/
DARPA Seeks Mission System Concepts Aimed at Peer Competition
Published on
DARPA Seeks Mission System Concepts Aimed at Peer Competition

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Strategic Technology Office (STO) has released a broad agency announcement (BAA) on a funding opportunity for research and development of mission system concepts to help the U.S. military address the challenges of peer competition.

A notice posted Monday on SAM.gov says that the office is seeking new warfighting technology platforms to enable “mosaic warfare” and shape the battlespace across multiple domains.

Topic areas of interest listed in the announcement include artificial intelligence, non-kinetic effects, autonomy and control algorithms, electromagnetic warfare, photonics, strategy analysis technology, space architectures and system of systems.

The BAA solicits “revolutionary” ideas for topics not covered by current STO programs. Interested parties can submit proposals through Oct. 31, 2022.

//
NIST Seeks Comments on Draft Consumer Software Cyber Labeling Document; Michael Ogata Quoted
Published on
NIST Seeks Comments on Draft Consumer Software Cyber Labeling Document; Michael Ogata Quoted

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is soliciting feedback on a draft document outlining a set of cybersecurity criteria for a consumer software labeling program in compliance with a cybersecurity executive order signed in May.

NIST said Monday it is seeking comments on the baseline of technical requirements or “attestations” for software and related label.

These attestations are claims about the security of software offerings and are classified into four categories in the document: descriptive; secure software development; critical cybersecurity attributes and capability; and data inventory and protection attestations.

“We are establishing criteria for a label that will be helpful to consumers,” said Michael Ogata, a NIST computer scientist and co-author of the draft document. “The goal is to raise consumers’ awareness about the various security needs they might have and to help them make informed choices about the software they purchase and use.”

Public comments on the Draft Baseline Criteria for Consumer Software Cybersecurity Labeling are due Dec. 16th. NIST will use the insights to inform the document’s final version set for release by Feb. 6th.

/
SDA Issues Draft RFP for Tranche 1 Operations and Integration Support Program
Published on
SDA Issues Draft RFP for Tranche 1 Operations and Integration Support Program

The Space Development Agency (SDA) has issued a draft solicitation for the ground operations and integration support for the first tranche of the National Defense Space Architecture’s (NDSA) transport layer and future capability layers.

SDA will select a contractor that has capabilities to manage, maintain, operate and provide general and logistical services in support of the Tranche 1 Operations and Integration program, according to a draft request for proposals posted Monday.

The selected vendor will also provide personnel, materials and tools needed to carry out operations and integration support under the statement of work.

“This level of support will generate a common operational picture of the NDSA by actively monitoring the network and mission systems,” the draft solicitation reads.

The Tranche 1 O&I program will have a five-year performance period with a base term of two years for operations and sustainment and three option years. Comments on the draft RFP are due Dec. 1st.

In late October, SDA released a new solicitation for the Tranche 1 Transport Layer program with plans to use other transaction authorities as a contracting mechanism for the satellite procurement effort.

/
Mitre Provides Recommendations for Congressional Efforts on Federal Cybersecurity
Published on
Mitre Provides Recommendations for Congressional Efforts on Federal Cybersecurity

Mitre recommends Congress consider actions regarding leadership, legacy systems, cyber risk management framework and other aspects related to improving federal cybersecurity.

The organization said it advises lawmakers to boost the authority of federal cybersecurity leaders with regard to cyber risk management and modernize legacy information technology systems to mitigate vulnerabilities.

Mitre released a total of eight recommendations, which also cover mandating supply chain risk assessments and establishing cybersecurity as a cross-agency performance goal.

The recommendations also include implementing a zero-trust architecture, creating an integrated framework for cyber risk management and updating congressional oversight based on the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act.

Mitre believes these recommendations can help the federal government bolster cybersecurity against threats from ransomware users, Russia, China and other cyber actors.

The authors of the recommendation report are Mark Peters, a cyber defense policy professional at Mitre; Dave Powner, executive director of Mitre’s Center for Data-Driven Policy; and Chris Folk, director of cybersecurity policy and strategic partnerships at Mitre.

