The imminent threat of exploitation to agency information systems running EOS edge devices is substantial and constant, resulting in a significant threat to federal property. CISA is aware of widespread exploitation campaigns by advanced threat actors targeting EOS edge devices. Recent public reports of campaigns targeting certain vendors highlight actors’ attempts to use these devices as a means to pivot into FCEB information system networks. Edge devices are attractive targets due to their extensive reach into an organization’s network and integrations with identity management systems. These devices are especially vulnerable to cyber exploits targeting newly discovered, unpatched vulnerabilities. Additionally, they no longer receive supported updates from the original equipment manufacturer, exposing federal systems to disproportionate and unacceptable risks. However, unlike many attack vectors, this can be remediated by agencies following proven lifecycle management practices as outlined in the required actions of this Directive.

This Binding Operational Directive, developed in coordination with OMB, implements OMB policy on phasing out unsupported information systems and information system components. BOD 26-02 specifically addresses EOS devices deployed on the “edge” or public-facing areas of federal networks, exposed to external environments such as the internet. However, EOS devices should not reside anywhere on federal networks. This Directive aligns with OMB’s Circular A-130¹, Managing Information as a Strategic Resource, which establishes policy for the management of federal information resources, emphasizing security, privacy, and the efficient use of resources throughout their lifecycle. A-130 requires that “unsupported information systems and system components are phased out as rapidly as possible, and planning and budgeting activities for all IT systems and services incorporate migration planning and resourcing to accomplish this requirement.”² Agencies should mature their lifecycle management practices to identify hardware and software nearing their EOS dates, plan for timely replacements, procure vendor-supported alternatives, and develop a plan for decommissioning EOS devices while minimizing disruptions to agency operations. Agencies that do not maintain appropriate lifecycle management processes for edge devices have a greater risk of compromise and an increased overall risk associated with EOS technology.

To support agencies in the initial identification of EOS devices, CISA developed an EOS Edge Device List. This preliminary repository provides information on devices that are already EOS or soon-to-be EOS. This Directive requires federal agencies to use this information to identify and remediate vulnerabilities within the first three months of Directive issuance. This Directive also specifies long-term requirements for managing EOS edge devices across all federal networks.

Review the directive from CISA.

Source: CISA

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The individual award is open to active duty and Reserve members and federal government employees, and this year’s individual winner is Dr. Lisa Costa, for S&TI contributions in space intelligence analysis, foundational military intelligence and intelligence innovation.  Costa has spent much of her career “operationalizing innovation on a global scale” in the intelligence community and shaping and executing large-scale initiatives in emerging technologies and cybersecurity.

Dr. Costa’s professional accomplishments exemplified S&TI analysis and innovation at its best, always in pursuit of more robust space and cyber intelligence capabilities to advance the Nation’s security,” remarked Capt.  Ray Cross, USN (Ret.), vice president, Intelligence, at AFCEA International.

The team award winner is Project LOWGROUND Development Team. Project LOWGROUND is a collaborative Defense Department and intelligence community team that developed next-generation signals intelligence (SIGINT) sensor technology for the U.S. Army.

“This unique award recognizes Project LOWGROUND’s significant enhancements to the US Army’s ability to detect, characterize, and track targets of interest,” said Lewis Shepherd, the AFCEA Intelligence committee chair. He added: “The team’s extraordinary effort has resulted in a disruptive technology that is on a glidepath for integration into multiple Army modernization programs of record – as well as further proliferation of the technology across the DoD and IC.”

Source: AFCEA

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The following recipients of the OSINT Foundation’s 2024 Awards were recognized:

