This week, the Senate confirmed Jen Easterly as director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency at the Department of Homeland Security. With daily cyber threats, many were calling for the former NSA deputy for counterterrorism to be sworn in as soon as possible.
“I warned that without confirming Ms. Easterly we risked leaving ourselves vulnerable to cyberattacks, and in the two weeks since I last called on my colleagues to approve this critical nomination, nation-state actors and criminal organizations have continued their relentless targeting of the United States,” Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Gary Peters (D-Mich.) said.
CISA is the agency responsible for protecting the U.S. against cyber attacks by securing our critical infrastructure. CISA has already played a key role this year in responding to the Russian-linked SolarWinds hack, as well as the attack against Colonial Pipeline and the more recent event with the IT firm Kaseya.
“I have admired the agency from afar as the organization has grown over the past several years, and seen firsthand how its guidance, insight and resources can benefit public and private sector partners as part of our collective defense to build a more resilient nation,” Easterly said. “I thank President Biden for putting his faith in me to lead this organization, and the Senate for confirming me for this role.”
Contract Opportunities to Watch
| Lockheed Martin | The Lockheed Martin High Mobility Artillery Rocket System is a strategic capability, improving homeland and important asset defense while reducing overall mission costs. With an award this week, Lockheed Martin secures $160.5 million to expand the HIMARS launcher fleet for the U.S. Army and Marine Corp. The DoD confirmed that a foreign sale to Taiwan was also included in the award. The contract modification work is scheduled for completion in 2023. |
|---|
Key Employer in the Cleared Industry
| Amazon | Come support the mission in a bold new way with a career at AWS. Discover a role that’s right for you. Explore opportunities.
|
|---|
Cleared Job of the Week
| Quantum Computing | Black Widow just released and is on every Marvel fan’s mind right now. And some careers feel like straight out of the world of Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, but as technology progresses, you can get jobs in quantum computing without working for the Avengers. It’s an emerging field that uses physics to solve problems that are challenging for the traditional computer. Quantum computing plays a key role in data encryption, big data, and artificial intelligence, and all of these technologies have a big impact on the aerospace and defense sectors.
It will take some focused degrees to get moving in quantum computing – physics, computer science, machine learning, etc. So, if you started out as a business or english major, you will have some catching up to do. Some companies, like Microsoft, offer internships so you can start bringing together experience with the education. Quantum computing jobs will continue to grow in national security, so the investment of time and money to get the necessary education and experience will pay off. |
|---|
Growth Opportunities
Acquisitions play a key role in defense contracting growth. Parsons Corporation recently announced that they completed their acquisition of BlackHorse Solutions, Inc. for $203 million. This acquisition expands Parsons’ capabilities and products in next-generation military, intelligence, and space operations, specifically in cyber, electronic warfare, and information dominance. This acquisition is in line with Parson’s growth objectives to add capabilities and critical intellectual property in order to strengthen their existing portfolio.
BlackHorse is headquartered in Herndon, VA. Their technology is shaping the future of information dominance and converged military operations by unifying cyber, electromagnetic warfare, and information operations for DoD and IC customers. The company also provides autonomous and distributed detection, identification, exploitation, and the defeat of today’s most complex communications.
