As defense entities continue to virtualize their IT environments, they must revisit not only their security architectures but their policy and governance models, the subject of the next SIGNAL webinar on November 12 at 11 a.m. Eastern Time.

Join Dr. James Ransome of Cisco Systems as he explores how the three commonly accepted models for cloud-service delivery can be implemented to drive efficiencies while maintaining desired security levels.

For more information and to register, click here.

In today’s telephony environment, the U.S. Department of Defense needs to not only meet the legacy demands of its current TDM technology but also lead its organization to the future of end-to-end IP-centric communications on the GIG, the subject of the next SIGNAL webinar on October 29 at 1 p.m. Eastern Time.

Join Steve Anderson of Cisco Federal and Jeff Sinclair of PacStar as they discuss key innovations of the newest Small End Office (SMEO) solution, certified August 2009.

For more information and to register, click here.

Carrier Ethernet takes the dominant LAN technology—namely, Ethernet—and extends it onto Metro and Wide Area networks (MANs/WANs). This potent force greatly simplifies access to, and use of, IP traffic for mission-critical applications and services.

Please join co-presenter Chris Janson, coauthor of the book Carrier Ethernet for Dummies, and Lt. Col Jeff Verrant, USMCR, Ciena’s director of DOD business development, for “Carrier Ethernet 101 – A Primer on Carrier Ethernet for the DOD” on Thurs., Oct. 15, 2009, at 1:00 PM ET.

Attend and learn how Carrier Ethernet can simplify your networking infrastructure while enabling all kinds of interesting new capabilities, including enhanced reliability and availability, simultaneous legacy and advanced services, improved Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), and more. You’ll also become acquainted with the various types of Carrier Ethernet services available, the benefits they provide, and how to easily put them to work for your organization.

Discover how to:

• Understand Carrier Ethernet LAN (E-LAN)
• Make Carrier Ethernet work for you to deliver packet and circuit connectivity
• Use environmentally hardened data platforms for service aggregation and delivery
• Extend Virtual Private LAN services onto the backbone

Attendees will receive a free copy of Carrier Ethernet for Dummies. For more information and to register, click here.

The next SIGNAL Webinar will be held on September 24, 2009, at 12:00 PM Eastern.

Government agencies and departments around the globe are rapidly moving forward with their efforts of converging voice, data and video services onto a common IP infrastructure. The main force behind this accelerated transition to IP networks is a realization of the efficiency and cost savings from running multiple applications and services across a single infrastructure.

Sponsored by Juniper Networks, this seminar will focus on the capabilities and cost savings that might be possible with EoIP and the benefits of using one IP network for all applications, including voice, video and data traffic using circuit emulation as opposed to Voice over IP.

For more information and to register, visit Transport Your Voice and Circuit Switched Data Traffic Over IP Networks.

The 2010 Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration (CWID) cycle has begun. Organizations interested in participating in the event can go to the Federal Business Opportunity site for details about how to participate.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff sponsors the annual event, which supports the U.S. Defense Department and homeland defense and security acquisition decisions. Federal, state and local government organizations identify the technology solutions they are seeking.

For next year’s CWID interoperability trials, decision-makers are interested in solutions in the areas of improved coalition command, control and coordination for conventional and irregular warfare operations as well as leader-centric and net-enabled operations. Other focus areas include enhanced coalition battlespace situational awareness, coalition logistics planning and partnership-building capabilities. Information security also is a key challenge, and CWID organizers would like to see technical solutions in this area as well.

As in 2009, assessment of the interoperability trials will take place in three areas: warfighter/operator utility, technical interoperability and/or information assurance. Warfighters and emergency responder personnel from the U.S. armed services, coalition partners, local and federal agencies and nongovernment organizations will be on hand to examine the technologies.

This year, more than 1,000 senior decision-makers representing the military and other government organizations visited U.S. CWID sites where technologies were put to the test in real-world scenarios. A final report about the event is expected to be released next month and will be posted on the CWID Web site.

AFCEA Intelligence and the Naval Intelligence Professionals/Naval Intelligence Foundation (NIP/NIF) have joined forces to sponsor two writing contests. The contests provide intelligence professionals with opportunities to express themselves on topics of importance to the Intelligence Community and national security.

