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- October 16, 2023
October 16, 2023
700 govt AI use cases, Superstitions at CIA, US Israel Gaza updates, NRO satellites, cATO eval criteria, Wargaming report, NASA Psyche mission
QUICK HITS
EPA withdraws cybersecurity audit requirements for state water sectors: Water companies and GOP lawmakers had filed lawsuits.
Interested in Wargaming? The Assoc. of Marine Corps Logisticians has a new report that will inspire some new ideas!
DEFENSE & AEROSPACE
Gaza/Israel: What’s the latest news from the USA perspective?
US is sending a second aircraft carrier to the eastern Mediterranean.
Egypt border crossing to Gaza to reopen for humanitarian aid.
Dept of State appoints David Satterfield as Special Envoy for Middle East humanitarian issues.
30 Americans have been killed and 13 are missing in the region.
Congress is prepping a supplementing funding request for aid to Israel and Ukraine.
CISA is “working in partnership” with Israeli cyber counterparts.
DOD releasing continuous ATO evaluation criteria next week.
DOD is going to release the evaluation criteria for Continuous Authorization To Operate (cATO) next week. At ServiceNow’s “Cloud Transformation Powering DOD Missions” event last week, DOD Office of the CIO, director of cloud and software modernization George Lamb explained how traditional ATOs serve as a “checkbox,” but continuous ATOs can help to prove the security of systems at any moment that the system is running. Read more
‘Everything you see is live’ as CENTCOM shifts to digital tools.
The central challenge in the most recent Digital Falcon Oasis exercise was this: could digital tools enable U.S. Central Command to find, prioritize, approve, and neutralize a thousand or more threats in 24 hours? Read more
ICYMI:
Space Force to create 'system deltas' to sync space tech with operator needs.
NASA launches Psyche mission to metal world.
US Army special ops chief on 'most important' lesson from Ukraine: Information operations.
Newly Assembled Defense Advisory Board to provide Cyberlux with industry expertise, end-user perspective.
Leidos opens new Port San Antonio facility.
US Army to build electronic warfare training ground at Fort Gordon.
Defense Contract Awards
HII books $347M Navy Lionfish Small UUV Production contract.
DISA adds four contractors to Proliferated LEO Satellite-Based Services Program.
Riverside Research to develop software for Space Force to analyze space objects in congested orbits.
Five companies to extend Navy Incidental Construction Services under $98M deal.
Navy awards nine companies positions on $600M NAVFAC Construction, Repair contract.
Follow the Defense Leaders
There’s a new Proliferated Systems VP at Sierra Space.
Radiance promotes from within to fill defense EVP role.
DOD taps new Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Readiness.
Defense Job Openings
DOD is trying to find a Director, Acquisition Management Division. Might that person be you?
Raytheon is hiring a Tactical Operational Space Associate Director.
Hill International is hiring a Director of Capture Management.
OSD is seeking a Director, Business Operations.
DAILY FUNNY
INTEL COMMUNITY
More eyes in the sky: NRO building new satellites to deliver ‘10 times more signals and images.’
The NRO is on track to dramatically increase the number of spy satellites it relies upon to collect intelligence, the agency’s deputy director Maj. Gen. Christopher Povak said. Read more
Hamas attack shows space-based sensing can’t see everything.
Why didn’t the U.S. and its allies’ spy satellites catch Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel? In part, physics. Satellites in geosynchronous orbit are too far away to catch much detail, and there aren’t enough satellites in low-Earth orbit that can deliver constant, high-resolution imagery. While space-based sensors aren’t a “cure-all” for U.S. intelligence needs, Hamas’s recent attack proved the need for persistent coverage from orbit. Read more
ICYMI:
RFI: NGA posts R&H RFI.
China launches new Yunhai remote sensing satellite.
NSA, partners release OT open-source best practices.
TCOM introduces latest C5ISR tech.
SOSi adds a new intelligence director.
AvantGarde, LLC, an ED-WOSB wins $37M DOJ EOUSA Case Management Enterprise System Software Services contract under STARS III.
CIVILIAN
State’s cyber overhaul bets big on zero trust to tackle emerging threats.
The State Department has overhauled its cybersecurity posture to meet the various federal mandates and best practices disseminated from the White House and CISA, emphasizing a meticulous migration to a zero-trust security architecture. Read more.
VA’s new AI centers will focus on iteration in AI testing process.
VA’ four new AI centers will place a premium on iteration in the AI testing process, National AI Institute Director Gil Alterovitz said last week. Having the AI centers built in different places is beneficial so that the VA is able to test various AIs and continue to move forward in understanding and applying the technology. “It’s gonna be great! So great!” Read more
US government discloses more than 700 AI use cases.
The U.S. government has disclosed more than 700 AI use cases among federal agencies, according to a new database uploaded to the AI.gov website. The consolidated database provides the most comprehensive look at the government’s use of the budding technology to date. The inventories have so far varied widely in terms of completion, formatting, timing and information reported. Read more
ICYMI:
GSA security chief sees concerted focus on ‘applications and workloads’ in coming year.
Underfunding presents operations, cybersecurity challenges at FLRA, OIG says.
Losing bidder Pueo Business Solutions protests $33M VA cybersecurity award to Maveris.
Small business gearing up for (now) $20M+ CISA Strategy, Policy and Plans Support RFP.
RFI: VA seeks Privacy Information Assurance. Reponses due Oct 19.
Civilian Contracts Awards
Contract awarded and protested: $37M DOJ EOUSA Case Management Enterprise System Software services.
Strategic Operational Solutions, a SDVOSB, wins $6M IRS IT cybersecurity support contract under VETS2.
CMS selects iTech AG to support Center for Clinical Standards & Quality under $75M BPA.
FCC awards $50M Advisory and Consultation Services BPA.
Follow Civilian Leaders
Former NOAA Exec appointed Lynker president.
Former Federal CIO named to StackArmor’s AI Risk Management CoE.
FBI taps new deputy Chief Information Security Officer.
Recent National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) pilot program leader exits, launches consulting firm.
HHS acquisition leader takes new role with IRS Office of Chief Procurement Officer.
Civilian Job Openings
Pad your resume with a crazy long job title: The National Nuclear Security Administration is hiring an Associate Administrator and Deputy Under Secretary for Counterterrorism and Counterproliferation.
FEMA is hiring a Deputy Associate Administrator, Policy, Program Analysis, and International Affairs.
USDA Forest Service is hiring a Director, Lands Management Staff.
The US Mint is seeking an IT Program Manager/Policy & Planning Division Chief.
SHOWER THOUGHTS 🚿
How more than $600M in COVID relief funds spent last year went unreported.
Thousands of localities, many of them small communities, didn’t follow the law last year and tell the federal government when they spent their COVID stimulus dollars, according to a GAO report. About $600M in spent funds when unreported. Read more.
Has the space economy showdown hit bottom?
In Q3, inflation looked to be coming under control, but economic indicators pointing to another Federal Research interest right hike and a recession persist. Laura Winter discusses the latest economic trends and events impacting the space business, investing, and the space economy, in this episode of The DownLink Podcast, with Chris Quilty, founder of Quilty Space, as well as George Pullen, chief economist at Milky Way Economy. Read more.
Superstitions at CIA.
We’ve all got ‘em: From the soccer player who always puts on her right shoe before her left to the student who can’t bear to take a test with anything other than his lucky, neon green #2 pencil, superstitions are a part of daily life. Be honest, who among us doesn’t think twice when they see a black cat or adjust their stride to avoid cracks in the pavement? Read more
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