• Paige McMillan, U.S. Army Asian Studies Detachment received the LTC Ed Waller IC OSINT Practitioner of the Year award, which recognizes the IC OSINT professional who has demonstrated exceptional service to the nation, materially contributing to the OSINT discipline and mentoring other OSINT practitioners.
• S. Army Asian Studies Detachment, 500th Military Intelligence Brigade (Theater) received the Dr. Graham Turbiville IC OSINT Unit of the Year award, recognizing the IC unit that has demonstrated exceptional impact to national security and materially contributed to the OSINT discipline by making its products or services available to the broader IC or decisionmakers, gaining greater respect for the contributions of OSINT, implementing innovations and codifying and sharing resulting tactics, techniques, or procedures, or demonstrating effective means of displaying or disseminating its OSINT-related products.
• Neil Stern, Directorate of Intelligence, Federal Bureau of Investigation received the inaugural Dr. Adele Kibre IC OSINT Catalyst of the Year, which recognizes OSINT professionals such as librarians, data scientists, auditors, trainers, linguists, operational support, COTRs, policy analysts, program managers, and OSINT managers who enable practitioners, demonstrate exceptional service to the Nation, and materially contribute to the OSINT discipline.
• Indo-Pacific Regional Center, Defense Intelligence Agency, for “North Korea: Enabling Russian Missile Strikes Against Ukraine” was given the IC OSINT Product of the Year Award, recognizing a finished, completely unclassified and publicly available OSINT product that has demonstrated exceptional value to the nation, provided substantial impact to the organization’s mission, and benefitted the public good by increasing the public’s understanding of the value of OSINT.
• The Open Source Enterprise, Central Intelligence Agency, for the Osiris platform, was recognized with the inaugural IC OSINT Innovation of the Year Award, given for the novel technique, process, or platform that is at the unclassified level, derived from U.S. Government technology, and which has demonstrably improved the effectiveness of the OSINT discipline and significantly impacted the national security of the United States.
• David Reese, Chairman, OSINT Foundation Practitioner Committee, was named the OSINT Foundation Volunteer of the Year award in recognition of his outstanding service to the OSINT Foundation and the OSINT discipline.

The Awards Reception drew over 140 attendees, with the keynote address given by Jason Barrett, the Intelligence Community OSINT Executive. Also in attendance were Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Tonya Ugoretz; MG Timothy Brown, Commander of the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command; and Randy Nixon, Director of the CIA Open Source Enterprise. BAE Systems hosted the event at its Falls Church, Virginia facility.

Source: OSINT Foundation

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This year’s Intel Summit features participation from many IC agencies, including the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the CIA, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense, and the Department of State.

Keynote speakers include CIA CTO Nand Mulchandani, IARPA’s Office Director for Collection Research Dr. William Benard, FBI’s Intelligence Program Executive Assistant Director Ryan Young and Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center Director Dana Madsen.

Panel discussions will focus on topics like: Accelerating Mission IT for the Intelligence Community; Driving Intelligence Outcomes: Strategic Data Enablement and AI in the IC; OSINT and AI: Industry as an Enabler; IC and DoD Integration for Decision Advantage; Government and Industry Collaboration in Transition to Great Power Competition; and Expanding Mission Visibility Through Data Centricity and Tool Consolidation.

The 2024 Intel Summit will take place from 7:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. at the Hilton in McLean, Virginia. Registration is still open.

Source: Potomac Officers Club

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Each of the six awards is named in honor of a recipient of the William Oliver Baker Award, which INSA annually presents to a senior leader who has demonstrated sustained excellence in U.S. intelligence and national security affairs.

“Recognizing the achievements of early- to mid-career professionals is essential not just for celebrating individual excellence but for cultivating a workforce equipped for the future,” says INSA/INSF President Suzanne Wilson Heckenberg. “By spotlighting the dedication and innovative thinking of these rising stars, we cultivate a culture of appreciation for the hard work and creativity required to tackle tomorrow’s challenges.”

Joan A. Dempsey Mentorship Award: Open to public, private, and academic
professionals up to and including GS-15/O-6 or equivalent rank.

Sidney D. Drell Science & Technology Award: Open to researchers and technologists conducting innovative scientific or technological R&D with potential to significantly impact intelligence, defense, and/or homeland security.

Richard J. Kerr Government Award: Open to civilian government employees up to and including GS-13 or equivalent rank.

Edwin H. Land Industry Award: Open to contractors and non-government employees with 8 to10 years of non-executive experience. This award is exclusively for employees of INSA member companies.

William O. Studeman Military Award: Open to uniformed military personnel up to and including 0-4/E-7.

John W. Warner Homeland Security Award: Open to law enforcement, intelligence analysts, and first responders from federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies at levels up to federal GS-13 or equivalent.

Source: INSA

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These collaborators will work with the NCCoE project team to demonstrate a practical solution to assist organizations in detecting, responding, and recovering from a cyber incident within an operational technology environment.

The result will be a freely available NIST Cybersecurity Practice Guide that includes a reference design and a detailed description of the practical steps needed to implement the solution based on the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and industry standards and best practices.

