Emerging Technology, Cybersecurity
Businesswire | March 23, 2023
Red River, a technology transformation company serving government and enterprise customers, today announced that it is now an authorized provider on the U.S. Army’s Information Technology Enterprise Solutions 3 Services (ITES-3S) contract. Awarded by the Computer Hardware, Enterprise Software and Solutions (CHESS) and the Army Contracting Command - Rock Island (ACC-RI), ITES-3S is a nine-year, $12.1 billion, indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract.
The ITES-3S IDIQ will provide a broad range of enterprise information technology services and support to the U.S. Army and other authorized Federal Government agencies. Types of information technology services available through the ITES-3S IDIQ include Program Management; Cybersecurity/Information Assurance; Enterprise Design, Integration and Consolidation; Network/Systems Operation and Maintenance; Telecommunications; Supply Chain Management; Operation and Maintenance; Business Process Engineering; and Information Technology Education and Training.
This award demonstrates Red River’s longstanding commitment to providing superior professional services to the U.S. Army and the opportunity to continue to serve and support the men and women in uniform at home and abroad. Red River has more than 25 years as a trusted technology and services provider to the U.S. government and Department of Defense (DoD).
“We are excited to continue our longstanding history of supporting the technology services needs of the Army and other government agencies supported through this contract vehicle,” said Brian Roach, CEO for Red River. “We look forward to collaborating with DoD technology leaders to support their mission requirements in areas such as cybersecurity, managed services, cloud, infrastructure and collaboration. This is a significant addition to our contracts portfolio and strengthens our position as a leading technology and services provider to the DoD and the U.S. government as a whole.”
About Red River
Red River brings together the ideal combination of talent, partners and products to disrupt the status quo in technology and drive success for business and government in ways previously unattainable. Red River serves organizations well beyond traditional technology integration, bringing more than 25 years of experience and mission-critical expertise in managed services, cybersecurity, infrastructure, collaboration and cloud solutions.
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Emerging Technology
Iridium Communications | October 13, 2022
Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM) announced today that Iridium partners MetOcean Telematics, NAL Research, and Trace Systems are now Iridium Certus® service providers for U.S. government customers, joining Satcom Direct, in this capacity. These unique, long-term deals will allow these companies to provide Iridium's secure global satellite broadband and midband connectivity for mobile voice and data services to the U.S. government through a dedicated gateway.
By leveraging the inherent advantages of the Iridium® network, including truly global, on-the-move L-band connectivity, MetOcean Telematics, NAL Research, and Trace Systems are now able to deliver enhanced capabilities that meet Communications Security (ComSec) requirements for the Department of Defense (DoD) and warfighter. These capabilities include global and resilient voice, data and 1080 HD live-action video over satcom across all domains (land, maritime and air) on the move. The service also serves as the "ACE in PACE" – alternate, contingent or emergency communications link, supports early entry communications packages and command and control for autonomous or uncrewed systems and data backhaul.
Whether in high-risk combat zones or during inclement weather events, the Iridium network provides uncompromising satellite communications that keeps users connected when it's needed most. Iridium Certus™ terminals enable U.S. government users to securely connect remote assets to respective command and control centers in the U.S. in a cost-effective and secure manner, from anywhere in the world.
"Iridium Certus continues to provide mission-critical broadband and midband capabilities to the modern warfighter and we're excited to add new service providers to expand the distribution of these offerings, With the addition of Iridium Certus for the government, these partners will play a critical role in supporting DoD personnel as they utilize this value-added service."
-Scott Scheimreif, Executive Vice President of Government Programs, Iridium.
Unique in the satellite industry, Iridium Certus is the only broadband service that provides highly reliable, truly global, weather-resilient connectivity for on-the-move internet and high-quality voice access. Iridium Certus terminals are low-profile, compared to the competition, and capable of maintaining broadband connectivity in fast-paced, unpredictable environments on land, at sea, in the air — and can do it without landing in or passing through non-U.S. territories.
Iridium Communications Inc:
Iridium® is the only mobile voice and data satellite communications network that spans the entire globe. Iridium enables connections between people, organizations and assets to and from anywhere, in real time. Together with its ecosystem of partner companies, Iridium delivers an innovative and rich portfolio of reliable solutions for markets that require truly global communications. In 2019, the company completed a generational upgrade of its satellite network and launched its new specialty broadband service, Iridium Certus®. Iridium Communications Inc. is headquartered in McLean, Va., U.S.A., and its common stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol IRDM.
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Cybersecurity
MeriTalk | May 06, 2022
Ninety-one percent of Federal cybersecurity decision-makers say the 2021 Executive Order (EO) on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity has made U.S. data and critical infrastructure safer, but just 28 percent say significantly safer, according to Impact Assessment: Cyber EO Year One, a new study from MeriTalk, a public-private partnership focused on improving the outcomes of government information technology (IT).
