Multinational operational commands in
March 2010
Can technology counteract the determined, the deceitful and the dimwitted? This is a question that has yet to be answered as the Army and other branches look at resuming the use of flash media on military networks.
A recently released publication is designed to help facilitate information sharing across civilian and military organizations in the U.S. Government. Produced as a joint effort by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Defense Department and the U.S. intelligence community, the document creates a common information security framework for the federal government and the contractors who support it.
DARPA no longer has a corner on the market for reaching out to nontraditional sources for new ideas. The U.S. Army has announced the Apps for the Army (A4A) challenge, a three-month outreach to the service’s active duty, National Guard and civilian employees that will award a total of $30,000 to the top 40 individuals or teams. Winners will be announced in June, and demonstrations will take place at the LandWarNet 2010 conference, Tampa, Florida, in August.
Probably no other area is receiving more attention and more discussion in the global security community than cyberspace. The realm of cyberspace is so critical to every part of society that it finally has been recognized as both a major asset and a threat environment. It could have tremendous impact on defense as well as crucial industries such as finance, energy, water and others if denied to nations or companies. As a result, every nation is trying to define its roles and vulnerabilities in cyberspace, and alliances such as NATO are creating organizations and procedures to strengthen their position.
Technology can help overcome Mother Nature’s wrath.
Tragedy can bring opportunity—in this case, to help save lives and reconstruct nations using the communications and information sharing tools that are the strengths of AFCEA’s members. Shame on us if we squander it.
Industry offers hope but with a caveat.
The U.S. intelligence community may be a beneficiary of increased government funding for cyberspace, but it is facing considerable acquisition challenges before it commits to spending money in that pipeline. The intelligence office in charge of acquisition and technology is striving to establish a new relationship between badly needed research and development and the delivery of new systems to its customers.
Satellite network provides over-the-horizon voice, data nets to warfighters on the move.
Ask any small unit deployed in theater, and troops will say their number one communications challenge is obtaining ready access to reliable, real-time voice and data connectivity. An innovative satellite-based tactical communications system featuring a unique multicast one-to-many architecture is helping warfighters solve that problem, and it works virtually anywhere, including the challenging terrain of
The National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) features a three-tier classified watch center that includes cybersecurity and threat analysis tools such as the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team EINSTEIN program.
Combining gallium and indium, Dr. Michael Dickey, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at NC State, has created a material that he is testing for an antenna that self-heals when cut. The antenna retains its conductivity through the cut because the wire is a liquid.
Lisa N. Wolford is the founder, president and chief executive officer of
Federal contract rules offer attractive terms for growing company.
CSSS.NET.
NATO is transitioning its satellite communications infrastructure from an ownership- and capability-based “bent pipe” arrangement to a more fluid, service-led approach. The challenge for the alliance now is in making plans and provisions for that new capability, which aims at providing a guaranteed ability to obtain the required services to meet collaborative communications needs in space and on the ground.
Focused, sophisticated attacks target specific users, concentrate on social networking sites.
Strategic efforts to access top executives’ computers and to steal source code and intellectual property are taking cybercrime beyond simple financial theft. Criminals and foreign organizations are launching more sophisticated and targeted phishing and malware attacks, resulting in more prevalent infiltrations in 2009. Cybercriminals often target social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, and use an individual’s personal data to fool friends and colleagues into revealing valuable personal and corporate data.