Stephen Lahanas

Brand recognition is a critical part of company awareness. A great example I just experience this week from Robert 🦄 Slaughter and the team over at Defense Unicorns. While helping a partner implement kubernetes at the edge (middle of the ocean where k8s belongs right?) we were evaluating Zarf (https://zarf.dev/). I recognized their mascot and immediately knew that the Defense Unicorns were behind it. This is a testament to the efforts that they put in their brand and mascot, not to mention the solution is open source tool is pretty awesome. Measuring brand recognition isn't easy....my feedback is, it's working! Keep up the good work folks.

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SKILLS-BASED HIRING is increasingly being adopted. Since 2109, iQ4 has invested significantly to be a market leader in Learning and Employment Record system - including a Digital Wallet that translates resumés, academic and military transcripts, and certifications into skills (professional, IT, operational/leadership) so Wallet holders can explore career pathways and get matched to vacancies. Read more in the attached article.

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DOD Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) Process - DOD Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) Process https://hubs.ly/Q02FHQjP0

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Defense Information Systems Agency's Director of Cybersecurity and Analytics, Brian Hermann, announced that their Thunderdome zero trust architecture will be extended to 60 more sites as part of the DOD's effort to reach their 2027 zero-trust goals. Hermann said these new cybersecurity meassures will also improve data management automation: "We need to have the tools to build the rules so that we can automate those things and be confident that we’re getting what we need out of that". It's amazing to see the strides DISA is making towards their objectives and I agree, this will help with far more than just cybersecurity! Read more: https://lnkd.in/d8xKkR-b #cybersecurity #govcon #disa #automation #dod #nationalsecurity

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DISA Expands Thunderdome Zero Trust Program Deployment; Brian Hermann, Quoted. ExecutiveGov discusses the Defense Information Systems Agency's (DISA) expansion of the Thunderdome zero trust program. In 2023, the program was deployed to 15 sites and plans are underway to extend it to 60 more sites in 2024. The program involves four key components: 🔐 Customer security stacks 🔗 Software-defined wide area networking 📴 Secure access service edge capability, and 💯 Application security stacks. Brian Hermann, DISA's director of the cybersecurity and analytics directorate, emphasized the program's role in advancing zero trust architecture, which is crucial for organizational security. DISA has also finalized the contracting process to support the U.S. Coast Guard’s network security improvement efforts through Thunderdome. Versa Networks is at the forefront of enhancing cybersecurity with their pivotal role in DISA's Thunderdome project. Their cutting-edge solutions are setting new standards in securing our nation's digital infrastructure. For more details, you can read the full article here:-https://lnkd.in/gw-9Bf3X #DISA #Thunderdome #ZeroTrust #Cybersecurity #versanetworks #channelpartners

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The United States Marine Corps has rolled out a new maintenance tracking system called QSRMax, which uses QR codes in barracks for Marines to easily report and track maintenance issues. The QSRMax system allows Marines to simply scan a QR code with their phones to report a problem, which is then received by barracks managers. This new digital system aims to improve accountability and responsiveness for maintenance requests, giving Marines the ability to track their requests in real-time. The system is part of the Marine Corps' "Barracks 2030" plan, which is aimed at improving housing conditions for Marines. It builds on a successful pilot program at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California, where the QSRMax concept was tested. This new maintenance tracking system is expected to help address longstanding issues with barracks upkeep and responsiveness to Marines' requests. By empowering Marines to report problems quickly and giving leadership better visibility, the Marine Corps hopes to improve living conditions and increase transparency. #MarineCorps #Barracks2030 #Maintenance #QRCodes #Facilities #MilitaryLife

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Major news for Defense Contractors! The CMMC Final Rule (CFR 32) has entered its last phase before publication, setting up the formal third-party assessment system. All public comments have been addressed, and the CMMC final rule is projected to be published in the Federal Register around September-October this year. Following publication, there will be a 60-day period before it goes into effect. From early 2024 to March 2025, assessors will begin conducting CMMC assessments and certifications at full speed. The DFARS clause (48 CFR) adding an audit and certification requirement for contract awards will likely go into effect around March 2025. For DoD contractors, now is the time to prepare for audits, Preparation typically take 9 to 18 months. Don't risk interruptions in your ability to obtain and keep DoD contracts. Has this convinced your leadership that CMMC is real? If you're scrambling, consider solutions that provide a clear path to compliance. Quatronics guides companies on what to do, how to do it, and when to stay compliant. Act now to maintain your DoD contracts without disruption.

