Survey: Top Concern of IT Workers Is Hacking

Morning Coffee is a robust blend of links to news around the internet concerning the Naval Air Station Patuxent River economic community. The opinions expressed here do not reflect opinions of the Leader’s owners or staff.

An online survey of hundreds of IT experts — many working at civilian federal agencies — found that hacking is their biggest concern, reports C4ISRNET. DoD employees, however, were more likely to list foreign governments as the top threat. Concerns over ransomware, malware, and phishing were also noted among public sector respondents. The Public Sector Cybersecurity Survey was commissioned by SolarWinds.

RADM Eric Ver Hage, commander of the Navy’s Regional Maintenance Center, says the Navy is paying more attention to its battle damage assessment and repair capabilities, reports Defense News. Most recently, the service used the hull of the burned-out Bonhomme Richard for practice.

Top military officers delivered warnings last week to the House Appropriations Committee about the budgetary chaos caused by stopgap spending measures, known as continuing resolutions, reports Defense News.

The US Navy is starting to make chaplains a permanent part of its warship’s force, reports Navy Times. The effort has begun with the US 7th Fleet based in Japan.

The federal Office of Personnel Management says that 45% of the federal government’s 2.1 million employees were engaging in telework six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, reports FCW, a development that saved the government $180 million. OPM released its 2020 Federal Employer Viewpoint Survey earlier this month.

The Department of Homeland Security intelligence office saw “significant chatter” in the 48 hours before January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol, reports Politico, and concluded it was just hyperbole. DHS officials weighed what to share with law enforcement and ultimately proceeded with caution. In some cases, the officials worried that reporting violent messages found online could infringe on Americans’ civil liberties.

Homeland Security says it has improved its intelligence operations since the January 2021 attack, particularly those focused on domestic extremism, reports FCW. Among the improvements: new intelligence products about domestic violent extremism to inform the public about the latest threats; establishing the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnership to expand the department’s ability to prevent terrorism and targeted violence; and create a task force to coordinate DHS’ efforts to combat domestic violent extremism and violence against members of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.

MAJ GEN Edward Thomas Jr. says the US Air Force recruiting service will have a tough time hitting its goals for fiscal 2022, reports Task & Purpose. Some of the reasons: the pandemic, a low number of eligible recruits, and a low unemployment rate.

In the hopes of attracting soldiers to certain critical jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Army is offering a maximum enlistment bonus of $50,000 to highly skilled recruits who join for six years, reports The Associated Press.

The Army has issued nearly 3,000 written reprimands to soldiers who have so far refused to follow the Pentagon’s COVID vaccine mandate, reports The Hill.

 

 

Veterans Affairs officials say the department will not mail at-home coronavirus kits to veterans, reports Army Times, but they are reminding veterans that its medical facilities can offer free in-person tests in many circumstances.

The Marine Corps granted two service members a permanent religious exemption from the COVID vaccine mandate, reports Military.com. It is the first military branch to do so.

The state has acknowledged that the December 4 attack on the Maryland Department of Health’s computer system was a ransomware attack, reports Maryland Matters. The state’s Chief Information Security Officer Chip Stewart described the unidentified attackers’ demand as “an extortion payment.” The state has not paid those responsible.

Jake Sullivan, White House national security adviser, says the threat of a Russian military invasion of Ukraine is “high,” reports The Hill. He said that the US and its European allies are “prepared to continue with diplomacy to advance security and stability in the Euro Atlantic. We are equally prepared if Russia chooses a different path.”

Rockets targeted the US Embassy in Baghdad’s Green Zone on Thursday, reports Military Times. The area is home to diplomatic missions and the seat of Iraq’s government.

The Naval Safety Center finds that the carrier Carl Vinson suffered four “Class A” mishaps among its aircraft in the final six weeks of 2021, reports Navy Times. Three of those occurred in the same week. Class A mishaps involve damages of $2.5 million or more.

A Navy MH-60S helicopter experienced a hard landing in a field near Smithfield, VA, last week, reports Navy Times. The MH-60S was assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 26 at Naval Station Norfolk. One crew member was injured.

Charles McGee, a Tuskegee Airman who flew 409 fighter combat missions over three wars, died Sunday at his Bethesda home, reports CBS News. One of the last remaining Tuskegee airmen, McGee was 102.

Maryland is expected to receive $81.9 million this fiscal year, and $409.5 million during the five-year program for distressed bridges, reports Maryland Matters. More than 45,000 bridges across the country are in poor condition, says the US Department of Transportation. That includes 273 in Maryland.

Magawa, a land mine-detecting giant rat in Cambodia, died earlier this month, reports Army Times. The rat, which was trained by APOPO, a Belgium-based nonprofit, is thought to have detected more than 100 land mines and other explosives. APOPO trains rats and dogs to sniff out land mines. Almost three decades of civil war that ended in 1998 left Cambodia littered with land mines and other unexploded ordnance that continues to kill and maim.

Military Times has compiled a list of highly anticipated military movies slated to be released this year. Here are the top 12 on the list. Will moviegoers finally get to see the new “Top Gun” movie?

“Wolf Hound” could be one of the most interesting movies of 2022, reports Military.com. The story was inspired by a secret Nazi air combat unit during World War II. Navy Times also weighs in with its list of five binge-worthy military movies to see this year.

Contracts:

Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Virginia, is awarded a $74,723,804 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for non-personal professional support services to support the Program Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants mission to provide a single program executive responsible for acquiring and maintaining the littoral mission capabilities of the littoral combat ship-class from end to end, beginning with procurement, and ending with fleet employment and sustainment. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $74,723,804. Work will be performed at the Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC; and in McLean, Virginia. Work is expected to be completed by April 2023. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $427,000 (3%); fiscal 2021 research and development (Department of Defense) funds in the amount of $2,322,000 (14%); fiscal 2022 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,203,871 (44%); and fiscal 2022 research and development (DoD) appropriation account funds in the amount of $6,594,352 (40%) will be obligated at time of award, of which $2,118,000 in fiscal 2021 research and development (DoD) funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website in accordance with 10 US Code 2304(c)(1) — only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Indiana, is the contracting activity (N0016422CB004).

Deloitte Consulting LLP, Arlington, Virginia, has been awarded a $20,007,837 modification (P00016) to previously awarded task order FA489019-FA024 for force optimization support to Air Combat Command. This contract provides technical and programmatic expertise and recommendations for the headquarters. Work will be performed at various locations throughout the U.S. and the task order is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2022. Fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $17,833,822 are being obligated at the time of award. Headquarters Air Combat Command Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, has been awarded a face value of $11,811,844 cost-plus-fixed-fee indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the development of successful Air Force Research Laboratory high power electromagnetic source technologies and components required for consideration to address future mission requirements. Work will be performed at Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Reston, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 8, 2025. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition with one solicitation and two offers received. Fiscal 2021 research and development funds in the amount of $1,150,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque, New Mexico, is the contracting activity (FA9451-22-D-0003).