FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM
1. Verifiers and references. Contributor Andrew Levine explains, “There are presumptively two reasons why applicants fail to vary the names on the SF-86: 1) the applicant does know the contact information for an activity verifier or 2) the applicant is attempting to control his own investigation. Let’s look at each reason separately. . . .”
2. Cleared network engineers at a glance. Contributor Jillian Hamilton reports, “As a network engineer, you can stick to the cube life, if that’s what you want. But the gray ‘walls’ don’t have to be your only view. With enough experience and the right certifications, network engineers can move into management positions or specializations in telecommunications or network architecture. Promotion and career growth are dependent on the organization.”
THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT
1. Inside ISIS’ Mosul. Reuters’ Ahmed Rasheed and Ned Parker report from Baghdad, “Interviews with 11 Mosul residents, several of whom fled this month, reveal how Islamic State has created a police state strong enough to weather severe popular discontent and military setbacks, including the deaths of senior leaders. Along with the planned trench, the militants have sealed Mosul’s western entrance with giant cement walls. They also blew up a bridge that Kurdish fighters could use to attack Mosul.” See also, “AP Interview: Iraq ‘sleeper cells’ fight Islamic State group.”
2. Middle East survey. Defense News’ Awad Mustafa reports, “The leadership crisis in Yemen and the death of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz has raised alarms all over Middle Eastern capitals concerning the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC’s) security setting. In the hours following the two events, defense experts are unclear of the GCC’s next moves, but acknowledge the complex linkages between the ‘coup’ in Yemen and the new Saudi leadership’s concern over its neighbors to the south.”
3. Yemen, Houthis and US. Homeland Security News Wire reports, “Following the abrupt resignation of Yemen’s president, prime minister, and cabinet after Iran-backed Shi’a Houthi rebels took over the presidential palace, the United States has halted some counterterrorism operations against al-Qaeda militants operating inside the country. The move has dealt a blow to what President Barack Obama recently called a successful counterterrorism partnership between Yemen’s president Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi and the United States.”
CONTRACT WATCH
1. India: expansive opportunities for US contracts. Christian Science Monitor’s Syed Nazakat reports from New Delhi, “Within hours of his arrival a delighted Obama and Modi announced an agreement that could pave the way for billions of dollars in contracts for American nuclear power companies. Though details weren’t released, the two men told a press conference that an ‘understanding’ had been reached to modify strict liability laws to protect US nuclear suppliers in case of an accident. The two also announced an agreement to jointly produce drones and parts for Lockheed Martin’s C-130 military transport plane.”
2. FedRAMP’s high security level read-ahead. Federal Times’ Aaron Boyd reports, “The General Services Administration will be releasing a draft baseline Tuesday, Jan. 27, for a high security level on the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP). Once finalized, the high baseline will certify cloud service providers capable of hosting some of the most sensitive data and applications used by the federal government.”
TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY
1. Boom: the Internet of Things. Military Aerospace Editor John Keller reports, “Global sales from the Internet of Things (IoT) portion of electronic systems will grow from $57.7 billion this year to $103.6 billion in 2018, which represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21 percent in the five years between 2013 and 2018 . . . . IoT functionality designed into equipment and web-enabled objects will become a pivotal factor in the sale of nearly half of all end-use systems by the end of this decade as connections to the Internet of Things becomes more common and expected by consumers and businesses . . . .”
2. Small satellites for big earth. Aviation Week’s Amy Butler reports, “The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is in the early stages of crafting a strategy to leverage the influx of imagery available from what agency director Robert Cardillo calls an ‘explosion’ of new information services providers. The strategy will include money, but how much is not yet known. U.S. policymakers are pondering how to take advantage of this new market, which intends to field many small Earth-observation satellites.”
3. Cryptographic standards review. ExecutiveGov’s Anna Forrester reports, “The National Institute of Standards and Technology is seeking public input following the release of the second draft of its cryptographic standards and guidelines document based on feedback received during the initial comment round in 2014. ‘[We’ve] made substantive changes to the document with the goal of establishing steps to ensure our standards will have the trust and participation of the broader community,’ Donna Dodson, chief cybersecurity adviser at NIST’s Information Technology Laboratory, said Friday. The agency noted that the draft covers additional principles on standards usability, innovation and intellectual property, transparency, stakeholder engagement and details on the standards development process.”
POTOMAC TWO-STEP
1. Post for breakfast. “Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has asked Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James to open an investigation into the comments made by Air Force Maj. Gen. James Post that reportedly said that airmen who have spoken to Congress about the retirement of the A-10 as an act of ‘treason.’ . . . McCain, the new chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee took notice of the report and wants to investigate Post’s comments. McCain has been one of the key lawmakers to lead the charge against the decision by the Air Force to retire its A-10 fleet in order to clear up resources for the F-35.”
2. Palin problems. “As a chance to evaluate possible 2016 Republican presidential candidates, the Freedom Summit here in Des Moines was a solid success. . . . All that was good news for Republicans. But at the same time, more than a few GOP loyalists came away shaking their heads at the performance of a party star, former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, whose long, rambling, and at times barely coherent speech left some wondering what role she should play in Republican politics as the 2016 race begins in earnest.”
OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS
1. “U.S. and India: Two democracies should join to balance China’s rise.” Reuters contributor Jon Huntsman Jr. argues, “When Obama celebrates India’s democratic achievements as a state and society along with Modi, they ought to discuss the role that India can effectively play in making the U.S. rebalance successful, which is vital to both American and Indian interests. More importantly, the U.S. and India should work together on exploring ways to reassure China and include it for regional problem solving to ensure a peaceful, prosperous and stable Asia.”
2. “This Is America’s Best Shot To Fix the Relationship With Saudi Arabia and Fight Terrorism.” Defense One contributor Sarah Chayes argues, “The U.S. should use this moment of transition and its new oil independence to adjust its relationship with Saudi Arabia, so that military considerations cease to dominate all others.”
3. “Obama’s Foolish Gitmo Fixation.” Politico contributor Rich Lowry argues, “The reason to keep Gitmo open is that we can’t trust other countries to hold the worst of the worst.”
THE FUNNIES
1. Open doors
3. Brush back