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Vendor Provided Containers - Part 4 The "Vendor Dependency Conundrum". So you do FedRAMP or DOD/IL* work and you have a POAM (Plan of Action and Milestones). For the folks who don't do Public Sector work, this is basically a list of all of your compliance violations and vulnerabilities. What happens when you have a vulnerability in a vendor provided container? Specifically for something the vendor doesn't produce or patch? Often companies will make this a "Vendor Dependency". A "Vendor Dependency" is basically saying, "we'll wait until the upstream vendor patches it". But lets be real for a moment. The choice to use the "Vendor Provided Container" is yours and yours alone. Making it a vendor dependency is passing the responsibility for something that is most definitely the responsibility of the Cloud Service Provider (the authorized service). I described in my previous posts how vendor provided containers are woefully inadequate for production use (not hardened, not stripped, missing FIPS, etc). Long story short, the burden is still on the Cloud Service Provider (or consumer of those containers) to do all of the above. So while vendor provided containers are good to get started, they shouldn't be anywhere near a production environment. Going forward we need vendors to move past creating "development" containers, because that's really all they're good for. We need a standard for containers coming from vendors and if vendors are truly pursuing their CISA pledge of Secure by Design, they would harden them and strip them according to best practices. If they want to make it easy for DOD/FedRAMP customers, they would STIG harden them, and provide them with valid FIPS libraries. In summary, don't use vendor provided containers. You need to build your own or work with a vendor that builds and hardens container images as a service. Building your own images has a real cost to it too. It's also a discipline to do it fast and do it well. Teams are not usually equipped to take this on and often haphazardly do this work.

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In this article, SolarWinds GVP of Engineering Krishna Sai explores how AI, ML, and observability can help SOCOM and other DoD agencies achieve a multi-domain infrastructure that is interoperable, dependable, transparent, secure, and high performing. Read more in C4ISRNET here: https://bit.ly/3VZypTk

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In this article, SolarWinds GVP of Engineering Krishna Sai explores how AI, ML, and observability can help SOCOM and other DoD agencies achieve a multi-domain infrastructure that is interoperable, dependable, transparent, secure, and high performing. Read more in C4ISRNET here: https://bit.ly/3VZypTk

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The Marines are set to merge air control jobs as they adopt new air defense technology. This move will streamline their operations and enable immediate air support for troops in the field. In an effort to enhance their approach to aviation operations and address future long-distance operations, the United States Marine Corps plans to merge the roles of air controllers in tactical air operations centers and direct air support centers. The Marine Corps will introduce a Multifunction Air Operations Center, powered by a common aviation command-and-control system. This centralized facility will provide a comprehensive view of the battlespace, track aircraft and missiles, and effectively manage air defense assets. Additionally, the Marine Corps is gearing up to field multiple new defensive technologies by 2025, including the medium-range intercept capability, Marine air defense integrated system, and the light Marine air defense integrated system. These cutting-edge systems will bolster the Corps' air defense capabilities. Furthermore, Marine aviation is focusing on logistics to support their operational hubs spread across vast distances worldwide. Advanced communication systems, artificial intelligence, and specialized equipment like the tactical aviation ground refueling system will ensure efficient sustainment and readiness. #MarineCorps ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍#DefenseTechnologies #AirDefenseBatteries #MilitaryInnovation #MultifunctionAOC #CommandAndControl #AirDefenseSystems #AviationOperations #AirControlJobs #MilitaryTechnology #MarineAviation #Logistics #Sustainment #MilitaryProgress #MarineCorpsUpdates #AirDefenseEnhancements

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The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is facing a significant challenge with "technology debt" - the accumulation of outdated technology that is difficult and expensive to update or replace. This is exacerbated by the rapidly evolving cyber threats facing the organization. DISA is still running systems created in the 1970s, which are no longer sustainable as the expertise and parts to maintain them become scarce. This "technology debt" poses serious cybersecurity risks and can hinder the warfighter's ability to respond to threats in a timely manner. Caroline Bean, director of joint enterprise services at DISA, stated that "We need to make sure that technical debt is not pre-framed as just cost. There's a lot more that comes with technical debt. There's people, there's operational aspect, there's efficiencies." Brian Hermann, cybersecurity and analytics director at DISA, also noted that this "technology debt" amounts to "cyber risks when we have capabilities that have not evolved over the course of the last 10 years." Addressing the mounting "technology debt" at DISA is crucial to ensuring the organization can effectively respond to evolving cyber threats and provide the necessary support to the warfighter. Simplifying the data transfer framework and moving to more agile, flexible systems is seen as a key strategy to combat this challenge. #TechDebt #CyberSecurity #DefenseIT #DISA #TechTransformation #DigitalModernization

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The Pentagon's acquisition decisions must now prioritize the defense industrial base. The defense industrial base should be a core consideration, not an afterthought, in every acquisition decision. Procurement cuts can have devastating impacts on sub-tier suppliers and the overall industrial capacity. Recent conflicts have exposed the US's limited stockpiles and production constraints, hampering support to allies. The upcoming National Defense Industrial Strategy must drive broad acquisition reform to go beyond flexibility. #PentagonAcquisition #DefenseIndustrialBase #AcquisitionReform #HolisticDecisionMaking #IndustrialBase #SupplyChain #UkraineWar #IsraelDefense #NDIS #AcquisitionTransformation #DefenseNews #MilitaryTechnology #PentagonProcurement

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The United States Department of Defense (DOD) is launching a fully operational Vulnerability Disclosure Program (VDP) for the defense industrial base (DIB). This program allows independent white-hat hackers to identify and analyze vulnerabilities in companies' systems. Participation is voluntary and free for companies. The initiative aims to enhance cybersecurity in the DIB and promote timely mitigation of vulnerabilities. The DOD's collaboration with cybersecurity company HackerOne during a yearlong pilot has paved the way for this official program. #DoD #Cybersecurity #VulnerabilityDisclosure #DefenseIndustrialBase #CyberResilience

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