Monday Mourning

FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM

Withholdings. Marko Hakamaa: “The reason most instances of falsification or misrepresentation on clearance applications do not result in criminal charges is simple. First, Office of the Inspector General Special Agents or that specific agency’s law enforcement officers have a big workload with more serious or higher priority investigations to pursue . . . .”

Informational interviews. Ashley LaGanga: “Setting up an informational interview can take time and persistence, but the pay-off is well worth the effort. You’ll have an opportunity to sit down with an expert in your desired field and get their unfiltered advice and opinions. . . . You’ll be one more step ahead in the employment game.”

THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT

The Balikatan exercise. Reuters’ reports, “About 8,000 U.S. and Filipino troops began annual military exercises on Monday against a backdrop of tension over China’s greater assertiveness in the South China Sea though a Philippine commander played that down as the reason for the drills. Over the next two weeks, the allies will test their command-and-control, communications, logistics and mobility procedures to address humanitarian and maritime security . . . .”

Targeting Hassan Ali Dhoore. The Long War Journal’s Bill Roggio reports, “The US military targeted a senior al Qaeda leader who also serves in the Amniyat, a key security and intelligence organization within Shabaab, al Qaeda’s official branch in Somalia, in an airstrike last week. The US military has not confirmed the death of Hassan Ali Dhoore, the dual hatted al Qaeda and Shabaab leader, who was the focus of the airstrike.” See also, “Airstrike in Somalia Targets Senior Terrorist Leader.”

Nuclear security. Vice News’ Ryan Faith reports, “Nuclear security involves two categories, which you can call ‘guys with guns’ and ‘loose stuff.’ The guns part is the active defense — armed guards, cyber security, etc. This is a group that’s already pretty uptight and serious about avoiding screw-ups to begin with, so they already have an edge on security. It’s not like anyone is going to be able to hijack a reactor easily. Nuclear plants have been working on upping security for quite some time now, and it seems to be paying off.”

CONTRACT WATCH

Two more Freedom-class LCS. DoD Buzz’s Hope Hodge Seck reports, “The Navy will shell out up to half a billion dollars each for two more littoral combat ships. . . . Navy exercised contract options with Lockheed Martin Corp. and Austal to built two additional vessels in fiscal 2016, one each in the Lockheed Freedom-variant and the Austal Independence-design. The announcement specifies a $564 million cost cap for each of the ships, though the cost may fall below the caps.”

Forget FMS reforms. Defense News’ Aaron Mehta and Joe Gould report, “Despite calls from Pentagon officials, foreign leaders and industry executives that the foreign military sales (FMS) process must be changed, the Congress appears highly unlikely to take up any such efforts before the end of the Obama administration.”

Fighting electronics obsolescence. Military & Aerospace Electronics Editor John Keller reports, “U.S. military microelectronics experts are choosing eight major U.S. defense contractors for a potential $7.2 billion 12-year program to fight the effects of electronics obsolescence and solve problems of unreliable, unmaintainable, under-performing, or incapable electronics hardware and software.”

TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY

Mathematical cryptography. Rubin Science Magazine’s Julia Weiler reports, “[R]esearchers are striving to render the algorithms more efficient and usable in cryptographic applications. A promising approach is lattice-based cryptography. . . . Because of their outstanding versatility, the mathematician compares lattice-based algorithm to a virtual Swiss Army knife. They can be used for encryption as well as for authentication, run on small devices, and would even offer protection from quantum computer attacks . . . .” See also, “Cryptography in the era of quantum computers.”

NIST encryption review. FierceGovernmentIT’s Fred Donovan reports, “The National Institute of Standards and Technology has released the final version of a document outlining its process for developing encryption standards and guidelines, a document that grew out of concerns about the National Security Agency’s involvement in the NIST encryption standards process.”

Government spying and security letters. Reuters’ Dustin Volz reports, “National security letters are almost always accompanied by an open-ended gag order barring companies from disclosing the contents of the demand for customer data, making it difficult for firms to openly discuss how they handle the subpoenas. . . . The FBI can use national security letters to compel Internet and telecommunications firms to hand over a wide range of customer data, including web browsing history and records of online purchases.” See also, “Reddit Hints . . . That It Got a National Security Letter.”

POTOMAC TWO-STEP

Super-Supreme Court battle. “President Obama’s Supreme Court pick will meet with almost a dozen senators this week—including two Republican lawmakers—as Democrats keep up pressure on the nomination. Republican Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and John Boozman (Ark.) will sit down with nominee Merrick Garland on Tuesday as senators return from a two-week recess.”

Hollow praise.Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson took a victory lap of sorts Saturday, thanking the Secret Service and others for securing this week’s nuclear conference and the White House Easter egg roll without a hitch.”

OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS

New threats rose as U.S. apathy became policy.” Reuters contributor Garry Kasparov argues, “A robust American foreign policy depends on constantly reinforcing alliances, on deterring dictators and protecting their victims, and on targeting terrorists and their supporters at the source.”

Don’t Let China Steal the US Military’s Logistical Edge.” Defense One contributor John Adams argues, “Policymakers must take a holistic view when safeguarding the broader array of vulnerabilities of the U.S. defense industrial base – from planes to cranes and everything in between.”

Crossing Red Lines and US Credibility.” Lawfare contributor Jeremy Ravinsky argues, “Human rights abuses lead to more insecurity and terrorism. The government must do a better job of institutionalizing mechanisms to counter that. Otherwise, terrorism will continue to spread as US credibility on human rights crumbles.”

Guide To Negotiating.” Fast Company contributor Ted Leonhardt writes, “Now I think of negotiation as the investigative stage of the creative process. It’s where I can bring my creative power to the table and use it as one in a series of steps of discovery.”

THE FUNNIES

Child’s play

For the birds

Keeps going

Related News

Ed Ledford enjoys the most challenging, complex, and high stakes communications requirements. His portfolio includes everything from policy and strategy to poetry. A native of Asheville, N.C., and retired Army Aviator, Ed’s currently writing speeches in D.C. and working other writing projects from his office in Rockville, MD. He loves baseball and enjoys hiking, camping, and exploring anything. Follow Ed on Twitter @ECLedford.