FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM
Women in combat. Contributor Ashley LaGanga writes, “Services will continue to apply transparent and objective standards to ensure leaders assign tasks, jobs, and career fields throughout the force based on ability, not gender. The services have been able to leverage data they gathered over three years’ worth of studies to make their standards up-to-date and operationally relevant.”
The MyCAA program. Contributor Ron Kness writes, “Traditionally, the career focus within a military family is on the military member. But many spouses have a hard time getting trained and established in careers of their own. . . . However, the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) program can change that for eligible members.”
THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT
ISIS to Europe. Alaska Dispatch News shares NYT’s Rukmini Callimachi’s report: “For much of 2012 and 2013, the jihadi group that eventually became the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, was putting down roots in Syria. Even as the group began aggressively recruiting foreigners, especially Europeans, policymakers in the United States and Europe continued to see it as a lower-profile branch of al-Qaida that was mostly interested in gaining and governing territory.”
Russia’s newest sub. National Interest’s Dave Majumdar reports, “The Russian Navy’s first Project-885 Yasen-class nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine, K-329 Severodvinsk, is set to deploy on its first combat training mission. . . . While the Project 885M is an impressive and very capable vessel, it is not quite an equal to the latest American Virginia-class boats in terms of acoustical or sensor performance.”
Strained relations: US-Turkey. BBC’s Jonathan Marcus reports, “Rarely have relations between the US and one of its key Nato allies been so poor as those between Washington and Ankara. ‘Damage limitation’ may be an understatement to describe one of the main aims behind the visit the of the Turkish President, Recep Tayip Erdogan to the US this week. It has become increasingly clear what both these presidents think of each other. . . .”
TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY
Updating our cybersecurity framework. FierceGovernmentIT’s Eli Richman reports, “Now that critical infrastructure leaders have had a chance to weigh in on the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Cybersecurity Framework, the agency is ready to move forward with evaluating and incorporating the suggestions it received. . . . The analysis identified 10 general themes in the responses, which largely covered the framework update process, regulatory requirements, information sharing and best practices . . . .”
Social media warfare. Wired’s Brendan I. Koerner reports, “The Islamic State recognized the power of digital media early on, when its brutish progenitor, Jordanian jihadist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, discovered the utility of uploading grainy videos of his atrocities to the Internet. As the group evolved, its propagandists surpassed and humiliated their bitter rivals in al Qaeda by placing a premium on innovation.”
Hack database. Nextgov’s Mohana Ravindranath reports, “The Homeland Security Department wants input on an idea for a broad cybersecurity incident database, accessible by members of the public and private sectors. Businesses could use the database to assess how their cyber practices stack up against competitors, and the federal government could upload its own cyberthreat predictions, DHS suggests in a new white paper fleshing out the concept.”
Ransomware crisis. Venture Beat contributor Jack Danahy writes, “The rise of ransomware is the result of two factors: 1) More criminals are finding it a lucrative new way to monetize attacks; and 2) There is a growing set of ransomware tools, kits, and services that make attacks simpler and more devastating. Stopping the evolution in tools is unlikely. That means we need to reduce the attractiveness of this crime by blunting ransomware success rates and decreasing their profitability.” See also, “FBI wants U.S. businesses to help as cyber extortion gains urgency.”
POTOMAC TWO-STEP
Welcome. “Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland will get his first chance to sway Republicans in person Tuesday when he meets with Sen. Mark Kirk. Kirk’s office formally announced the meeting Monday afternoon. He’ll be the first GOP senator to meet with Garland, who GOP leaders have pledged to block. The Illinois Republican is considered the most vulnerable Senate incumbent up for reelection this fall.”
Tee time. “President Obama, fresh from his whirlwind spring break trip to Cuba and Argentina, hit the links for some R&R Saturday, playing his 281st round since becoming president. He was at Andrews for over five hours. That is slightly more than three quarters of a year of days playing the presidential sport for Obama. The president typically plays for at least four hours, sometimes longer, putting his time at over 1,100 hours golfing, or at least 46 full 24-hour days.”
