Welcome to MeriTalk News Briefs, where we bring you all the day’s action that didn’t quite make the headlines. No need to shout about ‘em, but we do feel that they merit talk.
Most Major Federal Agencies Are on Threat Dashboard
Kevin Cox, who leads the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation Program, said Wednesday that 20 out of 23 major civilian agencies are submitting data to the governmentwide dashboard intended to gather and analyze cybersecurity information. The remaining three agencies should be on the dashboard by late July, Cox said at Forcepoint’s Cybersecurity Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C. The latest tally is a huge boost from last July when only two agencies were plugged into the dashboard. While the improvement is significant, the dashboard failed to meet a previous DHS goal to have all agencies on it by February 2018.
Kaspersky Ban Extended to Contractors
A new rule from the General Services Administration, the Department of Defense (DoD) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration extends the ban on security technology provider Kaspersky goods and services to Federal contractors. The rule, published in the Federal Register on June 15, amends the Federal Acquisition Regulation so that all contracts and solicitations finalized after July 16, 2018, are required to include language prohibiting the presence of Kaspersky hardware, software, and products. The new rule extends beyond Federal contractors to include “micro-purchases” and off-the-shelf commercial purchases, which are typically not subject to many contracting regulations.
Presidential Innovation Fellowship Applications Open
The application window for the Fall 2018 Presidential Innovation Fellowship is open through June 24. The fellowship runs for 12 months and looks to use technology and leadership skills developed in the private sector to modernize the way government meets its mission. Fellows are matched with civil servants and Federal leaders to take on projects across all Federal agencies. Entrepreneurs, designers, data scientists, engineers, developers, and other technologists are encouraged to apply for the Fall 2018 cohort by 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 24. Interviews for those who advance to the next round of consideration will take place in July.
DoD Awards 14 Spots in SETI Contract
The DoD announced the first awardees for its $7.5 billion System Engineering, Technology and Innovation (SETI) Contract. The contract is designed to help the Pentagon research, develop, and build the next-gen defense IT. The 14 awardees, picked from a pool of 35 applicants, are all large businesses. The small business awardees are expected to be announced in the fourth quarter of FY 2018. The indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract vehicle has a five-year base period with on additional five-year option period. The first round of awardees include AASKI Technology, Accenture Federal Services, BAE Systems Technology, Booz Allen Hamilton, Deloitte Consulting, Peraton, IBM, KeyW, Leidos Innovations, Linquest, NES Associates, Northrop Grumman Systems, Parsons Government Services, and Vencore.
