Trump administration proposes new powers to block business deals involving foreign technology

Marketplace | November 27, 2019

Following a White House executive order highlighting the “unusual and extraordinary threat” posed by foreign-made information and communications technology, the Department of Commerce has proposed new rules that would let the commerce secretary block business deals posing “undue” risk. One example of the threat foreign-made technology can pose is the 2016 cyber attack on web-connected digital cameras and DVR machines made in China, to take down much of the American internet in a denial-of-service attack. “Devices that are connected to the internet, which are often poorly secured, have proven very disruptive,” said Elsa Kania, senior fellow at the Center for New American Security. “We’re already seeing the weaponization of these devices occurring.”

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Juvare Announces Launch of Juvare Unified Command Platform™ for Federal and Defense Clients

Businesswire | July 17, 2023

Juvare®, the leader in situational awareness and critical incident preparedness and response technology, today announced the launch of the Juvare Unified Command Platform™ (UCP), part of its new Juvare Federal & Defense (JFD) business unit. The platform enables federal and defense agencies to improve real-time situational awareness, facilitate secure interagency collaboration, and digitize workflows as part of public sector digital modernization efforts. The FedRAMP® High authorized version of UCP is available on the FedRAMP marketplace through Juvare Federal Cloud. “UCP demonstrates our commitment to deliver modern and secure technology solutions that improve collaboration and operational efficiency while simultaneously strengthening our nation's cyber infrastructure,” said Robert (“Bob”) Watson, CEO of Juvare. “Not only does the platform meet the highest standards in information security, it does so while also delivering modern, easily adaptable, user-friendly software.” UCP delivers pre-built workflows such as case management, evacuation and communication coordination, law enforcement availability pay, paper and policy tracking, protective detail assignments, and scalable exercise simulation and facilitation that can be easily configured by each agency. This accelerates speed to value by ensuring that agency time and resources are spent meeting goals instead of solving recurring workflow problems. “UCP is much more than just a workflow and visualization application,” said Patrick Macfarlane, Chief Operating Officer of Juvare Federal & Defense. “It's a single solution that replaces manual processes with automated, secure, and scalable workflows. By collecting data from multiple sources and providing an aggregate view on a single pane of glass, UCP enables swift and informed decision-making and ensures that agencies have AI-ready data for further analysis and augmentation.” In addition to pre-built workflows, UCP incorporates a dynamic set of integrations and plug-ins designed to support data visualization, collaboration, and predictive analysis. Integrated within the UCP are powerful components such as Juvare Exchange® (JX) for robust collaboration and networking, JX Analyze for in-depth business intelligence, JX Connector for enhanced interagency data integration and aggregation, and world-class geospatial capabilities that support advanced predictive modeling for assessing the potential impacts of weather events. “UCP aligns with the specific data security requirements of the U.S. government, providing secure access between federal and defense agencies for seamless data integration, collaboration, and a shared common operating picture,” said Patrick Lane, President, Juvare Federal & Defense. “The platform embodies Juvare's unwavering resolve to innovate, ensuring the development of robust solutions that contribute to the security of our nation.” About Juvare Juvare is a worldwide leader in crisis management software. Juvare solutions empower government agencies, corporations, healthcare facilities, academic institutions, and volunteer organizations to leverage real-time data to manage incidents faster and more efficiently, protecting people, property, and brands. For more information, visit http://www.juvare.com.