The 2009 AFCEA Intelligence Essay Contest is on the following topic:

Collecting Intelligence: Balancing Safety, Security, and Privacy

Problem Statement: As the internal threat from terrorism has increased, the U.S. government has employed new and different methods to collect intelligence to forestall future attacks on U.S. soil. Discuss the implications of these actions on Constitutional guarantees of privacy for U.S. citizens versus the government’s imperative to provide safety and security. Include recommendations as to how this balance can be better maintained.

Top prize is $2,000 and a 2-year membership in AFCEA. Other prizes and additional information are here.

Entries for the 2009 Naval Intelligence Essay Contest should be on any subject pertaining to Naval Intelligence or intelligence support to naval forces.

This annual contest is sponsored by the Naval Intelligence Foundation, Naval Intelligence Professionals, and AFCEA, and underwritten in part by the Inman Foundation.

Prize and eligibility requirements are here.

SIGNAL Magazine has won its share of awards over the years, and all of its staffers justifiably have taken pride in their accomplishments. Usually, these awards have consisted of a single annual recognition for an article, a report or a graphic layout. This year, however, SIGNAL was blessed with separate awards for several endeavors.

The magazine has won three APEX 2009 Awards for Publication Excellence. Executive Editor Maryann Lawlor won an award in the Newswriting category for her article, “Morphing Robot Under Development” (December 2008, page 61). Editor in Chief Robert K. Ackerman won in the Scientific and Environmental Writing category for the article, Computer Researchers Look Past Silicon (June 2008, page 39). And, New Media Editor Helen Mosher won in the Blogs, Wikis and Forums category for the SIGNAL Scape blog, which she originated.

The winners, below, from left to right: Robert K. Ackerman, Maryann Lawlor, and Helen Mosher.

Joe Mazzafro, writing over at the MAZZ-INT blog for the AFCEA Intelligence community, explores the difficulty in finding a person who is both qualified and willing to be the new “Cyber Czar” :

To develop and implement an effective cyber security policy, common “DC wisdom” is that the Cyber Coordinator will need direct Presidential cover (i.e. access) and not report via the Deputy National Security Advisor for Terrorism with a dotted line to a counterpart on the Council of Economic Advisers. Of course, anybody qualified to be the nation’s first “Cyber Czar” will know they are only a pretender to the government’s real Cyber Czar – - – the Director of NSA (DIRNSA). NSA stands alone in understanding cyber space better than any organization on the planet and only it has the technical throw weight needed to immediately shore up America’s cyber defenses. When DIRNSA is dual hated as the Commander of US Cyber Command in October the position will gain even more influence and authority related to US interests in cyber space.

Given these circumstances I just don’t see many high profile personalities attracted to being the third or fourth choice for a position that lacks authority, reports to a Deputy National Security Adviser and must operate in the shadow of DIRNSA. What I do see, however, is an opportunity for a solid cyber professional who knows how to plan and get things done in government without being ego driven.

Read it all–and comment–here.

Helen Mosher and Henry Kenyon have been attending the most recent installment in the AFCEA SOLUTIONS series, “Inter-Agency, Allied and Coalition Information Sharing.” Mosher has been livetweeting from panels as @AFCEAHelen on Twitter, and both are blogging here at SIGNAL Scape under the AFCEA SOLUTIONS tag.

Be sure to save the link to the conference because audio will be available later. As it becomes available, the audio files will be linked to the blog posts.

AFCEA Intelligence and the Naval Intelligence Professionals/Naval Intelligence Foundation (NIP/NIF) have joined forces to sponsor two annual writing contests.

The contests provide intelligence professionals with opportunities to express themselves on topics of importance to the Intelligence Community and national security.

In the AFCEA 2009 Essay Contest, on “Safety, Security, and Privacy, respondents are asked to address the following problem statement:

As the internal threat from terrorism has increased, the U.S. government has employed new and different methods to collect intelligence to forestall future attacks on U.S. soil. Discuss the implications of these actions on Constitutional guarantees of privacy for U.S. citizens versus the government’s imperative to provide safety and security. Include recommendations as to how this balance can be better maintained.

Top prize is $2,000 and a two-year AFCEA membership. More information on the contest, including deadline and eligibility, is available here.

The Naval Intelligence 2009 Essay Contest is sponsored by the Naval Intelligence Foundation, Naval Intelligence Professionals, and AFCEA, and underwritten in part by the Inman Foundation. Entrants can write about any subject pertaining to Naval Intelligence or intelligence support to naval forces.

Top prize includes $1,000, a five year membership in the Naval Intelligence and a two-year membership in AFCEA. More information on the contest, including deadline and eligibility, is available here.