Agriculture Adviser Defends Planned Research Office Moves From D.C.

Government Executive | March 27, 2019

The Agriculture Department on Wednesday provided its most detailed defense to date of its controversial plan to move two research offices from Washington to a still-unnamed site closer to farm country. Kristi Boswell, senior adviser to Secretary Sonny Purdue, told skeptical Democrats on a House appropriations subcommittee that the decision to move most of the 700 employees in the Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture was “not made rashly.” Spending money to relocate will create long-term efficiencies in “mission functions” and put the career professionals “closer to the broad array of customers and stakeholders who live and work outside of D.C.,” said Boswell, an attorney formerly with the American Farm Bureau Federation. “Our team will hear ground-level ideas on upcoming issues and develop research needs,” she said of the plan that has drawn organized opposition from many farm research groups.

Spotlight

The virtual private network (VPN) has been a powerful tool in the network security administrator’s toolbox for decades, because it has provided a means for remote computers to communicate securely across an untrusted network such as the internet. Whether for branch offices communicating with headquarters (siteto-site), or an employee working from home (remote access), the VPN provided a secure point-to-point tunnel back to resources on protected networks.

Spotlight

The virtual private network (VPN) has been a powerful tool in the network security administrator’s toolbox for decades, because it has provided a means for remote computers to communicate securely across an untrusted network such as the internet. Whether for branch offices communicating with headquarters (siteto-site), or an employee working from home (remote access), the VPN provided a secure point-to-point tunnel back to resources on protected networks.

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EMERGING TECHNOLOGY, GOVERNMENT BUSINESS

Bluescape Offers FedRAMP-Authorized Virtual Workspace

Bluescape | February 23, 2023

Bluescape, a visual collaboration and online whiteboard software platform, has recently announced an agreement with Arrow Electronics' public sector practice, immixGroup, to offer Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) authorized virtual workspace for intelligence, defense, and federal civilian customers. It would deploy the network of immixGroup's contract vehicles and partners for this offering. With the sponsorship of the Air Force of the U.S., it was recently awarded FecRAMP Authorization at the Moderate Impact Level and DISA IL-4+ authorization for Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). A visual collaboration, receiving both authorizations, is unique. A value-added distributor in the public sector, immixGroup, connects technology companies with government agencies and helps in their businesses. Through its collaboration, federal, defense, intelligence, and civilians enable access to many IT solutions through selected business partners and contracts. The government customers like GSA, Army ITES, and SEWP can use Bluescape services on immixGroup contract vehicles. Vice President at Public Sector Channels and Partners of Bluescape, Norm Litterini, said, "Bluescape is a simple, yet powerful tool that remains the only truly secure visual collaboration solution to meet both FedRAMP and DISA IL-5 requirements." In addition, he added, "immixGroup's network of resellers and contract vehicles, combined with Bluescape's FedRAMP certification, will provide a smoother path for customers to be compliant with the Executive Order on Improving the Nation's Cybersecurity and the Office of Management and Budget's zero trust strategy." (Source – Cision PR Newswire) About Bluescape Headquartered in Silicon Valley, California, Bluescape, a software development company, has offered solutions for the visual workplace since 2012. It fulfills security needs for the public sector with FedRAMP-authorized cloud solution and air-gapped software. It empowers distributed teams with easy-to-use tools for agility in complex processes, eliminating missed deadlines, miscommunications and wasted time. It offers solutions for collaboration software, project management, online whiteboard, creative design, product design, idea management, remote work, hybrid work, team communication, media and entertainment, virtual story room, creative software, content management, file sharing and web conferencing. It partners with various government agencies and Fortune 100 companies. About immixGroup Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, immixGroup, an IT consulting and services company, has provided solutions for information technology, marketing, training, federal channel, federal IT, public sector, government sales, federal government services, state and local sales, federal budget, contracts, and federal sales and aggregator. Arrow Electronics acquired it in 2015. It helps software and hardware manufacturers and their channel partners for business growth and sales cycle, in public sector. It provides support and expert resources for business growth in public sector, products and services for government businesses and IT products from more than 350 suppliers and about 1,200 solution providers.

