The Army's $22B Microsoft deal might point to a new era of acquisitions
The Army’s Integrated Visual Augmentation System has been in the works for years, but the potentially multibillion deal could mark a paradigm shift in how the Defense Department buys and leverages technology.
DOD bets big on financial data to improve business performance
The Defense Department is betting that insights from its financial data will help improve its business operations, from optimizing the workforce to divesting of legacy systems.
New advisory council forms to collect industry CMMC feedback
The new organization will eventually produce regular public reports and address common industry concerns like the cost of implementation.
Biden taps DIU head for top Pentagon acquisition post
President Joe Biden nominates three for senior defense posts, including Michael Brown, the head of Defense Innovation Unit.
Mandatory review of DOD's compliance on CMMC is delayed
The Defense Department was supposed to submit a review to Congress by March 1 assessing whether components complied with the guidelines of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program. That deadline has been pushed to June.
First set of CMMC certification orgs emerge
The Defense Department's unified cybersecurity program is making gains with its first tranche of certifying bodies, but assessments for defense contractors are a ways off.
CMMC body hires its first CEO
The governing body in charge of implementing the Defense Department's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program has hired its first CEO in Matthew Travis, former deputy director of the Homeland Security Department's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Air Force seeks 'ubiquitous connectivity' from telework to bases
Lauren Knausenberger, the Air Force's CIO, said since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the service had increased focus on telework and improving base connectivity.
CMMC board preps for staff changes
The body in charge of standing up and running the Defense Department’s unified cybersecurity standard is shifting its staffing arrangement.
'How you spend money matters,' congressman says
House Armed Services Committee chair, Adam Smith's response to Republicans' call for at least a 3% topline defense budget increase is: "How you spend the money is what matters."
New House task force focuses on supply chain vulnerabilities
Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), co-chair of the Defense Critical Supply Chain Task Force, said "sometimes the marketplace just doesn't get it right and we, without intending to, create real national security vulnerabilities for ourselves."
Flat defense budget, cost-savings push seems likely for 2022
Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the chairman for the Senate Armed Services Committee, said military services should look for cost-savings and where reinvestments can be made.
Microsoft calls for acquisition reform amid JEDI battles
Defense industry experts call on lawmakers to reform the bid protest process because it slows the delivery of new solutions -- like JEDI -- that enhance national security.
GAO: DOD has to get a handle on future services spending
As the Defense Department looks to buy more services, it's going to need to come up with action plans to better account for spending in future years, according to a recent Government Accountability Office report.
CMMC reciprocity in sight for 2021
The Defense Department is still figuring out how to give contractors reciprocity with the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program and similar certifications, but the end is close, officials say.
GSA preps guidance for using CMMC in civilian contracts
The General Services Administration wants to get ahead with the training and education materials that contracting officers will need as Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification requirements become standard.
New risks threaten defense industry's cybersecurity, report claims
Newly reported cybersecurity vulnerabilities inched past 17,000 in 2020, signaling worsening security in the defense industrial base, according to a National Defense Industry Association report.
DOD used $16B in OTAs for COVID response
The Defense Pricing and Contracting Agency recorded more than $16 billion in other transaction agreements in 2020 as part of the Defense Department's response to the pandemic.
CMMC's final rule, training orgs expected this summer
A final rule on the Defense Department's unified cybersecurity standard could debut as soon as this summer but implementation hinges on standing up a formal training system.
Navy to stand up DevSecOps task force
The Navy will field a task force in March that will deliver recommendations that will lay the ground work for the Navy's enterprise-wide roadmap for implementing DevSecOps.
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