Rich Wissler, PMP

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/dhj2iTT9 #DISA #Thunderdome #ZeroTrust #Cybersecurity #versanetworks #channelpartners

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Responses to the RFI are due 10-June. As the Army unveils plans for its monumental $1B software development contract, it's evident that the landscape of defense IT is evolving at an unprecedented pace. The New Modern Software Development IDIQ demands not just capability but agility, security, and innovation. To stay ahead in this dynamic environment, industry players must prioritize modern software development practices like DevSecOps, Agile methodologies, and continuous integration/continuous delivery. Customization is key, whether it's in developing new products or modifying existing solutions. Moreover, the ability to provide SaaS hosting and robust security measures is non-negotiable. But beyond these basics, differentiation lies in embracing cutting-edge technologies. Industry must demonstrate proficiency in emerging areas like AI, ML, and cybersecurity. Mastery of these technologies will not only enhance product offerings but also ensure readiness for future challenges. As the Army seeks to modernize its software capabilities, it's imperative for industry partners to align with its vision. This is where CRG's expertise comes into play. With our comprehensive support in pre- and post-award processes, we enable companies to navigate complex procurement landscapes and seize lucrative opportunities. Don't miss your chance to be at the forefront of defense IT innovation - contact CRG today. CRG’s SMEs & dedicated teams excel in providing comprehensive pre- and post-award support. Visit https://crgroupinc.com/ or reach out to us at contact@crgroupinc.com to learn more about how CRG can empower your organization. IL - VA - DC - Dubai, UAE. #DefenseIT #SoftwareDevelopment #ArmyContract #Modernization #Agile #DevSecOps #Cybersecurity #AI #MachineLearning #DoDContracts #USMilitary #TechInnovation #SoftwareEngineering #ITModernization #CyberDefense #AgileDevelopment #DevOps #SoftwareSolutions #DefenseTechnology #LockheedMartin #NorthropGrumman #RaytheonTechnologies #Boeing #GeneralDynamic #L3HarrisTechnologies #Leidos #BAESystems #SAIC #CACIInternational #BoozAllenHamilton #GeneralElectric #IBM #Microsoft #Oracle #CiscoSystems #Accenture #HewlettPackardEnterprise #DellTechnologies #AmazonWebServices #EDGE 

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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/e9MczpTa   #DISA #Thunderdome #ZeroTrust #Cybersecurity #versanetworks #channelpartners

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Don't miss out on the Army's upcoming RS3 and ITES-3S recompetes! Our team of government contracting experts can evaluate your company's capabilities, past performance, and competitive landscape to determine if these contracts align with your strengths. Let us help you craft a winning proposal strategy. #govcon #captureplanning #proposalwriting

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See you at Department of the Navy Chief Information Officer (DON CIO) #ITEast2024 in Norfolk this week. Connect with CORAS Team members Mark Fedeli and Robert Nichels, PMP and learn how we are supporting #USN Vice Admirals to PMs to secure information at all levels. #CDIO #5G #CISO #Cybersecurity #DataAvailability #DataInteroperability #InfoSharing #Strategy #AI #DriverTrees #DecisionManagement #FedRAMPHigh #IL5 #SIPR

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As the Army seeks to modernize its software capabilities, it's imperative for industry partners to align with its vision. This is where CRG's expertise comes into play. With our comprehensive support in pre- and post-award processes, we enable companies to navigate complex procurement landscapes and seize lucrative opportunities. Don't miss your chance to be at the forefront of defense IT innovation - contact CRG today. CRG’s SMEs & dedicated teams excel in providing comprehensive pre- and post-award support. Visit https://crgroupinc.com/ or reach out to us at contact@crgroupinc.com to learn more about how CRG can empower your organization. IL - VA - DC - Dubai, UAE. #SoftwareDevelopment #Modernization #Agile #DevSecOps #Cybersecurity #AI #MachineLearning #SoftwareEngineering #ITModernization #DoD #USArmy #ArmyStrong #CyberDefense #AgileDevelopment #DevOps #SoftwareSolutions #DIB #DISA #CYBERCOM

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Must watch for anyone in UK and NATO Defence capability development, especially in the operational space: US Army - Enabling Modern Software Development and Acquisition Practices. Defence capability is data and software driven - established practices are outdated and WILL be changed. On 11 March the US Army published its directive to modernize its Software Development and Acquisition Practices. This is a really good insight into the logic and content of the directive which I highly recommend. "This policy represents a significant effort to comprehensively adjust our legacy software development processes in line with private sector best practices. These changes will fundamentally reshape how we develop and acquire software, making us more agile and innovative.” The Directive seeks to move Army practices away from waterfall and requirements driven practices (still at the core of most military software acquisition processes despite talk of agile) into a user led development through initiatives such as: high level capability needs statements, digital capability Centres of Excellence, agile testing and Authority to Operate (ATO). Adopt today!! #defencetransformation #digitaltransformation #multidomainoperations #MargaretBoatner #EdBarker

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As the designer and operator of the nation’s largest LVC enterprise, HII enhances productivity using agile engineering to provide continuous evolution of training technologies and solutions​. Learn more in the video below.

