Quick Hits

*** The Pentagon announced that Gregory Kausner, has been named to assume the duties of undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment – the Defense Department's top acquisition official. Kausner has been serving as deputy undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment since January. Paul Cramer is taking over as acting deputy. Michael Brown, director of the Defense Innovation Unit, was nominated for the job but withdrew from consideration in July.

*** The National Institutes of Health extended the deadline to submit bids on its $50 billion CIO-SP4 contract vehicle until Aug. 20.

*** A new report from the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee points to systemic flaws in the U.S. government's cybersecurity posture, including the absence of a single point of accountability and weaknesses in the principal cybersecurity screening technology used to safeguard federal networks.