Defense
Trump formally taps Joshua Rudd to lead NSA, Cyber Command
The nomination marks a turning point for the electronic surveillance and hacking teams that have been without a permanent leader for eight months.
Sen. Cotton urges top White House cyber official to protect open-source software
A letter from the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee cites previous Nextgov/FCW reporting about a potential Russian backdoor into a Defense Department software suite.
US charges former Accenture employee with misleading feds on cloud platform’s security
Danielle Hillmer, most recently employed with SentinelOne, allegedly concealed a cloud product’s noncompliance with federal security regulations.
Defense authorization bill includes billions for cyber, intelligence matters
The NDAA notably deviates partly from President Donald Trump’s national security strategy, which seeks some distance between the U.S. and Europe. It also makes a sweeping regulatory harmonization demand.
AI enhances Defense Logistics Agency’s end-to-end operations, CIO says
DLA Chief Information Officer Adarryl Roberts said accelerating Pentagon-wide adoption of AI tools is important because “we need to move at pace to keep up with our adversaries in China and Russia.”
A leadership vacuum and staff cuts threaten NSA morale, operational strength
The signals intelligence giant has halted recruitment for its Legal Honors Program, two people familiar say, slowing inflow of top legal talent. Other long-term capabilities are at risk.
Over 100 cyber professionals call for quick Kirsten Davies confirmation as DOD CIO
Davies was nominated in May and is scheduled to testify on Thursday.
Pentagon research official wants to have AI on every desktop in 6 to 9 months
DOD's under secretary of defense for research and engineering said he's “excited” for the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office’s new role driving research across the department.
Exclusive
Report: Russia-based Yandex employee oversees open-source software approved for DOD use
The package is listed inside Platform One’s Iron Bank, a vetted Defense Department software repository, people familiar say.
NIH CIO Adele Merritt departs for DOD-affiliated research role
Meritt’s exit comes after serving in the role for just over eight months.
Exclusive
Pentagon reductions set back critical AI-data platform
After users flocked to Advana, DOD’s AI office laid out a plan to keep it growing. Then came DOGE.
Small defense industrial base firms pose tempting targets for nation-state hackers, NSA official says
Some 80% of the defense industrial base are actually small firms, according to the NSA’s head of DIB security, who has helped over 200 providers identify thousands of vulnerabilities in their systems.
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Pentagon halts $15B Advana recompete draft solicitation
DOD was previously looking to bring in new vendors to support its Advana data-analytics platform through a potential 10-year, $15 billion Advancing Artificial Intelligence Multiple Award Contract.
Pentagon not impacted by Microsoft Sharepoint hack, tech chief says
The department has been holding daily calls with Microsoft since the zero-day was discovered, the DOD CIO said at an event Thursday.
Salt Typhoon hacks into National Guard systems a ‘serious escalation’, experts warn
“Going forward, all U.S. forces must now assume their networks are compromised and will be degraded,” a former Air National Guard servicemember said.
Updated
Pentagon awards multiple companies $200M contracts for AI tools
Four tech firms just won big.
DOD gets millions for cyber capabilities under GOP reconciliation package
The law’s vast cuts to Medicaid, however, are putting rural healthcare groups on high alert.
More than 60,000 feds are still waiting for their 2025 pay raise
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision last spring to shutter a slew of advisory committees has imperiled already enacted pay raises for federal employees in blue collar jobs.
Iran-backed hackers may target US defense companies tied to Israel, agencies warn
“Despite a declared ceasefire and ongoing negotiations towards a permanent solution, Iranian-affiliated cyber actors and hacktivist groups may still conduct malicious cyber activity,” a government advisory says.
AI companies see openings to improve federal, defense operations
Executives at OpenAI and Anthropic have both championed artificial intelligence as the future of government workflows.