//
JHU APL Addresses Navy’s Need for Shipboard Surveillance System; John Shelton Quoted
Published on
JHU APL Addresses Navy’s Need for Shipboard Surveillance System; John Shelton Quoted

Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory is helping the U.S. Navy develop requirements for a visual surveillance system designed to make crews aware of what is happening on a ship.

The Shipboard Passive Electro-Optical Infrared (SPEIR) program aims to deliver a system that uses shipboard-installed EO and IR sensors to provide visual surveillance, JHU APL said Monday.

The program addresses the mission limitations of existing EO/IR technology and seeks to expand these systems’ scope of tasks.

“It will detect threats and generate data to keep the crew informed about what platforms — friendly, enemy and neutral — are in the vicinity of the ship,” John Shelton, APL’s project manager for SPEIR, said about the new technology his team is working on.

APL and the Navy gathered input from warfighters and veterans to inform SPEIR’s initial system design.

/
Andrew Williams Appointed to Oversee Air Force Research’s Space S&T Efforts
Published on
Andrew Williams Appointed to Oversee Air Force Research’s Space S&T Efforts

Andrew Williams, an 18-year veteran of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) space vehicles directorate, has been named deputy technology executive officer for space science and technology at AFRL.

He will be responsible for developing and implementing S&T initiatives across the research organization in support of the U.S. Space Force mission, AFRL said Monday.

“Throughout my career, I’ve experienced the dramatic changes and challenges that led to the stand-up of the Space Force, and I’m excited as the D-TEO to be part of that and ensure AFRL delivers science and technology necessary to advance our national defense, in the space warfighting domain,” Williams noted.

In his previous capacity, Williams led S&T investment strategy for the space vehicles directorate headquartered at Kirtland AF Base in New Mexico.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University, a master’s degree in aerospace engineering sciences from the University of Colorado and a PhD in engineering from the University of New Mexico.

/
National Spectrum Consortium Creates Task Group for 5G Technology
Published on
National Spectrum Consortium Creates Task Group for 5G Technology

The National Spectrum Consortium (NSC) has established a group tasked to explore technologies that can expand spectrum availability for commercial 5G.

The Partnering to Advance Trusted and Holistic Spectrum Solutions (PATHSS) group will work with the Department of Defense to fulfill this task, NSC said Wednesday.

“PATHSS is explicitly designed to foster trust among stakeholders and provide the forum required to develop a shared understanding of varying technology and policy needs,” said Lizy Paul, who chairs NSC.

Brian Regan, NSC treasurer and chair of PATHSS, said the task group will provide insights to inform the development of 5G and related warfighter technologies.

NSC members and approved government officials may take part in PATHSS discussions. A subset of PATHSS will receive access to classified information on DOD’s requirements.

/
Guidehouse Names John Whitham as Partner, Adds Three New Directors to Health Segment; Alicia Harkness Quoted
Published on
Guidehouse Names John Whitham as Partner, Adds Three New Directors to Health Segment; Alicia Harkness Quoted

Guidehouse has named John Whitham as a partner in its health business and has appointed three new directors to the segment.

Guidehouse’s health segment was ranked as the third largest healthcare management consulting firm this year by Modern Healthcare, and these executive shifts are anticipated to drive growth and expansion initiatives across payer, provider, public sector and life sciences, the company said Tuesday.

In his new role as health segment partner, 25-year healthcare industry veteran John Whitham will drive payer and provider growth strategies across the western U.S. market. Prior to joining Guidehouse, Whitham served as a principal for both ECG Management Consultants and JHD Healthcare Partners.

Alicia Harkness, partner and Health segment leader for Guidehouse, welcomed Whitham and lauded the new partner’s “passion for developing optimal business partnerships that enhance performance, drive growth, and mitigate risk.”

