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Randy Resnick: DOD CIO Office to Oversee Review of Zero Trust Implementation Plans
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Randy Resnick: DOD CIO Office to Oversee Review of Zero Trust Implementation Plans

Randy Resnick, director of the Zero Trust Portfolio Management Office within the Department of Defense’s Office of the Chief Information Officer, said the CIO office is set to review in the next few weeks 43 zero trust implementation plans that will serve as roadmaps for military services and defense agencies to address gaps in their cyber capabilities, Federal News Network reported Tuesday.

“We’re expecting to get these plans and whether or not they exceed our expectations will meet our expectations, that’s to be determined. We are confident that probably 80% to 90% will, but there will be some that we’re going to have to go back and forth,” Resnick told FNN in an interview.

According to Resnick, the CIO office developed from February through July a set of metrics that will be used to review each implementation plan, which he said will be analyzed by the different architectures, such as on-premise, all cloud or hybrid infrastructure.

He offered details on how the CIO office will look into each zero trust implementation plan.

“Our plan is that we’ve assembled probably the equivalent of maybe 17 or 18 full-time equivalents (FTEs), probably about 25 people, if you count them all, to spend the next four to six weeks analyzing every one of those plans and measuring the success of those plans, and whether or not they’re giving us the information,” Resnick said.

“We want to know how every single component is going to be hitting target level zero trust or higher by fiscal 2027 or earlier, and a layer on top of that is how are they going to achieve it,” he added.

Resnick said DOD will submit a report to Congress in December after conducting the internal review and then brief lawmakers on its assessment by January.

House Bill Suggests Improvements on Digital Service Delivery Across Federal Government
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House Bill Suggests Improvements on Digital Service Delivery Across Federal Government

Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.; Byron Donalds, R-Fla.; Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga.; and William Timmons, R-S.C. have introduced bipartisan legislation to improve the delivery of digital services by increasing accountability and coordination across federal agencies.

The Government Service Delivery Improvement Act would mandate the Office of Management and Budget director to designate a senior OMB official to lead and coordinate efforts to improve the public’s online interaction with government agencies, Khanna’s office said Monday.

The bill would also require agency heads to build better trust with the public and appoint a senior agency official to spearhead agency-wide customer experience initiatives.

“The federal government has an obligation to efficiently and effectively deliver quality services that Americans rely on including Social Security, retirement benefits, Medicare health coverage, veterans programs, student loans and grants,” Khanna said.

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Michael Whitaker Confirmed as FAA Administrator
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Michael Whitaker Confirmed as FAA Administrator

The Senate unanimously confirmed Michael Whitaker, most recently chief operating officer of Hyundai Motor Group subsidiary Supernal, to serve as head of the Federal Aviation Administration.

In September, President Joe Biden nominated Whitaker, who served as deputy FAA administrator between 2013 and 2016 and helped lead the transition of the country’s air traffic control system to the satellite-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast technology, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee said Tuesday.

Whitaker has over three decades of aviation experience, including serving as group CEO at India-based travel conglomerate InterGlobe Enterprises, senior vice president at United Airlines and assistant general counsel of international and regulatory affairs at Trans World Airlines.

He has a juris doctorate degree from Georgetown University Law Center and is a private pilot who serves on the Flight Safety Foundation’s board.

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New CISA Guidance Aims to Help Small & Medium ICT Businesses Achieve Supply Chain Resilience
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New CISA Guidance Aims to Help Small & Medium ICT Businesses Achieve Supply Chain Resilience

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency published a resource guide to help small- and medium-sized information and communications technology businesses develop a supply chain resilience plan.

The guidance provides recommendations to create a risk management plan that includes a list of critical suppliers, supplier diversity initiatives and a vendor attestation process, CISA said Monday.

The resource guide was formulated by the ICT SCRM Task Force, which has a subgroup specializing in small business needs. According to the task force, ICT enterprises should identify risks related to hardware and software used in operations, set up an alert for scheduled patches and updates and determine the end-of-life of the systems so that they can prepare for a timely transition or upgrade.

The experts also emphasized the importance of service level agreements and regular auditing and monitoring of the performance of their vendors to maintain product and service quality.

“In acknowledging the resource challenges faced by small and medium-sized businesses amidst today’s complex supply chain risks, we’re committed to offering vital support,” said Mona Harrington, CISA assistant director for the National Risk Management Center.

The Potomac Officers Club will host the 2023 Homeland Security Summit on Nov. 15. Registration is now open.

POC - 2023 Homeland Security Summit
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DCSA Transitions Federal Agencies, Companies to National Background Investigation Services eApp
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DCSA Transitions Federal Agencies, Companies to National Background Investigation Services eApp

The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency has successfully migrated 100 federal agencies and 11,000 companies with classified contracts to the National Background Investigation Services eApplication, DVIDS reported Monday.

DCSA said users can use the NBIS eApp to initiate their applicants and employees and submit requests for personnel background investigations.

