French Authorities Launch Operation to Remove PlugX Malware from Infected Systems

On the same subject

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  September 4, 2018 | International, C4ISR

  Defense Department Seeks ‘Rapid Cloud Migration’ Ideas for MilCloud

  BY FRANK KONKEL MilCloud 2.0 is about to host a lot more data, and the Defense Department wants ideas for how to get it there faster. The Defense Department's technical arm wants to see what capabilities exist in the marketplace to improve the migration of data and applications to milCloud 2.0, the Pentagon's on-premise cloud. On Wednesday, the Defense Information Systems Agency issued a request for informationto industry seeking input on “rapid cloud migration” as it aims to understand capabilities relevant to “automated cloud migration techniques.” The RFI, which does not constitute a solicitation but could lead to one-on-one discussions with vendors, comes three months after Pentagon memo directed all “fourth-estate” defense agencies to migrate all data and applications to milCloud 2.0 by 2020. In the interim, the Office of the Department of Defense Chief Information Officer had planned to coordinate with affected agencies, including DISA, to plan their cloud migrations. MilCloud 2.0 went live earlier this year as part of a three-year, $500 million contract won by CSRA, which has since been purchased by defense contractor General Dynamics. The RFI makes clear the Pentagon's current migration strategy, which includes “manual cloning and conversion of server images, which are then provisioned, into the new cloud environment, or provisioning, building and configuring applications on virtual servers from scratch,” is not sufficient. “This RFI seeks migration solutions that can accurately duplicate the suite of servers used with an application from their current environment into a cloud environment built on Apache CloudStack technology and KVM hypervisor,” the RFI states. “The scope of duplication includes all applications used with the system, configuration of network and network security controls when proper APIs are exposed, and identification of interactions within the application system and to external systems when needed network traffic is made available for analysis.” Options, the RFI says, could include the “use of vendor-provided tools or analytic capabilities if packet captures, or other network monitoring information.” Industry responses must be received by Sept. 10. https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2018/08/defense-department-seeks-rapid-cloud-migration-ideas-milcloud/150934/

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  July 16, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  UK orders first three Protector drones from General Atomics

  By: Andrew Chuter LONDON – Britain's Ministry of Defence has signed a deal with General Atomics for the first three Protector remotely piloted air vehicles destined to equip the Royal Air Force with a replacement for its Reaper drone force. A £65 million (U.S. $80 million) contract for three Protectors, the British version of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian was announced by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace during a virtual air power conference held by the RAF July 15. Protector will fly further, hit harder and, crucially, be able to fly in unsegregated civilian airspace compared with the Reaper vehicles widely used by the British in Afghanistan and the Middle East over the last several years. Three ground stations and other associated support equipment are also included in an initial deal that will see the first vehicle delivered to the British next year. The initial vehicle will remain in the United States for test and evaluation until 2023, ahead of deploying to its UK base at RAF Waddington, eastern England. Able to fly for up to 40 hours Protector is expected to enter service in 2024. The aircraft will be armed with MBDA's Brimstone missile and Raytheon UK's Paveway IV precision-guided bomb, enhanced data links and detect-and-avoid technology. The deal for Protector production includes an option on a further purchase of 13 drones. A contract firming up the options is planned for April next year. An MoD spokesperson denied that breaking up the order into two parts was related to balancing the over-stretched budget for this year. The cost of purchasing the remaining drones is put at around £180 million, or $230 million. The MoD spokesperson said consideration is also being given to an additional acquisition of drones over and above the 16 vehicles already envisaged. A total force of more than 20 Protectors was envisaged in the Conservative government's 2015 strategic defence and security review. Now, the final numbers will likely be subject to the outcome of an integrated defense, foreign policy and security review now underway by the Conservatives. Many people here think the already cash-strapped MoD will be a post-Covid-19 target for capability cuts as the government shifts its emphasis on defense equipment spending away from more conventional technologies into areas like space, cyber and artificial intelligence. Protector has already been a victim of MoD financial pressures. Sir Simon Bollom, the CEO of the Defence Equipment and Support arm of the MoD, alluded to the difficulties saying in an MoD statement his organization had "overcome considerable challenges" to keep the program on track. The vehicle was originally slated to enter service with the RAF in 2018 but that was then put back until 2021 before the new date was agreed. In announcing the deal defence secretary Ben Wallace said, „Protector will provide the RAF with vast global reach, meeting the UK's defense and security needs for decades to come, and provide another increase to the unmanned inventory for the armed forces.“ https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/07/15/uk-orders-first-three-protector-drones-from-general-atomics/

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  July 6, 2020 | International, C4ISR

  Army PEO C3T awards another contract to Leonardo DRS

  Andrew Eversden Leonardo DRS has won a $104 million contract to deliver next-generation mission command computing systems to the Army, the company announced June 30. The delivery order will be fulfilled by the company's Land Electronics business. Defense Information Systems Agency awarded the contract on behalf of Project Manager Mission Command and the Army's Program Executive Office Command, Control, Communications-Tactical, which is tasked with network modernization. The mission command computing systems are part of the Mounted Family of Computer Systems II, the service's combat computing platform that includes tablets, processors and ruggedized displays. Last week, Leonardo DRS announced a $206 million award by PEO C3T for ground vehicle installation kits for MFoCS II. Hardware delivery will begin in October 2020 and finish in September 2021, according to Paul Mehney, director of public communications at Army PEO C3T. Leonardo DRS is in the second year of a five-year contract to support the Army's mounted computing environment. According to the news release, the system will “support the continued fielding and upgrades of the Army's Joint Battle Command-Platform and features critical system capability upgrades, cybersecurity improvements and multi-touch displays.” The Joint Battle Command-Platform is the Army's next-generation friendly force tracking system that's integrated on 120,000 platforms across the service. There are also “significant” performance enhancements to the platform computing server, the company said. “We are proud to be able to provide these advanced, ruggedized tactical computing systems to give our warfighters the best possible networked situational awareness on the battlefield when they need it,” said Bill Guyan, senior vice president and general manager of the Land Electronics business. “These cyber-hardened systems have more than 20 years of experience built into them and are a key component of the Army's Mounted Computing Environment while continuing to enable the service's network modernization efforts to deliver next-generation Mounted Mission Command capability.” Work on the contract will be completed at the company's facility in Melbourne, Florida. https://www.c4isrnet.com/yahoo-syndication/2020/06/30/army-peo-c3t-awards-another-contract-to-leonardo-drs/