Government-wide security clearance processes, and the half million-plus backlog in the clearance applications pipeline, made the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) High-Risk report last week as a contributing factor to the larger problem of ensuring IT security, generally. […]
Software-maker trade group BSA sent a letter to leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees on Thursday urging modernization of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) supply chain security and software acquisition approach in the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. […]
The Defense Information Service Agency (DISA) is transferring control of the National Background Investigation Service (NBIS) to the Director of Defense Security Service (DSS). […]
Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore, Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Kamala Harris, D-Calif., wrote Dan Coats, director of National Intelligence, on Monday urging him to declassify information regarding China’s attempts to influence U.S. elections. […]
The military services reached a new technological milestone when the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) introduced its first-ever supercomputing site for classified research at the AFRL Department of Defense (DoD) Supercomputing Resource Center. […]
Gen. Paul Nakasone, head of U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency (NSA), discussed how the recent shift in Federal cybersecurity strategies enabled a stronger response to foreign adversaries. […]
National Security Agency (NSA) Senior Adviser Rob Joyce said yesterday that any move to regulate social media platforms would have to start with quicker and more efficient connections between policy makers and policy enforcers such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, but also warned that any effective regulation of social media platforms would be difficult to achieve in the U.S. […]
The Department of Defense’s many artificial intelligence programs–currently over 600 and counting–generally share one stated goal: the blend of humans and machines working as a team, in which AI systems become “partners in problem-solving,” as opposed to our new overlords. Whether in jobs such as cybersecurity, analyzing reams of data, images, and video, operating swarms of drones, or disaster assistance, the idea is to have AI and machine learning systems that augment and improve what personnel can do. […]
FBI Director Christopher Wray underscored that the private sector plays a pivotal role in helping the FBI counter cyberthreats at during a talk at the RSA Conference today, adding that the bureau has worked to build relationships with private companies to do so. […]
In a letter dated Feb. 27, Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., requested Dan Coats, director of National Intelligence, produce “an unclassified report on the participation of China and other adversarial nations in the international standard setting bodies (ISSBs) for fifth-generation wireless telecommunications technologies (5G).” […]
The United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) is working to improve cybersecurity infrastructures to prevent breaches of industry partners, like those of USTRANSCOM contractors that began June 1, 2012 and resulted in 20 successful intrusions over a period of 12 months by Chinese hackers. […]
The Air Force Business Plan, released by the service on Monday, places a strong emphasis on enhancing the Air Force’s IT and cybersecurity capabilities. […]
Officials from the intelligence community on Thursday discussed the importance of using artificial intelligence to process and analyze the large amount of collected data by agencies, thus freeing analysts to shift their efforts toward looking into anomalies identified by AI. […]
The Government Accountability Office said in Feb. 25 report that the Defense Department needs to get a better handle on its very considerable weapons systems software sustainment costs, which it estimated may run at least $15 billion over the next five years. […]
John Sherman, CIO of the intelligence community (IC), offered his view today into the principles guiding his office in its efforts to create an enterprise environment for the IC and stay on the cutting edge of technology. […]
If you’re just regular people, the answer is probably not. […]
Senior Defense Department officials told House members on Tuesday they are taking additional steps to boost cybersecurity workforce ranks at the Pentagon through means including the Cyber Excepted Service (CES) personnel system authorized in 2016 that allows DoD to expedite and simplify recruiting and hiring for civilian cyber professionals. […]
As the first chief data officer of the Department of Defense (DoD), Michael Conlin described the challenges of approaching a vast mountain of data from numerous systems at the Pentagon, and making it actionable information for the department. […]
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is seeking feedback on proposed updates to the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP) after being informed from 2018 baseline assessment results. […]
The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is working to address partner agency concerns about the effectiveness of its Joint Regional Security Stacks (JRSS) program, according to a blog post released by the agency on Thursday. […]
Defense Department (DoD) officials voiced sometimes conflicting ideas today about how the agency should migrate legacy systems to the cloud. […]
The Department of Defense’s Artificial Intelligence Strategy puts the DoD on more of a fast track toward developing and employing AI and machine learning to support, as the strategy’s preface states, “a force fit for our time.” The strategy outlines an accelerated, collaborative approach with industry, academia, and allies toward new technologies that will “transform […]
The Department of Defense’s recently released Cloud Strategy covers a lot of territory, from an emphasis on the multibillion dollar Joint Enterprise Defense Initiative as a foundation of its plans, to its description of seven strategic objectives it wants to achieve in the cloud. One of those objectives is to extend tactical support to warfighters at the network edge to give units in the field the technology and tactical information they need to operate in a battlefield where seamless communications are essential and where cyber operations and electronic warfare are an increasingly important factor. […]
President Trump today issued Space Policy Directive-4 (SPD-4) that orders the Secretary of Defense to create a legislative proposal that, if approved by Congress, would establish the administration’s proposed United States Space Force as the sixth branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. […]
The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) announced it will host a Proposers’ Day on Feb. 26 for its Secure, Assured, Intelligent Learning Systems (SAILS) program, and its Trojans in Artificial Intelligence (TrojAI) program. […]
The United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) issued a request for information on Feb. 14 for support for the command’s small applications, including help with a cloud migration and continuous delivery. Responses are due by February 28. […]
In late January, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) issued a solicitation to invite submissions of innovative basic or applied research concepts in neurotechnology. […]
Gen. Paul Nakasone, director of the National Security Agency and head of U.S. Cyber Command, told senators today he was optimistic about the future of U.S. cybersecurity, but also warned that Russian attempts to influence U.S. elections remain a threat. […]
The Department of Defense released a summary of the DoD AI Strategy today that sets goals to support military personnel and protect the country, with the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) leading the effort. […]
Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan announced on Feb. 8 that he was nominating Lt. Gen. VeraLinn “Dash” Jamieson to serve as Air Force’s deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and cyber effects operations. […]