Archive for the 'DOD contracts' Category
Mar 02, 2010, post by awatrobski
The Department of Defense has signaled its intention to develop new policies requiring its vendors to meet increased standards for cybersecurity for unclassified military information residing on or being carried over private sector systems and networks.
In a memo issued in late January, Department of Defense chief information officer Cheryl Roby laid out a number of leadership responsibilities and strategic guidance on the development of stronger cybersecurity plans.
The Sprint to Business Continuity “It is DoD policy to establish a comprehensive approach for protecting unclassified DoD information transiting or residing on unclassified [Defense industrial base] systems and networks and create a timely, coordinated, and effective partnership with the [Defense industrial base],” Roby informed.
Hackers have increasingly been targeting and probing the Defense industrial base, sometimes successfully. For example, last year, it was revealed that hackers infiltrated the networks of government contractors and stole sensitive specs on the Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project. This poses a significant challenge, as a wide variety of military information resides on external systems, and a wide variety of defense IT work is outsourced.
The Department of Defense has in recent years been increasing the amount of work it does to secure its cyber supply chain, including taking such extreme measures as procuring chips for sensitive systems only from a limited number of “trusted foundries” in the United States. This effort may put a bit more DoD-wide rigor into similar exercises.
The memo lays out a number of responsibilities for top staff. For example, the DoD CIO will chair a Defense industrial board cybersecurity executive committee and coordinate oversight of industry cybersecurity activities with the DoD’s inspector general. The directors of the National Security Agency and Defense Intelligence Agency will provide support and cyber intrusion damage assessment analysis in the case of attack.
Other roles include the under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology, and logistics, who’s tasked with developing and injecting new cybersecurity policies into DoD’s acquisition processes; the DoD’s CFO, who will be necessary to monitor budgets related to these activities to make sure they’re adequately resourced; and the director of the DoD’s Cyber Crime Center, who will “serve as the focal point for threat information sharing.”
Feb 18, 2010, post by awatrobski
Not previously known as a driving force for green developments, the US Department of Defense (DoD) is increasingly looking for renewable energy technologies for use on its bases.
The Department has established programmes to help find and develop technologies from the private sector for its use.
The move is part of an overhaul of the DoD’s energy use, announced in the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) Report, published this month.
“The Department will… speed innovative energy and conservation technologies from laboratories to military end users. The Environmental Security and Technology Certification Program uses military installations as a testbed to demonstrate and create a market for innovative energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies coming out of the private sector and DoD and Department of Energy laboratories… The Department is improving small-scale energy efficiency and renewable energy projects at military installations through our Energy Conservation Investment Program,” informed the QDR Report.
Following an executive order from its commander in chief, president Obama, the DoD is to cut greenhouse gas emissions from its non-combat activities by 34 per cent by 2020.
The GHG reduction target exempts the aircraft, ships and land vehicles used in combat, but includes the Department’s 300,000-plus buildings and 160,000 fleet vehicles. Buildings and vehicles account for about a quarter of the DoD’s energy consumption, but nearly 40 per cent of its emissions.
Increased use of renewable energy sources will play a large part in hitting the emissions reduction target.
“Energy security for the Department means having assured access to reliable supplies of energy and the ability to protect and deliver sufficient energy to meet operational needs. Energy efficiency can serve as a force multiplier, because it increases the range and endurance of forces in the field and can reduce the number of combat forces diverted to protect energy supply lines,” informed the QDR.
Motivation is, of course, about ensuring that the DoD can still conduct operations. In 2008, the National Intelligence Council judged that more than 30 US military installations were already facing elevated levels of risk from rising sea levels.
“DoD’s operational readiness hinges on continued access to land, air and sea training and test space. Consequently, the Department must complete a comprehensive assessment of all installations to assess the potential impacts of climate change on its missions and adapt as required,” informed the QDR.
The DoD will coordinate its efforts in the US with the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Jan 01, 2010, post by Artur Ślesik
A Fulton company that provides jobs and services for adults with disabilities has been awarded a $110,000 contract to make coveralls for the U.S. Military. Oswego Industries, Inc. will produce 10,000 coveralls for all the branches of military service.
The contract comes through the Ability One program, a federal purchasing program that ensures a market for products generated by people who are blind or who have other severe disabilities. Oswego Industries, Inc. has been providing programs and services to adults with disabilities since 1969.
The all-white coveralls will be made to strict safety specifications, since they are often used around volatile materials. There can be no metal zippers, buttons, hooks, snaps, or rivets anywhere in the garment, and the cloth must resist static electricity. The coveralls will be worn by personnel cleaning jet fuel tanks, in the reactor areas of nuclear submarines and in other sensitive jobs.
