/
Lawmakers Urge Federal Officials to Staff National AI Research Resource Task Force
Published on
Lawmakers Urge Federal Officials to Staff National AI Research Resource Task Force

A group of House and Senate lawmakers called on the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Science Foundation to staff a task force working on recommendations for the implementation of a National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource.

The legislators want NAIRR to help democratize access to computing tools and other resources needed by AI researchers across the country.

“Without staff, especially those with with expertise on how AI resources can be used to support the development of ethical and safe AI, we are worried that it will be difficult to accomplish the exciting aims of the NAIRR, especially in the statutorily required amount of time,” the lawmakers wrote in a Wednesday letter to heads of NSF and OSTP.

Lawmakers commended the administration’s efforts to come up with an AI Bill of Rights and noted that there are “unique synergies” between the NAIRR task force’s work and the AI Bill of Rights.

“On the AI Bill of Rights side of the ledger, we urge you to add the right to participate in making and testing AI technology, including access to resources like the NAIRR,” they noted.

The letter to OSTP Director Eric Lander and NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan was signed by Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Reps. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif. and Anthony Gonzalez, R-Ohio.

FedScoop reported the NAIRR Task Force is expected to submit to Congress its final report by November.

NAIRR task force has conducted several meetings to discuss recommendations on data resources, user tools, testbeds and other testing resources.

Applying AI to Data for Cyber Hygiene and National Security Forum

Join ExecutiveBiz Events’ Applying AI to Data for Cyber Hygiene and National Security Forum on March 10 to hear from leaders across the public and private sectors as they share insights into how agencies can leverage data to address the growing threat of cyberattacks.

/
White House Seeks to Improve Water Sector’s Cybersecurity Posture With Action Plan
Published on
White House Seeks to Improve Water Sector’s Cybersecurity Posture With Action Plan

The White House has introduced an action plan that outlines measures that will be carried out in the next 100 days to improve the water sector’s cybersecurity.

The administration developed the water sector action plan in partnership with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Environmental Protection Agency and the Water Sector Coordinating Council, the White House said Thursday.

CISA and EPA will encourage water utilities to take part in a pilot program for industrial control systems information sharing and monitoring and work with partners in the private sector to come up with protocols for sharing data.

The action plan will help water systems owners and operators field technologies that could assist in monitoring their infrastructure and providing situational awareness.

“The plan will initially focus on the utilities that serve the largest populations and have the highest consequence systems; however, it will lay the foundation for supporting enhanced ICS cybersecurity across water systems of all sizes,” the White House fact sheet reads.

/
GPO Task Force to Offer Recommendations for All-Digital Federal Depository Library Program; Hugh Nathanial Halpern Quoted
Published on
GPO Task Force to Offer Recommendations for All-Digital Federal Depository Library Program; Hugh Nathanial Halpern Quoted

Hugh Nathanial Halpern, director of the Government Publishing Office, has designated a task force to examine the feasibility of making the Federal Depository Library Program all-digital.

The 23-member task force will provide recommendations for how to implement and run a digital FDLP and submit a final report to the GPO director by December, GPO said Wednesday.

GPO expects the feasibility study to look into the current state of federal depository libraries and federal agencies’ dissemination of publications.

“Technology has changed since GPO began putting information online in 1994, and so has our Agency,” said Halpern. 

“It is crucial to our democracy that GPO continue to adapt and meet our customers where they are. Thank you to the members of the library community and all of our partners for their commitment to making Government information even more accessible in the future. I look forward to the Task Force’s recommendations,” he added.

The Task Force on a Digital Federal Depository Library Program is composed of members from the Depository Library Community, Depository Library Council, library associations and federal agencies.

/
Lisa Guess to Represent Cradlepoint and Ericsson on FCC’s Technological Advisory Committee
Published on
Lisa Guess to Represent Cradlepoint and Ericsson on FCC’s Technological Advisory Committee

Lisa Guess, senior vice president of solutions engineering for cloud technology company Cradlepoint, has been selected for membership by the Federal Communications Commission’s Technological Advisory Committee.

Guess will represent all of Ericsson, the Swedish telecommunications company that acquired Cradlepoint in 2020. Cradlepoint CEO George Mulhern announced the news in a LinkedIn post on Friday.

The Technological Advisory Committee is responsible for counseling the FCC on technical matters and is organized under the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

It’s made up of leaders in technological fields who assist the FCC in creating policies and growing new innovation pathways to support the tech economy.

Guess is an experienced engineer with over 30 years of experience. She began her career at Shell Oil and has held senior level positions at Nortel Networks, Brocade Communications and Atrica.

Prior to coming to Cradlepoint, she spent 10 years as vice president of systems engineering at Juniper Networks, where, among other tasks, she identified product gaps in order to create revenue opportunities.

At Cradlepoint she oversees the product development team and specializes in systems optimization. Her facility with team-building saw her exponentially expand the global sales development team. She has been with the company for over three and half years.

/
NIST Revises Procedures for Security Control Assessments
Published on
NIST Revises Procedures for Security Control Assessments

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has updated its recommended procedures to assess the implementation of security and privacy controls.

NIST said Wednesday it added new assessment procedures and a new automation-friendly structure in revision five of Special Publication 800-53A, also titled “Assessing Security and Privacy Controls in Information Systems and Organizations.”

The new procedures are made to align with updated controls for privacy and supply chain risk management.

SP 800-53A offers a risk management framework designed to make assessment procedures flexible and customizable based on an organization’s specific needs.

The updated procedures are also intended to support continuous monitoring programs and make assessments more efficient.