Joan Deming-Murphy, RN, MS, MBA, will return to Guidehouse as a director based in the company’s Philadelphia offices. Deming-Murphy previously served as a Guidehouse director in Chicago for two years prior to her roles as senior director for Huron Consulting Group and managing director for KMPG. The returning director has over three decades of experience leading healthcare operations and financial performance.

Chirag Patel, MA, former senior vice president of Kaufman Hall, joins Guidehouse as director of its Chicago location. Patel’s 15 years of healthcare industry and consulting experience also notably includes developing payer-provider partnerships and driving business development as vice president of enterprise strategy and development at Carle Health.

Finally, Guidehouse has selected Kaajal Singh, MHA to serve as director of its Washington, D.C. office. Singh has deep expertise in managing multimarket growth and innovation initiatives, and she previously served in health market leadership roles for Booz Allen Hamilton, Atlas Research and Advisory Board Company. Additionally, Singh was a director and founding member of RTI Center for Healthcare Advancement and RTI Commercial Health.

These appointments continue Guidehouse’s reorganization efforts, following four new additions to the company’s defense segment leadership team announced in October 2021.

//
Verizon-Lockheed Martin Partnership to Deliver 5G.MIL Technology for DOD Systems; Kyle Malady, Rod Makoske Quoted
Published on
Verizon-Lockheed Martin Partnership to Deliver 5G.MIL Technology for DOD Systems; Kyle Malady, Rod Makoske Quoted

Verizon has signed an agreement with Lockheed Martin to collaborate on delivering 5G.MIL technologies for the Department of Defense in support of its JADC2 initiative.

As part of the partnership, Lockheed Martin’s 5G.MIL program will leverage Verizon’s commercial 5G infrastructure to enable greater interoperability between DOD networks, enhance the department’s 5G capabilities and establish a cohesive network for all-domain communication, Verizon said Tuesday.

Kyle Malady, executive vice president of global networks and chief technology officer for Verizon, said the partnership will enable DOD officials to make landmark achievements in the advancement of their 5G strategies.

Additionally, the agreement establishes a joint research and development lab framework for developing, prototyping and testing 5G.MIL technologies, allowing for unified collaboration.

“Lockheed Martin’s deep understanding of DOD mission requirements coupled with Verizon’s wireless expertise will truly enable the Joint All-Domain Operations battlespace our customers envision,” said Rod Makoske, Lochkeed Martin’s chief engineer and senior vice president of engineering and technology.

The companies conducted a successful joint demonstration this week to test interoperability between Verizon’s On Site 5G network technology and Lockheed Martin’s open tactical gateway solutions.

This agreement marks the latest advancement of Lockheed Martin’s 5G.MIL program, following the development of the company’s WAFER antenna for use in remote sensing, radar and 5G communications capabilities earlier this year.

//
DISA to Sunset JRSS, Phase In Zero Trust Approach; Angela Landress Quoted
Published on
DISA to Sunset JRSS, Phase In Zero Trust Approach; Angela Landress Quoted

The Department of Defense (DOD) is now working on a transition strategy for the Joint Regional Security Stacks (JRSS) as DOD works to retire the JRSS program, Defense News reported Monday.

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) serves as the lead integrator for JRSS, which is designed to help reduce the impacts of cyberattacks and ensure the availability, integrity and confidentiality of data by enabling the Pentagon’s cyber defenders to continuously analyze and monitor the DOD Information Network for increased situational awareness.

DISA officials said the agency will start to implement its zero-trust networking approach and architecture, dubbed Thunderdome, as it moves to sunset the JRSS program.

“The good news is that both Thunderdome and JRSS exist in the same DISA directorate, and we plan to run programs side by side so that as we ramp up Thunderdome, we start ramping down JRSS,” said Angela Landress, division chief for perimeter security at DISA’s cybersecurity and analytics directorate.

“We’re setting up various transition working groups across the department, but also with DoD CIO and internally to DISA to make sure that it’s very seamless and that we do that transition in a way that doesn’t break anybody,” added Landress.

1 … 965 966 967 968 969 … 2,624