Defense

  • The Department of Defense recently released the results of a 45-day study, detailing three new approaches to help military services and agencies ensure the security of the commercial clouds they use.

    December 01, 2014
  • The Federal Risk Authorization and Management Program will send a draft baseline standard for FISMA high systems around the government for comment in the next month. Matt Goodrich, the acting director of the FedRAMP program, said the high-impact baseline would apply only to non-classified technology systems as characterized under the Federal Information Security Management Act.

    November 28, 2014
  • Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says his new Defense Innovation Initiative will find creative ways for America's military to stay the best in the world. Dan Goure is vice president of the Lexington Institute. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he said Secretary Hagel, and whoever winds up replacing him, are wise to remember the story of King Canute and the waves when it comes to innovation at the Pentagon.

    November 26, 2014
  • A new Defense Secretary likely won't get a confirmation hearing until after the 114th Congress convenes in January. Some people use the word opportunity to describe the change coming to DoD. Tom Donnelly is Co-Director of Marilyn Ware Center for Security Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. He writes in the Weekly Standard under the title the Hagel Opportunity. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he said there are actually two opportunities with the departure of Secretary Hagel.

    November 26, 2014
  • While receiving therapy for a traumatic brain injury, wounded warrior discovers artistic talent he never knew he had.

    November 26, 2014
  • A "Big Dog" is the latest icon in the effort to bring more innovation into the Defense Department. But the Big Dog may be on its way out of the Pentagon, instead of on its way in. Bill Lynn is CEO of Finmeccanica North America and DRS Technologies and former deputy secretary of defense. On In Depth with Francis Rose, Bill explained what "Big Dog" is, and the message about defense acquisition in its story.

    November 26, 2014
  • Former Army CIO Susan Lawrence discusses the challenges her agency faces in modernizing its network systems and the future of women in the service.

    November 26, 2014
  • Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's decision to resign Monday has produced plenty of speculation about his successor. Military experts retired Maj. Gen. Arnold Punaro and Jim Thomas of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments said the new DoD secretary will likely lobby Congress for more money to deal with new threats.

    November 26, 2014
  • The Defense Department has professed a belief in open systems architectures for years, but has had trouble translating its stated policy preferences into acquisition outcomes. A program to modernize the military's helicopters aims to change that

    November 26, 2014
  • The U.S. Digital Service team is working with VA and other agencies to hire and train employees to apply the agile development approach to projects. Mikey Dickerson, USDS director, said the goal is two-fold: to create lasting agile development capacity in agencies and to ensure agencies think about citizens' needs first and foremost.

    November 25, 2014
  • The Veterans Affairs Department failed its 16th cybersecurity audit in a row, so it still can't properly protect the private health data of veterans. The VA Inspector General sees about 6,000 cyber weaknesses in the agency's IT networks, and says it falls short of complying with the Federal Information Security Management Act.

    November 25, 2014
  • The resignation of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is bringing the administration's military and foreign policies into a new light. The next secretary will have to deal with the lingering issues of pay and benefits reform, sequestration, and the new technology offset strategy. Jim Thomas, vice president and director of studies at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, analyzed what Hagel's resignation means for the agency's present and future on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

    November 25, 2014
  • New Zealand Minister of Defense Gerry Brownlee visited the Pentagon this week. During his meeting with Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, Hagel praised the growth of the bilateral defense relationship and expressed appreciation for New Zealand's support for the coalition fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

    November 25, 2014
  • President Barack Obama has approved guidelines in recent weeks to allow the Pentagon to target Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, broadening previous plans that had limited the military to counterterrorism missions against al Qaeda after this year.

    November 25, 2014