The programs built through these partnerships will seek innovations to enhance the various aspects of next generation communications, sensing, networking, and computing systems. The programs are expected to fund collaborative fundamental research that transcends the traditional boundaries of individual disciplines to achieve the program goals. These teams may consist of investigators from Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) – Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited, and having a campus located in the US.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has invested in a range of programs, including public and private partnerships, to advance the state-of-the-art in advanced networking systems research. In particular, NSF-funded research has greatly contributed to modern communication networks and systems through technologies like software-defined networking, programmable networks, disaggregation, computing and networking in the cloud, cognitive radios, spectrum sharing, massive MIMO antennas, millimeter-wave (mm-wave) transceiver devices, and artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML). The far-reaching impact of innovation in networking systems has been remarkable, as shown by the critical role that broadband communication networks played in keeping people connected and businesses operational during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recent NSF public-private partnerships with industry and other government agencies, e.g., direct partnerships with VMware and Intel, and consortia partnerships like Resilient and Intelligent NextG Systems (RINGS) and Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research (PAWR), have had fundamental impacts and paved the way for network research at scale, on topics including resilient network design, open-source wireless network software, and the application of machine learning to wired/wireless networking.

However, the demand for faster communications, increased functionality, broader availability, reduced resource consumption including size, weight, power and RF spectrum, lower latency, and service-aware networking requires research and innovation at unprecedented levels to meet the needs of our always-connected world. More effective integration between wired and wireless research communities and an increased focus on built-in security, as well as computing and machine learning advances into the next generation of networking technologies and management are needed.

Three NSF directorates (Computer and information Science and Engineering; Engineering; and Technology, Innovation and Partnerships) plan to build on past successes and provide the networking research and education community with the opportunity to pursue ambitious, fundamental research agendas that promise to define the future of advanced networking systems. Outcomes from the research projects and their products supported by these partnerships will fuel economic growth, improve national security, and result in products and services that will transform the everyday lives of people across the nation and around the world.

Source: NSF

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The Committee’s investigation totaled more than three years of investigative activity, more than 200 witness interviews, and more than a million pages of reviewed documents. All five volumes total more than 1300 pages.

You can read “Volume 5: Counterintelligence Threats and Vulnerabilities” here.

Read the Senate Intelligence Committee’s previous reports:

• “Volume I: Russian Efforts Against Election Infrastructure”
• “Volume II: Russia’s Use of Social Media”
• “Volume III: U.S. Government Response to Russian Activities”
• “Volume IV: Review of the Intelligence Community Assessment”
• Additional declassifications of “Volume IV: Review of Intelligence Community Assessment”

Source: SSCI

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“The IAA for Fiscal Year 2021 represents the Senate Intelligence Committee’s strong, bipartisan effort to give our Intelligence Community the resources, authorities, and personnel to protect America’s national security while increasing government efficiency,” Acting Chairman Marco Rubio said. “As a nation, we face ever-expanding threats from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Our legislation is vital to the Intelligence Community, and it provides the men and women who serve our nation the tools they need to keep our country safe. At the same time, our bill represents comprehensive Congressional oversight, ensuring that these tools are executed responsibly and cost-effectively.”

“This bipartisan intelligence authorization bill ensures that the women and men of our intelligence agencies have the resources they need to do their jobs,” said Vice Chairman Mark Warner. “This bill takes key steps to improve our national security, including investments in 5G technology, reforms to our security clearance process, and important protections for whistleblowers to report wrongdoing within the IC.”

The IAA for Fiscal Year 2021 ensures that the Intelligence Community can continue its critical work for our country while Congress continues its oversight, including in the following key areas:

• Confronting our adversaries’ attempts to compromise telecommunications and cybersecurity technology;
• Development and deployment of secure 5G networks based in open-standards to compete with our adversaries;
• Identifying corruption, influence operations, and information suppression by the Chinese government, in particular in this critical time for the people of Hong Kong;
• Uncovering Russian and Eastern European oligarchs’ corruption and illegal activities;
• Protecting against foreign influence threats and election interference on social media platforms;
• Creating Intelligence Community-wide policies to facilitate sharing cleared contractor information with private companies to enhance the effectiveness of insider threat programs;
• Requiring the publication of guidelines for granting, denying, or revoking a security clearance and preventing the revocation or denial of a clearance for reasons of discrimination, political beliefs, or retaliation; and
• Advancing Intelligence Community hiring flexibilities, student loan repayment programs, and child care for IC personnel.

