FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM
1. Career tune-up. Editor Lindy Kyzer explains, “All signs point to 2015 as an upward one for the security clearance community. After several years of decline, budgets are leveling off, and thanks to a ten percent reduction in the size of the cleared workforce, the value of an active clearance is high. You may not be actively searching for a job, but you should always be managing your career. . . . Here are five tips for taking your career to the next level in 2015.”
2. DOA clearance reforms. Contributor William Henderson offers, “Earlier this month we brought to you our comprehensive round-up of all of the security clearance policy changes and highlights of 2014. Here’s a round-up of things that didn’t happen.”
THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT
1. Nuclear talks back on track. Reuters reports from Geneva, “High-level nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran resumed in Geneva on Monday as both sides work through technical and political differences to come up with an initial deal by a March 31 deadline. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, as well as U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and Iran’s atomic nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi met for a second day following a two-hour meeting on Sunday. ‘Both sides are determined to resolve the remaining issues’ . . . .”
2. Ukraine peace agreement derailed. AP reports from Kiev, “A Ukrainian military spokesman says continuing attacks from rebels are delaying Ukrainian forces’ pullback of heavy weapons from the front line in the country’s east. Under a peace agreement reached on Feb. 12, both sides are to withdraw their heavy weapons anywhere from 25 to 70 kilometers to create a buffer zone.” See also, “Kiev says cannot withdraw heavy weapons as attacks persist.”
3. Ash Carter in Afghanistan. Defense Media Activity’s Cheryl Pellerin reports, “While in Afghanistan, the secretary will assess progress being made in the country so he can determine future actions and make recommendations to President Barack Obama, he told service members. The train, advise and assist mission is becoming the heart of the effort in Afghanistan that will make permanent the success that U.S. and coalition troops have sacrificed so much for, Carter said.” Also, “Carter Makes First Official Call to British Defense Minister” and from Khaama Press, “‘We will never be gone from Afghanistan’, US defense secretary says.”
4. Regional solution to Boko Haram. Homeland Security News Wire reports, “The Nigerian government is gearing up for a major operation against the insurgents and claims it can defeat them within the six weeks before the delayed election. The immediate tasks are to contain Boko Haram from spreading into the wider region, and then to begin making inroads into the significant territory under its control to protect vulnerable civilian populations. There are deeper issues regarding the conditions that have enabled Boko Haram to flourish, which are beyond the mandate and capacity of any regional intervention force. . . .”
CONTRACT WATCH
1. Joint Light Tactical Vehicle driving the market up, up, up. Military & Aerospace Electronics Editor John Keller reports, “International demand for light wheeled military vehicles is set for explosive growth, fueled by the U.S. military Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program and its associated vetronics, predict analysts at market researcher Forecast International in Newtown, Conn. The international light wheeled vehicle market will produce more than 36,000 units worth at least $30.9 billion through 2024 — despite the ongoing worldwide economic crisis . . . .”
2. Soliciting acquisition reform proposals. ExecutiveGov’s Anna Forrester reports, “The General Services Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are due to solicit proposals in the summer that would move forward efforts to reform the government acquisition process . . . . the changes center on facilitating agility and efficiency in the purchase of commodity products and services and bolstering technical and program skills. . . . GSA will release a draft request for proposals on the Alliant 2 vehicle, which will include standardized labor categories and an objective evaluation process, and a request for information on the VETS 2 contract for veteran-owned small businesses, as well as enable approximately 250 new vendors on the 8(a) STARS II program.”
TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY
1. nls_933w.dll, NSA’s hackware. Wired’s Kim Zetter reports, “The hacking tool, believed to be a product of the NSA, is significant because subverting the firmware gives the attackers God-like control of the system in a way that is stealthy and persistent even through software updates. The module, named nls_933w.dll, is the first of its kind found in the wild and is used with both the EquationDrug and GrayFish spy platforms Kaspersky uncovered. It also has another capability: to create invisible storage space on the hard drive to hide data stolen from the system so the attackers can retrieve it later. . . .”
2. DARPA’s Cyberpunk playground. Popular Mechanics’ John Wenz reports, “DARPA is taking a cue from cyperpunk novels in a project that seeks to improve network security by giving the backend of the Internet a graphic interface. The system could help prevent intrusions by showing if someone is where they shouldn’t be on a network, and displaying it in a way more comprehensible to an outsider rather than just an analyst looking for the digital footprint of hackers. The $125 million per year project is called Plan X.”
3. Gallium nitride—the new silicon. Breaking Defense’s Sydney J. Freedberg reports, “[A]fter a year-and-a-half-long process, the government granted Raytheon permission to export the latest upgrade of its Patriot missile defense system to 22 countries. (No one’s actually bought the upgrade yet, but the 12 current and 10 prospective Patriot customers on the list are now effectively pre-approved). The upgrade isn’t even to the Patriot missile itself, but to the radar. The new technology improves reliability, range, and coverage. The only visible difference, though, is a pair of adorably ear-like extra panels at the back that give the radar a 360-degree field of view.”
POTOMAC TWO-STEP
1. Everlasting love: “With Homeland Security funding set to expire in coming days and the White House seeking war powers to fight the Islamic State, Washington has become consumed instead with Rudy Giuliani’s contention that President Obama doesn’t love America. The controversy shows no signs of abating, with an Obama Cabinet member, possible Republican presidential candidates, GOP lawmakers, politicians no longer in office and even Giuliani himself forced to delve into the war of words Sunday. Likely 2016 Republican presidential candidates, in particular, have been repeatedly asked about their own opinions on whether the president, in fact, loves the United States. When Gov. Scott Walker, R-Wis., declared over the weekend that he didn’t know whether Obama loved America or was a Christian, it stoked only more questions from the media.”
2. Five days to go: “Lawmakers will begin returning to Washington on Monday with only five days left to prevent a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). . . . The Senate is scheduled to vote Monday evening for the fourth time on a motion to open debate on the House-passed DHS funding bill. The motion will certainly fail, leaving a decision on what comes next to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). McConnell has publicly said that the House-approved bill cannot be passed by the Senate, but Boehner has shown no interest in moving away from legislation reversing Obama’s executive actions.” See also, “GOP’s shutdown déja vu.”
OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS
1. “Hold Your Fire: The Intelligence Community’s Problem With Privacy Officers.” Defense One contributor Mike German argues, “The open disdain that Clapper and Brennan display to their congressional overseers sets a poor example for the intelligence workforce. Their contempt for constitutional restraints ensures another generation of internal watchdogs will be maligned, rather than embraced as a necessary corrective to waste, error, and abuse.”
2. “Iraqis may fear Shi’ite militias more than Islamic State.” Reuters contributor Mohamad Bazzi argues, “If Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has any hope of repairing relations with Sunnis and persuading them to turn against militants of Islamic State, he must rein in the Shi’ite militias that are increasingly taking the lead in the fight against the Sunni jihadists — and in the process further alienating the Sunni community by committing new atrocities.”
3. “Tackling Radicalization Before It Begins.” US News contributor R. Kim Cragin argues, “It’s time for a new approach. Why not turn the question of violent extremism inside out and instead develop programs that reinforce non-radicalization. That is, rather than eliminating drivers, focus instead on strengthening the factors that inhibit violent extremism.”
THE FUNNIES
1. Wind shear.
