GovConJudicata Weekly Debrief (3/2–6)
This week's Weekly Debrief covers several interesting topics, including a Defense contractor being charged with espionage, the Navy is studying new carriers, how GSA innovation is helping DoD, how the VA CISO approaches risk, and DoJ's non-binding guide on how to navigate cyber research on the internet.
Defense
Federal News Network – Defense contractor charged with giving up military secrets
"A linguist working for the U.S. military who kept a list of secret informants hidden under her mattress was charged with sharing the names with a romantic interest linked to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, the Justice Department said Wednesday. Mariam Taha Thompson, 61, appeared in Washington’s federal court on Wednesday to face charges in an espionage case that investigators said put at risk the lives of American military members and confidential sources and represented a significant breach of classified information."
Breaking Defense – Beyond The Ford: Navy Studies Next-Gen Carriers EXCLUSIVE
"The Navy is launching a deep dive into the future of its aircraft carrier fleet, Breaking Defense has learned, even as the Secretary of Defense, dissatisfied with current Navy plans, conducts his own assessment. The two studies clearly show the deepening concern over how China’s growing might and the Pentagon’s eroding budgets could affect the iconic, expensive supercarriers."
GSA
Federal Times – How GSA’s innovation initiative is helping the Defense Department
"The GSA’s Centers of Excellence program’s partnership with the Department of Defense’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center has made strides in managing the agency’s data assets. In a news release March 5, GSA said CoE includes implementing a data governance structure specifically geared toward AI initiatives to speed up decision-making."
FedScoop – 3 GSA-level protests remain to commercial e-marketplace solicitation
"Just when it seemed the General Services Administration was ready to award commercial e-marketplace pilots, the agency revealed it is working through some agency-level protests that will delay the process. Three separate businesses are asking GSA to reassess their proposals, according to Bill Zielinski, the assistant commissioner of the Office of Information Technology."
VA
"Paul Cunningham sees some similarities between his first stint in government service—flying helicopters as a lieutenant commander for the U.S. Navy—and his current role as chief information security officer at the Veterans Affairs Department."
Justice
FCW – DOJ's totally non-binding guide to legal cyber research
"Private security researchers and threat intelligence firms that visit black market online forums for research should create internal rules, document their work and have established relationships with law enforcement, according to new guidance from the Department of Justice. The document offers non-binding legal guidance for how to navigate cyber intelligence gathering on the internet, particularly for sites that 'openly advertise illegal services and the sale of stolen credit card numbers, compromised passwords, and other sensitive information.'"
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