Northrop Grumman Formally Unveils Firebird UAS

On the same subject

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  September 14, 2018 | International, C4ISR

  Really old computer viruses are still infecting new machines

  By: Justin Lynch The biggest cyber threats governments and businesses face may not be the cutting edge hack from China, but a 10-year-old virus that infects a little-used computer. Some of the most well-known viruses from the past decade are still infecting machines despite their well-documented nature, according to cyber research firms. Some viruses, such as WannaCry and Conficker, are still spreading, Sean Sullivan, a security adviser at F-Secure told Fifth Domain. “It costs hackers nothing to keep using them,” Sullivan said. These known vulnerabilities are still effective because older machines do not receive patches for updates, which can then infect an entire network. Hackers often bundle known hacks together because it increases their success rate with no downside, Sullivan said. “Nothing is going to be 100 percent patched across organizations,” Sullivan, said. He described a network administrator's role as “triage.” The 2017 WannaCry hack infected users in more than 150 countries and had an economic impact of anywhere from $4 billion to $8 billion. Although progress has been made to patch computers, WannaCry is still a top malware threat for customers, F-Stream said in a September report. The Conficker hack targeted Windows systems and was first launched in 2008. It is reported to have cost as much as $9 billion in damage. But much work remains. More than two-billion devices have not been patched to defend against BlueBorne, a Bluetooth vulnerability that allows an attacker to take over devices, according to the cyber protection company Armis. The devices are still vulnerable because they have not been updated or because an update does not exist, according to the company. “Whether they're brought in by employees and contractors, or by guests using enterprise networks for temporary connectivity, these devices can expose enterprises to significant risks,” wrote Ben Seri, the vice president of research at Armis. A previous version of this article said that two million devices have not been patched to defend against BlueBorne. It is two billion. https://www.fifthdomain.com/industry/2018/09/13/really-old-computer-viruses-are-still-infecting-new-machines

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  October 21, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense – October 19, 2020

  ARMY Brockington and Associates,* Atlanta, Georgia (W912P9-21-D-0001); New South Associates Inc.,* Stone Mountain, Georgia (W912P9-21-D-0002); Southeastern Archaeological Research Inc.,* Orlando, Florida (W912P9-21-D-0003); and Environmental Solutions and Innovations Inc.,* Cincinnati, Ohio (W912P9-21-D-0004), will compete for each order of the $83,000,000 hybrid (firm-fixed-price, labor-hours) contract for providing multidisciplinary cultural resource-related services for projects undertaken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Louis District. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 21, 2025. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis, Missouri, is the contracting activity. NAVY Yahata Marine K.K., Yokohama, Japan, is awarded an estimated $61,000,000 under previously awarded Request for Proposal N68171-20-R-0001 multiple award of firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts to provide husbanding, management and integration services consisting of general charter and hire, utilities, force protection, communications and land transportation services to support maritime forces of the Department of Defense, other U.S. government agencies, and other nations to include Navy ships, Marine Corps, Military Sealift Command (MSC), Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and other foreign vessels participating in U.S. military or NATO exercises and missions. The contracts on the multiple award will run concurrently and will include a five-year base ordering period with one five-year option with individual requirements performed under task orders when specific dates and locations are identified. If the option period is exercised, the total estimated value of the contracts combined will have a ceiling value of $2,122,000,000. The ordering period of the contract is expected to be completed by October 2025; if all options are exercised, the ordering period will be completed by October 2030. This company will perform work in three geographic regions: Southeastern Asia 1 (49%); Oceania (26%); and Japan (25%). Due to the fact that the specific requirements for husbanding support cannot be predicted at this time, more specific information about where the work will be performed cannot be currently provided. Fiscal 2021 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,000 will be obligated to fund the contract's minimum amount, and funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Additional funds will be obligated at the task order level with the appropriate fiscal year funding as issued by the main type commanders for each area of responsibility. Typical funding issued by each of the customers include operations and maintenance (Navy) funds from U.S. Fleet Forces Command; and working capital funds (Navy) from MSC. The requirement was competitively procured for the award of multiple contracts with the solicitation posted on beta.SAM.gov, Navy Electronic Commerce Online (NECO) and Euro NECO with 36 offers received. The Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center, Sigonella, Naples Detachment, Italy, is the contracting activity (N68171-21-D-0036). Alabama Shipyard LLC, Mobile, Alabama, is awarded a $17,902,644 firm-fixed-price contract (N32205-21-C-4010) for a 76-calendar day shipyard availability for the regular overhaul and dry-docking of USNS Washington Chambers (T-AKE 11). The contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the total contract value to $19,278,302. Work will be performed in Mobile, Alabama, and is expected to be completed by March 20, 2021. Funds in the amount of $17,902,644 are obligated in fiscal 2021 using working capital funds (Navy). This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the beta.SAM.gov website and two offers were received. The Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY The National Industries for the Blind,** Alexandria, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $8,728,339 modification (P00008) exercising the second one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-19-D-B043) with four one-year option periods for moisture wicking t-shirts. This is an indefinite-delivery contract. Locations of performance are Virginia, North Carolina, and Arkansas, with an Oct. 30, 2021, ordering period end date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. *Small business **Mandatory source https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2386753/source/GovDelivery/

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  February 3, 2022 | International, Aerospace

  Budget uncertainty 'throttles' MDA's development of a hypersonic missile interceptor

  A Glide Phase Interceptor would round out MDA's plans to turn the ballistic missile defense architecture into one optimized for hypersonic missile defense as well. But the funding and the path forward for the interceptor remains unclear.