Cleared industry and federal agencies shifted to the new system in scheduled phases over the course of a year.

The NBIS eApp replaces the legacy Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing system, which was decommissioned on Oct. 1.

Jeff Smith, DCSA program executive officer and NBIS executive program manager, said the transition of the federal and industry personnel security enterprise from eQIP to eApp concludes a year of planning and development by DCSA and its partners.

Biden Administration Details Proposed Actions to Implement National Arctic Region Strategy
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Biden Administration Details Proposed Actions to Implement National Arctic Region Strategy

The Biden administration has released its implementation plan for the ten-year National Strategy for the Arctic Region.

The plan includes over 30 objectives and 200 recommended actions to address the impact of climate change on the region while creating sustainable development opportunities for its inhabitants, the White House said in a statement issued Monday.

NSARIP discusses four main pillars focusing on homeland security, environmental protection, sustainable economic development and international cooperation and governance.

It assigns one lead representative each from the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to coordinate military and civilian activities for security as well as research and development.

The government will also involve allied partners such as Canada and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to strengthen information sharing and contingencies in the face of threats from adversaries including Russia.

The plan will undergo annual review, with progress reports from federal agencies, and revisited every five years, the White House stated.

FCC Space Bureau Launches Transparency Initiative for Satellite Operations Applicants; Jessica Rosenworcel Quoted
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FCC Space Bureau Launches Transparency Initiative for Satellite Operations Applicants; Jessica Rosenworcel Quoted

The Federal Communications Commission’s Space Bureau will release guidance on its procedures and authorization requirements for space and earth station operations as part of its transparency initiative for satellite applicants.

FCC said Monday it will host an Open House on Nov. 1 to gather questions from interested parties about the commission’s space station licensing process.

The Space Bureau will post answers to frequently asked questions regarding its authorization procedures and update applicant guides and other explanatory documents as part of the initiative.

“Making sure everyone understands how to be a part of that growth is a crucial part of maintaining U.S. leadership, and increasing competition in the space sector benefits us all,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.

Established in April, the Space Bureau oversees policy and licensing matters related to satellite and space-based communications.

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Brig. Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen: Space Force Identifies Immediate Priorities for Spaceport Upgrades
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Brig. Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen: Space Force Identifies Immediate Priorities for Spaceport Upgrades

Brig. Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen, program executive officer for assured access to space at the U.S. Space Force, said the service branch has performed an analysis of spaceport requirements amid the rising pace of commercial space launches and one of identified priorities for modernizing spaceports is increasing the capacity for processing and preparing satellites for launch, SpaceNews reported Monday.

“We know it takes a long time to build a satellite. And it takes a while to get a booster out to the pad. But that integration timeline can be pretty extensive as well,” Panzenhagen, who is also director of launch and range operations of Space Systems Command, said Thursday at a conference.

“We need to put collective thought into how we decrease that time,” she added.

Panzenhagen said the service identified immediate priorities such as infrastructure upgrades, improved port access, power infrastructure and physical security upgrades.

She noted that commercial information technology professionals suggested upgrades to Space Force’s IT infrastructure and highlighted the need for an integrated data platform that could support launch missions.

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CSIS Report Offers Recommendations to Protect Federal Digital Networks
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CSIS Report Offers Recommendations to Protect Federal Digital Networks

The Center for Strategic and International Studies has released a report recommending actions that Congress, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and federal civilian executive branch, or FCEB, agencies must do to clarify roles and responsibilities to help ensure the security of federal digital networks.

The recommendations outlined in the report published Monday are classified into three pillars: resourcing toward success; leveraging and harmonizing authorities; and enhancing communication and coordination with key stakeholders.

For the first pillar, the report recommends that Congress ensure consistent funding streams for the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation program and other initiatives, establish a Joint Collaborative Environment and fund an entity to collect, analyze, share and protect information about cyber statistics.

Under the second pillar, the report calls on CISA to commission a report outlining its roles and responsibilities as the lead agency for federal network defense and identify a way to effectively engage in the misinformation and disinformation discourse.

The majority of recommendations under the third pillar are for CISA. These include developing a public campaign to promote the agency’s role as the lead for federal network defense, providing sector-specific cybersecurity guidance and hosting a database of shared service offerings for FCEB agencies.

Treasury Department-Led Programs Invest Nearly $22B for Small Business Support
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Treasury Department-Led Programs Invest Nearly $22B for Small Business Support

The Department of the Treasury has revealed that it invested nearly $22 billion in federal funding across three programs to spur small business growth this year through June.

Treasury said Monday the State Small Business Credit Initiative approved applications for capital programs representing $8.2 billion in potential funding in the first half of the year. The State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program has reportedly allocated over $5 billion for more than 1,400 small business development projects.

The department’s Emergency Capital Investment Program also invested over $8.5 billion to help community development financial institutions and minority depository institutions strengthen their efforts to support small businesses and consumers.

Data from the Census Bureau revealed that more than 10 million small businesses were established from 2021 to 2022, the highest recorded number for a two-year period.

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