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Emerging Technology

BRP Group, Inc. Introduces Government Contracting Center of Excellence

Businesswire | July 28, 2023

BRP Group, Inc. today announced the establishment of its newest national Center of Excellence (“COE”) — Government Contracting (“GovCon”) – to join the firm’s expanding portfolio of specialty practices. The new practice launch is part of BRP Group’s intentional strategy of leveraging the deep expertise of its national network of risk management and insurance partnerships, and their experts and specialists, to make a greater difference for their clients’ business needs regardless of geographic location. BRP Group’s GovCon COE team is comprised of knowledgeable insurance experts with broad experience advising clients who operate in the government contracting space. This COE is specifically structured to support federal contracting clients with property and casualty, employee benefits and retirement insurance solutions, GovCon M&A due diligence and in-house compliance specialists. “Our new Government Contracting (GovCon) Center of Excellence (COE) is an expansion of BRP Group’s specialized solutions and capabilities that work to meet the unique needs of current and prospective clients. By combining the expertise from our two partner firms, Armfield, Harrison & Thomas (AHT) and The Capital Group, we are excited to bring this additional practice to the marketplace,” said Dan Galbraith, BRP Group’s Chief Operating Officer. “Not only do government contractors encounter typical risk management and insurance issues, they also navigate unique challenges associated with conducting business within a rapidly-evolving, highly-regulated environment. With more than 25 years of experience and a proven track record of designing specialized insurance coverage for these complex business and regulatory conditions, our dedicated colleagues, led by BRP Group’s Senior Director of Sales Kevin FitzPatrick, keep clients protected, in compliance and proactively prepared to mitigate risk and manage costs.” The GovCon COE focuses on addressing the unique needs and challenges of clients in the hyper- competitive federal contracting space that are best solved by a unified team approach. The GovCon COE helps federal contractors navigate these mission critical areas: Controlling fringe expenses to keep competitive Wrap Rates GovCon Employee Benefits Benchmarking - designing programs that help improve employee attraction and retention. Risk Management Strategy Defense Base Act (DBA) Coverage International Coverage Cyber Liability Insurance Service Contract Act (SCA) Compliance and Strategy 401K plan development and administration In addition, the GovCon COE has integrated two key programs: GovTech™: The Government Technology Insurance Company offers robust commercial insurance policies that flow down the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) framework and provides easy access to GovCon insurance subject matter experts at premiums that accurately reflect the exposures. GovConHealth: Provides go-to-market strategies to federal contractors to help them control employee benefits expenses. The initiative is powered by a unique and proprietary consortium-funded stop-loss arrangement that bands together high-performing federal contractors to safely and conservatively partially self-fund their employer-based healthcare. ABOUT BRP GROUP BRP Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: BRP) is an independent insurance distribution firm delivering tailored insurance and risk management insights and solutions that give our Clients the peace of mind to pursue their purpose, passion and dreams. We are innovating the industry by taking a holistic and tailored approach to risk management, insurance, and employee benefits, and support our Clients, Colleagues, Insurance Company Partners and communities through the deployment of vanguard resources and capital to drive our growth. BRP Group represents over 1.3 million clients across the United States and internationally. For more information, please visit www.baldwinriskpartners.com.

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Pexip Government Cloud Attains StateRAMP Authorization

PR Newswire | August 07, 2023

Pexip, a company that provides multi-platform software video technology, announced that its Pexip Government Cloud (PGC) Cloud Service Offering (CSO) has received StateRAMP Authorized status in the Moderate security categorization from the StateRAMP Project Management Office (PMO) and the StateRAMP Approvals Committee (SAC). In April, Pexip received an Authority to Operate (ATO) at the Moderate Impact level from the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. The StateRAMP Authorization enables secure and compliant collaboration for state and local agencies on Microsoft Teams. Employees can easily join Microsoft Teams calls using Cloud Video Interop (CVI) from video conferencing systems in meeting rooms or from personal devices, whether from the office or home making collaboration seamless an efficient. Pexip also enables state and local agencies to manage their existing video infrastructure investments, making it a cost-effective solution. "We are very excited about our StateRAMP authorization and believe it represents another great example of Pexip's commitment to delivering secure and compliant solutions to our government customers," said Peter McCarthy, VP of Public Sector, Pexip. As agencies move to the cloud, Pexip stands ready to support them at every stage. The StateRAMP-authorized Pexip Government Cloud (PGC) platform offers secure video conferencing as a service, ensuring agencies can engage in productive collaboration while adhering to rigorous security standards. For agencies with the most stringent security requirements, such as On-Premise mandates or GCC-High Teams Tenants, Pexip offers the option to self-host its software. This enables complete data control and interoperability within these specialized environments. Pexips StateRAMP approval is a testament to its commitment to delivering safe and compliant solutions to its government customers. Pexip's StateRAMP approval includes: US Department of Defense (DoD) Unified Capabilities Approved Product List (UC APL) authorized Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) validated Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 module #3503 ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certified Section 508 compliant General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliant Supports Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance Supports zero trust security architectures About Pexips Pexip enables enterprises and organizations of any size to deploy and use video-based communication and collaboration. The Company’s portfolio of products ranges from self-hosted software to cloud service video solutions. Pexip provides seamless collaboration between previously incompatible video and audio technologies such as professional video conferencing systems, Skype for Business, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts Meet, and WebRTC. Pexip’s software-based meeting platform can also be used as a foundation for service provider offerings. Pexip has HQ in Oslo, Norway, main offices in London, UK, New York and Reston, US and Sydney, Australia, as well as sales offices across the globe.

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