Ideas
AFA Conference Wire: China Warnings and B-21 Numbers
News and notes from the 2021 Air Force Association's Air, Space & Cyber conference.
Defense Systems
White House nominates John Sherman for DOD CIO
John Sherman was named DOD's principal deputy CIO in 2020 and has been acting in the CIO role since January.
Defense Systems
AFGE looks to block Cyber Command reserve program in NDAA
A proposed amendment to the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act to pilot a cybersecurity reserve force at the Department of Defense would weaken merit systems principles, according to the largest federal employee union.
Defense Systems
Inglis: First rule of cyber education is budget accountability
The newly appointed cyber director has been setting priorities and carving out turf for his office to cover. With that will likely come some scrutiny of how the government spends resources on cyber.
Defense Systems
DOD wants industry to continue with CMMC prep amid program review
Dr. Christine Michienzi, the chief technology officer for the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Policy, said while results were coming soon, defense contractors should "continue on" with updates to cybersecurity practices as DOD finalizes its review of its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program.
Defense Systems
Chris Inglis outlines blueprint for federal cyber priorities
The newly installed National Cyber Director offered his take on the roles and responsibilities of his office, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the National Security Council and agency IT and security operations in responding to federal cyber incidents.
Defense Systems
Fostering a diverse cybersecurity workforce
Experts at an Aspen Institute event explained some roadblocks to cultivating a diverse cybersecurity workforce and offered potential solutions, including putting less reliance on formal certification.
Defense Systems
DOD's silence on CMMC is worrying industry, trade groups claim
Months of silence from the Defense Department on the status of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program is palpable and stirring unease among defense contractors, trade associations say in a letter to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks.
Science & Tech
How Equipment Left In Afghanistan Will Expose US Secrets
Even rendered inoperable, equipment now in the hands of the Taliban will yield troves of information about how the U.S. builds weapons and uses them.
Defense Systems
Progress made in protest for Army's cyber range
The Army is inching closer to resolving a couple protests of its $2.4 billion cyber range support contract, which is welcome news for ManTech.
Defense Systems
White House hits the gas on zero trust
Newly released strategy and technical guidance documents covering zero trust and cloud security are open for comment as part of a federal push to improve federal government cybersecurity.
Science & Tech
US Air Force’s First Software Chief Steps Down
Nicolas Chaillan, who led a Pentagon-wide DevSecOps effort, said he was leaving in part because of a lack of support from senior leaders.
Defense Systems
House panel passes 2022 NDAA with eye on cyber workforce
The House Armed Services Committee passed its version of the 2022 defense policy bill, 57-2.
Defense Systems
Microelectronics supply chain challenges and zero trust
When it comes to microelectronics supply chain, better security risk assessment as manufacturers base contend with ongoing threats.
Ideas
The Curious Omission in Russia’s New Security Strategy
It doesn’t mention “cyber”—and that tells us a few things.
Defense Systems
CMMC board chief talks assessors, IT staff
Matt Travis, the CEO for the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Accreditation Body, said proper training and IT access to the Defense Department's Enterprise Mission Assurance Support Service (eMASS) application, which will house CMMC data, still needs to be finalized for the third-party organizations that will be charged with conducting cyber assessments.
Defense Systems
Army looks to revise cyber operations doctrine
Brig. Gen. Paul Stanton, the commanding general for the Army's Cyber Center of Excellence, said the service was in the final stages of publishing a revised field manual on how it executes cyber operations.
Defense Systems
Navy looks beyond RMF to build cyber resilience
The Navy wants to fortify its cyber resilience to keep pace with rapid software development needs, but changing workforce habits has to come first.
Defense Systems
DHS wants a CMMC-like model for contractors
DHS' Office of the Chief Procurement Officer issued a special notice Aug. 10, noting that it is looking for a way to check contractors' compliance with its cyber hygiene clauses released in 2015.
Defense Systems