Source: U.S. Senate

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“At the bipartisan request of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the Intelligence Community reviewed all transcripts for classification and made appropriate redactions. HPSCI voted unanimously in 2018 to publicly release these transcripts, and it is long past time that these are released.”

The transcripts can be accessed here.

Source: ODNI

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The bipartisan Future of Defense Task Force is chartered to review U.S. defense assets and capabilities and assess the state of the national security innovation base to meet emerging threats.

The Task Force is co-chaired by Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) and Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.).

Representatives Susan Davis (D-Calif), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.), Paul Mitchell (R-Mich.) and Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) have agreed to serve on the task force.

HASC Committee leadership can initiate a task force to execute oversight of issues that cross multiple subcommittee jurisdictions or are deemed worthy of special attention by its Members. Reps Smith and Thornberry initiated the Future of Defense Task Force to examine the Department of Defense’s strategic priorities, capabilities and operational concepts to ensure the national security innovation base is poised to meet long-range emerging threats and the rise of global competitors.

From initial activation, the duration of the Task Force is three months with the option of renewal for an additional three months.

Source: HASC

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The “USA FREEDOM Act of 2015” preserves significant national security authorities, enhances privacy and civil liberties protections, and increases transparency.

The Administration supports a clean and permanent reauthorization of all the USA FREEDOM Act provisions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that will expire in December 2019, including the “lone wolf” and “roving wiretap” authorities, and the acquisition of business records, including call-detail records, under Title V of FISA. The USA FREEDOM Act extensively amended these authorities to prohibit bulk collection, and it provides us with the necessary tools to keep Americans safe.

We look forward to working with Congress to reauthorize these provisions.

Joseph Maguire
Acting Director of National Intelligence

Source: ODNI

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“Election security is a top priority for the United States Government. Today we shared with Congress how we continue to bring the full strength, capabilities, and expertise of our departments and agencies to identify and defend against threats to the United States. Just like our successful, whole-of-government approach to securing the 2018 elections, we will work together with our Federal, state, local and private sector partners as well as our foreign allies to protect the 2020 elections and maintain transparency with the American public about our efforts.”

The classified briefings outlined the federal government’s coordinated approach to ensuring the security and resilience of the 2020 elections.

Source: ODNI

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“Consistent with its jurisdiction, investigative responsibilities, and building on substantial work undertaken during the last Congress, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (“Committee”) will conduct a rigorous investigation into efforts by Russia and other foreign entities to influence the U.S. political process during and since the 2016 U.S. election.  In addition, the Committee will investigate the counterintelligence threat arising from any links or coordination between U.S. persons and the Russian government and/or other foreign entities, including any financial or other leverage such foreign actors may possess.

“In the more than two years since the Intelligence Community released its assessment of Russia’s malign influence operation targeting the 2016 U.S. elections, much has been learned about the scope and scale of Russia’s attack on our democracy, including how covert and overt Russian activities intersected with individuals associated with Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, transition, administration, and business interests, including the Trump Organization.  It is now known that, from late 2015 through early 2017, individuals close to Donald Trump engaged in a significant number of contacts with an array of individuals connected to, or working on behalf of, the Russian government, and that several of these contacts involved efforts to acquire and disseminate damaging information about Hillary Clinton and her campaign, or related to Russia’s desired relief from U.S. sanctions.

“While Special Counsel Robert Mueller continues his investigation into whether there were “any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the [Trump] campaign,” and whether any crimes were committed in connection with, or arising from, that investigation, the Committee must fulfill its responsibility to provide the American people with a comprehensive accounting of what happened, and what the United States must do to protect itself from future interference and malign influence operations.

“During the prior Congress, the Committee began to pursue credible reports of money laundering and financial compromise related to the business interests of President Trump, his family, and his associates. The President’s actions and posture towards Russia during the campaign, transition, and administration have only heightened fears of foreign financial or other leverage over President Trump and underscore the need to determine whether he or those in his Administration have acted in service of foreign interests since taking office.