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EMERGING TECHNOLOGY

Inmarsat Government's GX LITE wins Government Mobile Innovation Award by MSUA

Inmarsat Government | March 16, 2023

On March 15, 2023, Inmarsat Government, one of the most advanced global mobile satellite communication service providers, announced that its GX LITE land user terminal has won the 2023 Satellite Mobile Innovation Award from the Mobile Satellite User Association (MSUA). The terminal won the Government Mobile Innovation category, marking the seventh time in the past eight years that Inmarsat has been awarded this annual award. The new GX LITE terminal offers reliable and safe broadband connectivity for tactical military and non-military users globally. The terminal is provided through Inmarsat's Global Xpress (GX) Ka-band network. Built for land users with 'grab and go' applications, the terminal's global access, portability, and secure operations come at an affordable price. GX LITE was developed with Get SAT, Inmarsat Government's value-added manufacturing partner. Get SAT innovates lightweight satellite communication for airborne, ground and maritime applications. The terminal is simple to install and operate, requiring no user configuration to establish a network connection anywhere. In addition, it has a front-panel interface and a Wi-Fi capability that the user can enable or disable. GX LITE utilizes efficient, flat-panel antenna technologies and supports Committed Information Rate (CIR) and unique Maximum Information Rate (MIR) users globally. It is lightweight (21.4 lbs.), thin (16.6" W, 11.5" L and 3.3" D) and effortlessly transportable with a carrying case that fits in the overhead compartment of a commercial aircraft. In addition, the terminal has low power consumption and can operate for up to three hours on batteries alone. About Inmarsat Government Inmarsat Government is one of the leading mission-critical telecommunications service provider, offers reliable, secure and affordable connectivity to the U.S. intelligence, defense, public safety, homeland security, and civilian agencies. The company was established in 1979 and is implementing solutions considering government users' needs. It offers flexible capabilities to complement government satellite resources anywhere, anytime. Utilizing an industry-leading scalable multiband network infrastructure, Inmarsat Government provides managed network services and end-to-end communication solutions to help users on land, at sea and in the air, even in the world's most remote regions.

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GOVERNMENT BUSINESS,CYBERSECURITY

SentinelOne Announces Membership with CISA’s Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency | January 17, 2023

SentinelOne, an autonomous cybersecurity solution provider, recently announced that it joined the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC). The membership further supports the US Government's strategy to protect the cyber ecosystem and critical infrastructure. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) founded JCDC in 2021. The collaborative aims to unite the international cyber community and defend cyberspace. SentinelLabs and SentinelOne's autonomous cybersecurity platforms will aid JCDC in collecting, analyzing, and disseminating data on cyber threats. SentinelOne will lend its insights and support to JCDC's strategic planning and offer advice as part of the partnership. As a result, JCDC will have unprecedented insight into new threats through this collaboration, allowing them to prevent attacks even before they happen. SentinelLabs is a top-tier team of security researchers dedicated to discovering and analyzing critical vulnerabilities, attack vectors, malware strains, and threat actors. "JCDC goes beyond other public-private partnerships, delivering collaborative engagement between the nation's top cyber minds with a focus on planning, action, and mitigation. With exceptional speed, scale and intelligence, our team and technology will play a crucial role in the organization's continued success. We have partnered closely with CISA for years and look forward to continuing that relationship, helping protect the world's most critical assets and information," said Jared Phipps, SVP of Americas Sales and Solution Engineering. (Source: Business Wire) About Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) established JCDC in August 2021 to transform traditional public-private partnerships into real-time private-public operational collaboration and shift the paradigm from reacting to threats and vulnerabilities to proactively planning and taking steps to mitigate them. The company leads the national effort to understand, manage, and reduce risk to its cyber and physical infrastructure. Its multi-faceted mission is home to more than 15 career fields including business administration, cybersecurity, program management, communications, and data science.

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