Cybersecurity

CMMC: The Dramatic Year of the Pentagon’s Contractor Cybersecurity Program

The Defense Department’s main effort to protect its supply chain from cyber threats charged ahead through the pandemic but not without controversy.  

Emerging Tech

The Army Aims to Be Less Dependent on Contractors for Software

The command of the military branch in charge of looking ahead is soliciting prototypes for a major knowledge-transfer initiative.

Digital Government

DOD Released Its First Enterprisewide Data Strategy in 2020. Here’s Why It Matters.

While industry experts say the strategy lays a much-needed foundation, the devil’s in the details when it comes to implementation.

Digital Government

House Votes to Override Trump’s NDAA Veto

The Senate will likely vote Tuesday, potentially overriding Trump’s veto for the first time in his presidency.

Artificial Intelligence

Critical Update: Why Having Artificial Intelligence Talent is a National Security Issue

Dr. José-Marie Griffiths discusses her work crafting workforce recommendations for Congress as part of her work with the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence.

Modernization

Defense, Intelligence Agencies Made Major Moves in Cloud in 2020

After bid protests and litigation, some of the largest cloud contracts the government has attempted can get underway. 

Policy

Trump Vetoes Defense Policy Bill Over Base Names, Unrelated Internet Law

The House has already scheduled a vote after Christmas to override the president’s long-threatened rejection of the annual Defense authorization act, which also includes an expansion of federal employee leave benefits.

Emerging Tech

Pentagon Targets Emerging Smart Technologies to Pilot in 2021

Companies are invited to apply to present relevant products during a solutions meeting next spring.

Cybersecurity

Massive Hack Roundup: Attorney General Pins Intrusion on Russia

Here are the news and updates you may have missed.

Emerging Tech

Researchers Sent ‘Smart Fabric’ Capable of Detecting Microscopic Vibrations to Space

The acoustic fabric, which could eventually be used in spacesuits and soldier uniforms, “bridges the physical and digital domains,” officials say. 

Cybersecurity

Trump Officials Deliver Plan to Split Up Cyber Command, NSA

An end to the “dual hat” arrangement has been debated for years — but the timing raises questions. The plan requires Milley's certification to move ahead.

Cybersecurity

DIU, CISA Team Up to Coordinate Cybersecurity Tech Investments

The Defense and Homeland Security departments agreed to develop cybersecurity technologies for national security applications together.

Modernization

Amazon, Pentagon Resume JEDI Legal Arguments

Amazon Web Services asks the judge to toss out the contract award while Defense Department lawyers call the company’s protest a “prohibited strategic gambit.”

Cybersecurity

Pentagon Preps for First CMMC Pilots in 2021

The Pentagon’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program will begin including security requirements in select solicitations starting next year.

Emerging Tech

Defense Awards $2.5B Deal for Next-Gen Communications Prototypes

5G- and tech-centered initiatives steered by the National Spectrum Consortium are set to kick off.

Emerging Tech

Pentagon Risks Falling Short on Electromagnetic Spectrum Goals, GAO Finds

The Defense Department needs to improve governance and oversight of EMS strategies in order to maintain operational control, according to a new audit.

Ideas

Scientists Suggest U.S. Embassies Were Hit with High-Power Microwaves – Here's How the Weapons Work

The technology behind the suspected weapons is well understood and dates back to the Cold War arms race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

Modernization

$496M Contract Will Give DOD Engineering Capabilities, Official Says

A new Pentagon five-year contracting vehicle will support modernization and the development of the joint warfighting concept and promote technological innovation.

Emerging Tech

Army Issues $25M Sole-Source Contract to Monitor COVID-19 Vaccine Temperatures

The contract is part of the governmentwide effort to ensure COVID-19 vaccines are safely delivered.