related risks. It facilitates the direct technology transfer of NASA’s safety systems into ResilienX’s platform and seeks to enhance the safety of next-generation airspace systems.

NASA’s System-Wide Safety project under the Airspace Operations and Safety program spearheads the initiative, which supports the advanced air mobility mission to provide data, findings and guidance for future air taxis and drones.

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Navy CIO Jane Rathbun to Retire
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Jane Rathbun. The Navy CIO is leaving the federal government after over 30 years of service in national security.

Nextgov/FCW reported Friday that Jane Rathbun, the Department of the Navy’s chief information officer, is retiring after a more than three-decade career in national security.

Navy CIO Jane Rathbun to Retire

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“It is with gratitude, pride, and humility that I close out this chapter of my career as a civil servant,” Rathbun, a two-time Wash100 awardee, said in a LinkedIn post published Thursday.

As the Navy CIO, she aligns IT investment priorities with the secretary of the Navy’s priorities and oversees the execution of the department’s Information Superiority Vision.

Her key focus areas include zero trust architecture, cyber readiness, transition to the cloud and enterprise services delivery.

Who Is Jane Rathbun?

Before becoming CIO, Rathbun served as deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for information warfare and enterprise services and chief technology officer. In this dual-hatted role, she served as the service’s IT acquisition workforce champion and led software and cyber acquisition reforms.

She previously served as deputy director for defense business systems within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and was responsible for shaping the acquisition process for the department’s enterprise IT infrastructure services and defense business platforms.

Her government career also included time as acting division chief for the strategic capabilities and analysis division within U.S. Africa Command; special assistant to the director of portfolio systems acquisition for program management within the Office of the Secretary of Defense; and change management specialist at NASA.

Earlier in her career, the 2025 Wash100 awardee served as an operations research analyst at the Department of Defense.

The John Carroll University political science graduate has a master’s degree in public administration from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School.

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David Cattler: DCSA Working With Industry, Academia to Counter Unauthorized Foreign Access
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David Cattler. The DCSA director stressed the importance of industry partnerships to counter unauthorized foreign access.

David Cattler, director of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, said DCSA’s partnership with the Department of Defense, industry and academia helps ensure a trusted federal and industrial workforce and protect the country’s trusted workspaces.

“We are the gatekeepers, working with you and industry to ensure classified information and technology remains safe from unauthorized foreign access,” Cattler said of DCSA during his keynote address at a conference held Oct. 18.

David Cattler: DCSA Working With Industry, Academia to Counter Unauthorized Foreign Access

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DCSA’s Capabilities, Mission as Integrated Security Services Provider

During the event, Cattler outlined DCSA’s mission, vision and capabilities as the U.S. government’s provider of integrated security services.

In terms of personnel security, he said the agency conducts 2.7 million background investigations a year. To ensure industrial security, DCSA oversees more than 10,000 cleared companies, 13,000 facilities and 5,500 classified IT systems.

According to the DCSA director, the agency will expand its foreign ownership, control or influence mission to evaluate all DOD contracts worth more than $5 million per award.

DCSA’s Action to Strengthen Insider Threat Vigilance 

DCSA started deploying insider threat representatives directly into the defense enterpise, commands and installations across the U.S. to strengthen its vigilance against insider threats.

“These aren’t just liaisons. They are strategic force multipliers that forge unbreakable partnerships between DCSA and component programs,” said Cattler. “They strengthen the partnerships between DITMAC and component insider threat programs, providing a critical link to insider threat resources, information and capabilities.”

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CISA Seeks Feedback on Draft Software Bill of Materials Guidance
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Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency logo. CISA begins public consultation on draft updated SBOM guidance.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has released a draft of the updated Minimum Elements for a Software Bill of Materials, opening a public comment period as it works to strengthen transparency in the software supply chain.

Evolving Standards for SBOM

The draft builds on the 2021 SBOM Minimum Elements published by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and reflects advances in tooling, usage and adoption of SBOM practices across government and industry. By incorporating such advancements, the new version raises expectations for how software components are documented and shared.

CISA Seeks Feedback on Draft Software Bill of Materials Guidance

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CISA noted that SBOMs have become a critical tool in understanding software dependencies, identifying vulnerabilities and supporting risk-informed decision-making. The update adds new minimum elements, namely component hash, license, tool name and generation context, while clarifying existing requirements for SBOM author, software producer and component name, among other elements.

Chris Butera, CISA acting executive assistant director for cybersecurity,  said the draft was developed in coordination with industry, interagency and international partners to support broader SBOM adoption.

“SBOM is a valuable tool that helps software manufacturers with addressing supply chain risks and several best practices have evolved significantly in recent years,” Butera noted. “This voluntary guidance will empower federal agencies and other organizations to make risk-informed decisions, strengthen their cybersecurity posture, and support scalable, machine-readable solutions. We encourage members of the public to review this guidance and provide comment on how we can improve this list of minimum elements.”  

SBOM Guidance Public Comment Period

Members of the public may submit comments on the draft through Oct. 3. CISA plans to issue a revised version of the SBOM minimum elements after reviewing the feedback.

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