The report explores perspectives on progress against Cyber EO goals, identifies what successful agencies do differently, and finds the fault lines where agency cyber leaders say they need more help to succeed. Most Federal cyber decision-makers (78 percent) agree the steps outlined in the Cyber EO are necessary to protect our nation. Implementing software supply chain security and migrating to a zero-trust architecture are the two most important factors for national cybersecurity, the research highlights.
And, while just 15 percent have seen tangible improvements because of EO efforts to date, a significant portion expects to see an impact within the next year.
Federal cyber leaders confirm initial progress in areas including vulnerability detection, software supply chain security, vulnerability response, and investigative and remediation capabilities. Just over half confirm IT management and staff are placing increased priority on cybersecurity, and just over half are collecting more cyber data than in the past. But, across the board, progress against EO goals is still in the early stages. Fewer than half rate their agencies’ progress against key EO goals as “excellent.” For example, 36 percent rate progress toward creating a formal strategy as excellent; 34 percent rate progress toward investing in endpoint detection and response (EDR) as excellent; and, 33 percent rate progress migrating to secure cloud solutions, as excellent.
When asked about the importance of zero trust, 82 percent agree that allocating staff and budget resources to zero trust is vital to national security and almost all, 96 percent, agree the Federal zero trust strategy is somewhat or very helpful. Despite the high priority, just 30 percent of Federal cyber decision-makers rate their zero trust progress as “excellent” and many, 67 percent, say the EO’s three-year window for implementing a zero trust architecture is not realistic.
Zero Trust is the gold standard for cybersecurity, so we're encouraged to see the EO is prioritizing that approach. In addition, cloud-native endpoint detection and response capabilities can significantly strengthen the cybersecurity posture for the federal government, especially when integrated with other security capabilities including identity security, threat intelligence, and managed threat hunting. These concepts have become cybersecurity best practices for the private sector’s most technologically advanced businesses, and we encourage the public sector to continue to embrace these technologies and strategies.”
Drew Bagley, vice president and counsel for Privacy and Cyber Policy, CrowdStrike
“Getting to zero trust is not easy. The detail provided in the multi-step guidance from OMB provides a path, but there is no single box you can buy to meet the varied needs of the five zero trust pillars,” says Stephen Kovac, Chief Compliance Officer and Head of Global Government Affairs, Zscaler. “You need multiple solutions from varying vendors that work together with seamless integration to achieve true zero trust – it is a team sport. OMB has done a good job in helping to define those rules, with rule one being to keep users off the network. If they can’t reach you, they can’t breach you.”
Funding is another roadblock. Just 14 percent report they have all funding needed to meet Cyber EO requirements. One-third say they have half, or less than half, of the funding needed.
“The sea change is the focus on comprehensive cyber resiliency,” says Nicole Burdette, principal, MeriTalk. “The EO provided direction, and Federal cyber leaders are now doing the hard work. But progress requires sustained funding and resource commitment. The research shows the gaps.”
“The U.S. federal government is taking important steps to improve the nation’s cybersecurity posture,” said Dave Levy, Vice President of U.S. Government, Nonprofit, and Healthcare at Amazon Web Services (AWS). “In the Cyber EO, the White House directs federal agencies to adopt security best practices, implement zero trust architectures, and accelerate migration to secure cloud services. Organizations of all sizes should consider similar principles and practices to enhance their cybersecurity and protect employees and sensitive data against cyberattack.”
What are the leaders doing differently? Cyber EO champions (leaders who give their agency’s EO progress an A) are predictably more likely than their peers to say they have all the funding they need. They are also more likely to have their chief information officer (CIO) leading their zero-trust implementation (67 percent to 28 percent).
When asked for perspectives on what’s needed to achieve cyber progress, the research identified the Federal wish list:
Workforce training and expertise
Stronger executive buy-in
Detailed direction from agency IT leadership
Centers of Excellence (COEs) in the government to lend expertise
Three-fourths of Federal cyber decision-makers also say the EO should have been more authoritative with private-sector directives.
The Impact Assessment: Cyber EO Year One report is based on an online survey of more than 150 Federal cybersecurity decision-makers familiar with their agencies’ cybersecurity initiatives, including zero trust strategies, in March 2022 and is underwritten by Amazon Web Services (AWS), CrowdStrike, and Zscaler. The report has a margin of error of ±7.7 percent at a 95 percent confidence level.
About MeriTalk
The voice of tomorrow’s government today, MeriTalk is a public-private partnership focused on improving the outcomes of government IT. Our award-winning editorial team and world-class events and research staff produces unmatched news, analysis, and insight. The goal: a more efficient, responsive, and citizen-centric government. MeriTalk connects with an audience of 160,000 Federal community contacts.
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