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We made great connections with both industry and government at Rocky Mountain Chapter AFCEA. The United States Department of Defense and United States Department of the Air Force leadership have a tremendous opportunity to engage industry like never before as we bring proven technology to operators in a zero-trust AOA for the 5th domain. Here are a few highlights. We'll have more panel specifics coming out later this week from our team. Lt Gen Robert Skinner and Brig Gen Heather Blackwell led a great fireside chat on the future of the USAF workforce, and how they can build a better bridge to and from industry, to the mission. Lt Gen (Ret) Harry Raduege ran an excellent panel on zero trust with Miriam Marwick of Palantir Technologies, Maj Gen (Ret) Earl Matthews, Maj Gen, USAF (Ret) of Mandiant (now part of Google Cloud), and Max Perez of Infleqtion. Dr. Miriam Marwick boosted the maxim that "innovation isn't risk, it's required." This set a great tone for the group where each expert was on the cutting edge of zero-trust DoD applications. Earl Matthews, Maj Gen, USAF (Ret) reinforced that we need to verify before we trust, as the surface area for attacks on the data fabric is expanding exponentially across devices. Max Perez's commentary on how "fully entangled network transmission" will fundamentally change how information is delivered by encoding at the photon level was incredible. This is a massive benefit over the adversary. #ZeroTrust #RMCS23

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Defense innovation community + acquisition network: Please take a look at this invaluable research survey on DoD acquisition that USSF Officer, Roman Tillman, is conducting with the goal of informing a set of best practices that can be codified in creating USSF acquisition doctrine. Driving innovation can be thankless, heavy work, but THIS is a tangible way to get your voices heard + support work that has the potential to inform the next generations of defense acquisition - informed by lessons learned, inspired by the warfighter, and committed to the mission. Endless thanks to you & your thought leadership, Roman Tillman. I'm beyond excited to see what you create -- I'm certain we need it. Tagging some wonderful humans/leaders/champions for defense innovation & acquisition within my network who come to mind (+ I admire!) that may have particular interest in this survey and/or know of others to tag/share with for increased DoD visibility: Kerry Kearschner Dolores Kuchina-Musina, Ph.D. Kim Crider Justin Fanelli Jason Rathje Bonnie Evangelista Gary Koch Angela Falcini Steven Geary Adam Rentschler David H. Reggie Wesley, MSSI, PMP Matt MacGregor Scott Bewley ken kato Nicolas M. Chaillan Robert McDonald Jr. Matthew Culp Brian DeLong Robert McDonough, MBA, PMP, LSSYB Jaska Cason Gabe Mounce Alonso Segura Kris Saling Greg Fox Albert Arnold Nick Cervantes Raj Sharma Elizabeth Reynolds Tate Westbrook Mark Bailey Daniel Carroll Clayton Duncan Candace Wright Gina Sims Travis Ledwith John Shultz Strategic Institute for Innovation in Government Contracting + SO MANY MORE!

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🚨 Attention DoD Contractors! 🚨 Did you know? All DoD prime- and sub-contractors planning to bid on future contracts will be required to obtain a CMMC certification prior to contract award. 🛡️ Don't let this requirement intimidate you! Two-14 experts are here to ensure your company is compliant and bid-ready. Whether you're just starting or need to update your current cybersecurity measures, we've got you covered. 📞 Contact us today to find out how we can help you navigate the complexities of the CMMC certification. Let's get you prepared to secure those contracts with confidence! 🔗 www.two14aviation.com #CMMC #Cybersecurity #DoDContractors #DefenseIndustry #Compliance #Two14Experts #SecureYourSuccess

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The Pentagon's IT agency is introducing a new program, DOD Olympus, aimed at simplifying cloud solution development for defense organizations. This initiative will provide a comprehensive toolkit enabling agencies to deploy commercial cloud solutions efficiently, addressing common challenges such as network connectivity, security, and server operations that smaller IT teams might find daunting. DOD Olympus, part of the broader Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability contract, offers a service-agnostic platform that can integrate with existing tools like the Vulcan DevSecOps platform, allowing for seamless application deployment and resource management. This effort also ties in with DISA’s data centers to facilitate the creation of hybrid cloud environments. The program is still in its nascent stages, with plans for a beta release later this year, and is designed to cater to various defense departments without the constraints typical of branch-specific solutions. #dodolympus #defensecloud #cloudsolutions #militarytechnology #defenseinnovation #disa #cloudcomputing #devsecops #hybridcloud #technologytransformation Source- https://lnkd.in/gcsyV_jt

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Yesterday, 13 June 2024, was the one year anniversary of the DoD Tiger Team's Recommendations "To Optimize Foreign Military Sales." Maybe I missed the follow-up, just like I missed the follow up to the Dept of State 18 May 2023 "FMS 2023: Retooling Foreign Military Sales for An Age of Strategic Competition." But that's OK, I'm sure the Congressional FMS Tiger Task Force report issued 7 Feb 2024 will solve things...or maybe there will be another tiger team, blue ribbon commission, or "Vision 2030" published next year that talks about how critical the FMS process is to our partner, allies, and to U.S. national security. The U.S. cannot afford to keep talking about re-tooling of Foreign Military Sales process. We need real change and we need it NOW!