/
SBA Launches Initiative for Supporting Small Businesses’ E-Commerce Growth; Isabella Casillas Guzman Quoted
Published on
SBA Launches Initiative for Supporting Small Businesses’ E-Commerce Growth; Isabella Casillas Guzman Quoted

The Small Business Administration has teamed up with non-profit organization Business Forward for an initiative aimed at helping small businesses expand their reach into the digital world.

The new Small Business Digital Alliance will train entrepreneurs on how to use various digital technologies for expanding their e-commerce blueprint, recruiting employees from a diverse pool, enhancing business operations and raising capital, SBA said Friday.

SBDA will also connect beneficiaries with government, business and economic leaders to potentially secure cooperative deals and support for growing their respective organizations.

In addition, the joint public-private co-sponsorship will hold free events across the U.S. to explain government policies, small business trends and available digital tools in the market.

“Through our new Small Business Digital Alliance and agreement with Business Forward, the SBA will help more small businesses accelerate their online and social media strategies to power their businesses in e-commerce and better engage with their customers where they are,” noted Isabella Casillas Guzman, administrator of SBA.

The SBDA will publish a list of its members in the coming weeks.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to Discuss Hypersonic Weapon Development With Industry
Published on
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to Discuss Hypersonic Weapon Development With Industry

Lloyd Austin, secretary of the Department of Defense and a 2022 Wash100 Award winner, will meet the top executives of nearly a dozen of U.S. defense companies on Feb. 3rd to discuss the importance of speed and collaboration in fielding hypersonic technologies designed to help the nation stay ahead of recent Chinese and Russian advances, Defense One reported Wednesday.

Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, fellow 2022 Wash100 Award recipient will chair the virtual meeting, which is expected to see the participation of Heidi Shyu, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering who oversees all hypersonic weapons development, who is also a 2022 Wash100 Awardee.

DOD spokesman Eric Pahon said the upcoming meeting will focus on a range of topics, from systems engineering concepts to the manufacturing workforce.

Top defense officials are actively pursuing the development of hypersonic weapons, or missiles that can maneuver at speeds of at least Mach 5, to keep up with the advances that both China and Russia have made in their respective hypersonic weapons programs.

The Pentagon has requested a $3.8 billion hypersonic research budget for fiscal year 2022, while the Missile Defense Agency sought an additional $247.9 million for hypersonic defense, according to a report Congressional Research Service analyst Kelley Sayler published in October.

According to Sayler, the development of U.S. hypersonic weapons “will likely require greater accuracy and will be more technically challenging to develop than nuclear-armed Chinese and Russian systems.”

/
DOE CIO Ann Dunkin: Department Working on IT Transformation Guide
Published on
DOE CIO Ann Dunkin: Department Working on IT Transformation Guide

Ann Dunkin, chief information officer at the Department of Energy, said DOE is creating guidance on how it can scale information technology transformation efforts.

Dunkin said at a panel discussion on digital transformation that the playbook in progress is being made to guide modernization at any department-level agency, Nextgov reported Wednesday.

The playbook will include best practices on how to develop local platforms, establish a DevSecOps pipeline and comply with authority-to-operate standards.

The CIO noted that she hopes to eventually share the guidance with the rest of the federal government. She also said DOE needs to refocus its future modernization efforts in ways that support internal collaboration and employee cooperation.

/
NIST Opens Applications for Four Manufacturing Center Operations Contracts
Published on
NIST Opens Applications for Four Manufacturing Center Operations Contracts

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is offering nearly $19.8 million in cooperative agreements to companies interested in four Manufacturing Extension Partnership Centers.

NIST said Wednesday it will accept applications until April 26 for the management of facilities that provide manufacturing support to small and medium-sized businesses in Kentucky, Nebraska, Rhode Island and South Dakota.

Only U.S.-based non-profit organizations, academies, and state, local, tribal and territory governments can be selected for agreements with an initial performance period of up to five years and a cost-share requirement.

NIST scheduled a webinar on Feb. 14 to discuss the funding opportunity. With over 51 centers across the U.S., the MEP program offers technical expertise and assistance from manufacturing professionals to strengthen the domestic industry.

 

//
Telos Platform Xacta Designated by Oracle to Expedite Security Compliance
Published on
Telos Platform Xacta Designated by Oracle to Expedite Security Compliance

Software company Oracle has chosen Telos platform Xacta to manage and automate security clearances at various classification levels for its projects and clients, the Ashburn, Virginia-based information technology company announced Thursday.

“Xacta fast-tracks the entire security compliance process – saving time and money that customers would normally devote to consulting or advisory services,” explained Hugh Barrett, Telos vice president of technical solutions.

Xacta is a cyber risk management and compliance analytics program whose most recent version offers machine-readable data exchange tools that enable automation while minimizing errors.

Glen Dodson, Oracle National Security Group senior vice president, said Oracle selected Xacta due to its efficient authorization process in federal government transactions.

For instance, Xacta leverages Open Security Control Assessment Language (OSCAL) technology to assist clients in submitting the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program system security plans. Submissions in the FedRAMP marketplace and certain federal cloud transactions are then expedited.

In accordance with future rulings from the National Institute of Rulings and Technology, Telos hopes to further develop its OSCAL capabilities and make advancements in federal security compliance.

Telos is currently working under contract with the both Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency implementing Xacta to create an interactive, real-time risk assessment capability.

These agencies are similarly interested in streamlining access and security compliance with Telos and Xacta.

1 … 981 982 983 984 985 … 2,703