• Senate Reaches a Deal to Avoid a Shutdown, Punts Threat for 10 Weeks: Lawmakers agree to drop controversial provisions, set up new deadline for Congress.
• With telehealth showing explosive growth during the pandemic, HHS needs to take steps to ensure that Medicare patients know their privacy and security rights.
• Will the gov’t consolidate software contracts? The SAMOSAA bill is expected to progress to the senate.
• Do you offer proposal win bonuses to staff? Maybe you should, and here’s how it might look.

DEFENSE & AEROSPACE

ICYMI Snippets

• Can defensive cyber ops enclaves support the secure sharing of information? An industry CTO argues yes.
• With USAF fighter fleet stretched thin, ACC chief says A-10 is not survivable in a future war due to overloaded work and aging tech.
• In the midst of semiconductor shortages, one defense firm is getting creative by repurposing old radios.
• Wanna do work with Navy? Of course you do! Fortunately, Navy Surface Warfare Center Carederock Division is hosting a virtual 2022 Industry Day Wednesday Nov. 2.

Defense Contract Awards

• SAIC awarded $757M FFP contract with Army to support a software platform and management system requirements.
• The Army Corps of Engineers has awarded 22 companies positions on a seven-year, $675M contract to provide personnel, equipment and non-personal services for the Army’s electronic security systems.
• ECS Federal wins $429M DISA Army Network Enterprise Technology Command contract.
• Parsons wins $869M Army Chemical and Biological Defense Contract.

Follow the Defense Leaders

• There’s new leadership in the DOD Chief Digital and AI Office, Strategy and Policy directorate, and it’s a former Director of Research, Defense Innovation Board.
• There’s a new Data Operations Chief at US Army.

Defense Job Openings

• Military Sealift Command in Norfolk, Va., is hiring Council, an ES-00 position.
• The Air Force is looking for an Executive Support Officer supporting the National Defense Strategy.
• LVI Associates is looking for a Director of Capture.

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(If you have a question you’d like to see pitched to the GovBrew Crew, just let us know!)

INTEL COMMUNITY

Machine learning to accelerate NGA mission advancement and key research. 

For the NGIA, text and written language are essential to the analysis of maps and images: a year-long study shows that text reading and generation make up as much as 80% of the NGA’s workforce’s workflow. Now, the agency wants to use machine learning-enabled natural language processing to speed up its mission advancement and research. Read more

Incident info sharing between FBI and operational cyber agencies is improving.

Governmentwide sharing of cybersecurity-related info is improving, according to the Principal Deputy National Cyber Director. Improvements kicked off since the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act’s signing, and hopes are high that information sharing – especially between private companies and the FBI – will continue to get better. Read more

Information threats and opportunities to DODs National Security mission.

As we move more into the information age from the industrial age, information and how it is handled will have a large impact on the DOD’s national security mission. GAO provided a report to illustrate and better inform Congress and DOD officials that describes DOD’s use and protection of the information environment through the six key elements that can enable or adversely affect DOD’s missions. Read more

ICYMI Snippets

• DHS watchdog staff pen letter requesting IG Cuffari be ousted.
• MITRE and DOD unveil FiGHT adversarial threat model for 5G systems.
• IARPA posts malicious binaries RFI.
• DOS has updated their Sources Sought for Program Management Support.

IC Contract Awards

• AT&T has won a $119M task order over 11 years to upgrade CBP’s voice and data networks and provide reliable, high-speed wireline and wireless connectivity.
• Palantir and DHS have renewed a five-year, $95.5M software licensing contract with the DHS Investigations unit.
• Rite-Solutions awarded $77M Navy cybersecurity contract.

Follow IC Leaders

IC Job Openings

CIVILIAN

Can the VA hire enough nurses to keep up with attrition?

It’ll be tough to do…they need to hire 45k nurses over the next three years to keep up with attrition and growing demand for veteran care. It’s taking the VA 90-100 days to onboard candidates.  Read more

VA Secretary calls temporary halt to Oracle-Cerner EHR system deployment.

VA Secretary Denis McDonough has called a halt to the department’s Oracle-Cerner Electronic Health Records rollout until all patient safety risk issues are resolved. Read more

ICYMI Snippets

• There are some serious IT systems security deficiencies at a VA facility in LA.
• GSA will study the accuracy of remote identity proofing tools such as facial identification technology across demographic groups.
• Congress to advance “clean” FDA user fee deal.

Civilian Contracts Awards

• ICF International wins $12M CDC laboratory informatics TO.
• Trilogy Federal awarded VHA’s Office of Women’s Health Rural Master Tracking Database project.
• Adaptive awarded $1.2B, 5 year IDIQ with Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services for program and analytical support services.
• GovCIO subsidiary Salient awarded $524M EPA ESSET task order.

Follow Civilian Leaders

Civilian Job Openings

• Want to channel your inner Judge Judy? GSA is hiring a Civilian Board of Contract Appeals judge.
• Be the boss of everyone! OPM is looking for an Executive Director.
• GAO is looking for an Assistant Director for Data Analytics.

GOVCON M&A CORNER

Empower AI launches JV with Lentech, Inc. 

Empower AI has launched a new joint venture company and SBA mentor-protégé relationship with Lentech, Inc. The new company will be called Astralis Innovations, LLC, and under the agreement, Empower AI will support Lentech in the areas of technology, management and technical assistance, engineering, business development, strategic counsel, and general administration support. Read more

Deltek wraps up acquisition of TIP technologies.

Deltek has finalized its acquisition of TIP Technologies in a transaction to integrate quality management system and manufacturing execution system offerings into its portfolio of enterprise resource planning and manufacturing platforms for the GovCon industry. Read more