“Unfortunately, these and numerous other avenues of inquiry were not completed during the last Congress.  Now, in the 116th Congress, the Committee’s investigation will focus principally on five interconnected lines of inquiry, beginning with these incomplete or unexamined investigative threads:

(1)    The scope and scale of the Russian government’s operations to influence the U.S. political process, and the U.S. government’s response, during and since the 2016 election;

(2)    The extent of any links and/or coordination between the Russian government, or related foreign actors, and individuals associated with Donald Trump’s campaign, transition, administration, or business interests, in furtherance of the Russian government’s interests;

(3)    Whether any foreign actor has sought to compromise or holds leverage, financial or otherwise, over Donald Trump, his family, his business, or his associates;

(4)    Whether President Trump, his family, or his associates are or were at any time at heightened risk of, or vulnerable to, foreign exploitation, inducement, manipulation, pressure, or coercion, or have sought to influence U.S. government policy in service of foreign interests; and

(5)    Whether any actors – foreign or domestic – sought or are seeking to impede, obstruct, and/or mislead authorized investigations into these matters, including those in the Congress.

“The Committee may pursue additional lines of inquiry regarding matters that arise from the investigation, and it intends to cooperate with other congressional committees, as needed, on matters of overlapping interest.  The Committee also plans to develop legislation and policy reforms to ensure the U.S. government is better positioned to counter future efforts to undermine our political process and national security.

“As its first act, the Committee has voted to release to the Department of Justice and its components, including the Special Counsel’s Office, transcripts of testimony taken before the Committee during the 115th Congress, with no restrictions on their use.

“The Committee also plans to release to the public all investigation transcripts, as it is committed to providing the American public with greater transparency and insight into Russia’s operations and the U.S. government’s response. To protect ongoing investigative interests and information that remains classified, the Committee will release transcripts in a manner and according to a timetable that allows continued pursuit of important leads and testimony, while ensuring that the American people have faith in the process and can assess for themselves the evidence that has been uncovered, while legitimate national security interests continue to be protected.

“As Chairman of the Committee, I am committed to leading a thorough and impartial investigation that will follow the facts, and I hope that our Minority counterparts will join us in that effort.  Congress has a duty to expose foreign interference, hold Russia to account, ensure that U.S. officials – including the President – are serving the national interest and, if not, are held accountable.”

Source: HPSCI

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“Today’s vote is a significant step to stand up a federal government cybersecurity agency,” said DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. “The cyber threat landscape is constantly evolving, and we need to ensure we’re properly positioned to defend America’s infrastructure from threats digital and physical.  It was time to reorganize and operationalize NPPD into the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.  I thank Chairman Michael McCaul and Ranking Member Bennie Thompson for recognizing our critical role and both starting and completing this transformation in the House of Representatives.  I also thank Chairman Ron Johnson and Ranking Member Claire McCaskill for their tireless support of the CISA Act in the Senate.”

“I also want to thank all the hardworking men and women of NPPD for carrying out our important cybersecurity mission each day within DHS. CISA will help bring the recognition this team deserves and will empower the team to more effectively execute its vital mission.”

“The CISA Act passing Congress represents real progress in the national effort to improve our collective efforts in cybersecurity,” said NPPD Under Secretary Christopher Krebs. “Elevating the cybersecurity mission within the Department of Homeland Security, streamlining our operations, and giving NPPD a name that reflects what it actually does will help better secure the nation’s critical infrastructure and cyber platforms.  The changes will also improve the Department’s ability to engage with industry and government stakeholders and recruit top cybersecurity talent.”

Source: DHS

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Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen established the DHS Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office in December 2017 in one of the most significant reorganizations of the Department in a decade. If enacted into law, this legislation would permanently establish the office and grant it new authorities to protect the American people against evolving WMD threats. The CWMD Office is currently led by Assistant Secretary James F. McDonnell, who was appointed by President Trump in May 2018.

“The United States faces rising danger from terrorist groups and rogue nation states who could use weapons of mass destruction to harm Americans,” said Secretary Nielsen. “Although DHS has broad authorities to guard against radiological and nuclear dangers, we don’t have the authorities we need to do the same against biological and chemical threats. We must stay a step ahead of our enemies, and this legislation would help us do that. I applaud the House Homeland Security Committee for their leadership in developing this legislation—especially Chairman Michael McCaul and Rep. Dan Donovan—and all House members who voted to enhance our defenses against WMD threats. I now urge the Senate to do the same—to pass this legislation and send it to the President’s desk for signature.”

Source: DHS

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