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"Data is our lifeblood – everything we do is about data," emphasizes Vice Adm. Kelly Aeschbach at the AFCEA Hampton Roads Maritime IT Summit. Commander, Naval Information Forces leaders highlight the crucial role of information warfare in modern naval operations, integrating it across all domains to ensure superior battlespace awareness and command control. #InformationWarfare #NAVIFOR #DefenseInnovation #DataDrivenDecisions Read more below:

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Bill Greenwalt at the American Enterprise Institute and a former deputy undersecretary of defense for industrial policy makes a compelling argument for DoD and Congress to step in and scrap CMMC 2.0. CMMC compliance will cost $4 billion (!) annually and will unfairly impact small businesses that DoD wants in (or back in) the defense industrial base. Large contractors will mostly pass on their costs through cost plus contracts, but small businesses will have to invest an early (low) estimate of $100,000 or risk being barred from Government contracts. "Companies that fail these audits are punished ... This punitive enforcement through the contracting process will surely dissuade new and innovative companies from doing business with DoD." "Finally, there's the open question of whether the type of information CMMC seeks to protect, controlled unclassified information (CUI), needs stringent safeguards at all... most CUI probably does not need to be controlled and is only designated as such because of an aversion to risk among those marking it." "CMMC 2.0 is not the way to achieve these objectives and it would be best for DoD to cancel the project. If it doesn't, Congress should act before too many resources are wasted on this effort." #defenseindustry #CMMC #cybersecurity https://lnkd.in/ercSR_KH

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The United States Marine Corps is seeking a more agile MILCON process. According to Rear Adm. Dean VanderLey, the challenge lies in the program budget process. The current system lacks the flexibility needed to address urgent repairs or adjustments efficiently. The Corps often taps into its facilities, restoration, and modernization funds, but this comes at a cost. Col. Jeffrey L. Hammond expressed the need for prioritization due to budget limitations, stating, "We can do anything; we just can't do everything." The article highlights the trade-offs between expedited project delivery and cost. While emergency MILCON authorities exist, they generally require sacrificing other planned projects. However, through undefinitized contract action, the Marine Corps completed $400 million worth of repairs to Pacific Northwest dry docks in just four months. Rear Adm. VanderLey emphasized the importance of more authorities to enhance agility within the MILCON process. Brig. Gen. Jason Woodworth also supports the need for increased reactivity. Check out the full article for more insights on the Marine Corps' quest for an agile MILCON process. #MarineCorps #AgileConstruction #MilitaryInfrastructure #BudgetPriorities

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It is too big a burden for small businesses especially construction and mechanical subcontractors that work on military bases. There are requirements to bring more non traditional contractors into the DoD as a % of work content. How to primes meet this requirement when they have to force these small companies into compliance with CMMC?

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Great article by Noah Robertson which captures one of the big challenges our Industry has in getting solutions delivered quickly to the warfighters. It's understandable that the DOD acquisitions process needs robustness when committing 13% of the Federal Government's budget towards the nation's security. The GAO report highlights that the Acquisitions community lacks the people and the creativity to apply the processes in ways that are appropriate to specific programs. The B-21 program needs an entirely different acquisition strategy than is required for the rapid fielding of tactical, loitering munitions. Similarly, Middle Tier Acquisition (MTA) programs which are fielding products with short lives don't need the same long-term planning for product Lifecycle Support as is needed for a new Frigate. There are a lot of very creative and eager companies which value the DOD as a customer, but they're getting forced out of the market by unpredictable acquisitions schedules. Undersecretary Heidi Shyu's investment in RDER and Sec Austin's commitments to OSC illustrate DOD leadership's understanding of the problem. Carrying that momentum on to MTA programs, DOD needs contracting officers and program managers who can tailor DOD 5000. Don't define a protracted, 36 month acquisition process to a rapidly evolving software development program. On the Industry side, we can contribute to defining acquisition solutions too. Being members of industry consortia, partnering with Primes on IDIQs, and defining commercial contracts are ways in which we can give our DOD program managers avenues through which they can better access smaller and mid-tier companies, and deliver more quickly and more affordably to the warfighters. DOD Acquisitions processes aren't one-size-fits-all. We have some of the most talented engineers, logisticians, operators, and managers in our nation, and we're not short of skill or motivation. We can't wait for someone else to solve all of the problems with DOD acquisitions before we weigh in. In DOD and in Industry, we each need to contribute in our own ways. Our warfighters, our countrymen and our employees are counting on us. #acquisitionreform #rder #cjadc2 #projectconvergence #abms #projectovermatch

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