Each of these organizations responded to a notice in the Federal Register to submit capabilities that aligned with desired solution characteristics for the project. The accepted collaborators were extended a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement, enabling them to participate in a consortium in which they will contribute expertise and hardware or software to help refine a reference design and build example standards-based solutions.

Source: NIST

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Under the broad umbrella of S&TI there are three primary subcategories: Foundational Military Intelligence, Intelligence Analysis and Intelligence Innovation.

“This unique award shines a light on the ever-impressive achievements of our S&TI workforce and how they tirelessly work to maintain a competitive advantage,” said Lewis Shepherd, the committee chair. AFCEA’s Intelligence Committee is well-positioned to encourage achievement and increase awareness about S&TI accomplishments that are not often publicized.

Individuals and teams will be recognized. The individual award is open to active duty and Reserve military members and federal government employees. The team award is open to those categories as well as civilian contractors. Awardees will be selected from nominations received from individual commands or agencies that are subordinate to one of the 18 intelligence community organizations.

Nominees must have made a specific, demonstrable contribution to the advancement of scientific and technical intelligence in one or more of the following categories: Foundational Military Intelligence, Intelligence Analysis or Intelligence Innovation. The selection panel will consider submissions that recognize the doctrinal, financial, organizational or other dimensions of these categories, as well as initiative, leadership and professional insight.

A selection panel of current and former intelligence community leaders—including representatives from the private sector and academia—will select the awardees. Winners will be announced approximately one month in advance of the award presentations at the annual AFCEA International Spring Intelligence Symposium on March 12-13, 2024, at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Campus East Conference Center in Springfield, Virginia.

Source: AFCEA

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The Executive Order directs the following actions:

New Standards for AI Safety and Security

• Require that developers of the most powerful AI systems share their safety test results and other critical information with the U.S. government.
• Develop standards, tools, and tests to help ensure that AI systems are safe, secure, and trustworthy.
• Protect against the risks of using AI to engineer dangerous biological materials by developing strong new standards for biological synthesis screening.
• Protect Americans from AI-enabled fraud and deception by establishing standards and best practices for detecting AI-generated content and authenticating official content.
• Establish an advanced cybersecurity program to develop AI tools to find and fix vulnerabilities in critical software.
• Order the development of a National Security Memorandum that directs further actions on AI and security, to be developed by the National Security Council and White House Chief of Staff.

Protecting Americans’ Privacy

• Protect Americans’ privacy by prioritizing federal support for accelerating the development and use of privacy-preserving techniques.
• Strengthen privacy-preserving research and technologies, such as cryptographic tools that preserve individuals’ privacy, by funding a Research Coordination Network to advance rapid breakthroughs and development.
• Evaluate how agencies collect and use commercially available information.
• Develop guidelines for federal agencies to evaluate the effectiveness of privacy-preserving techniques, including those used in AI systems.

Advancing Equity and Civil Rights

• Provide clear guidance to landlords, federal benefits programs, and federal contractors to keep AI algorithms from being used to exacerbate discrimination.
• Address algorithmic discrimination through training, technical assistance, and coordination between the Department of Justice and Federal civil rights offices on best practices for investigating and prosecuting civil rights violations related to AI.
• Ensure fairness throughout the criminal justice system by developing best practices on the use of AI in sentencing, parole and probation, pretrial release and detention, risk assessments, surveillance, crime forecasting and predictive policing, and forensic analysis.

Standing Up for Consumers, Patients, and Students

• Advance the responsible use of AI in healthcare and the development of affordable and life-saving drugs.
• Shape AI’s potential to transform education by creating resources to support educators deploying AI-enabled educational tools, such as personalized tutoring in schools.

Supporting Workers

• Develop principles and best practices to mitigate the harms and maximize the benefits of AI for workers by addressing job displacement; labor standards; workplace equity, health, and safety; and data collection.
• Produce a report on AI’s potential labor-market impacts, and study and identify options for strengthening federal support for workers facing labor disruptions, including from AI.

Promoting Innovation and Competition

• Catalyze AI research across the United States through a pilot of the National AI Research Resource.
• Promote a fair, open, and competitive AI ecosystem by providing small developers and entrepreneurs access to technical assistance and resources.
• Use existing authorities to expand the ability of highly skilled immigrants and nonimmigrants with expertise in critical areas to study, stay, and work in the United States by modernizing and streamlining visa criteria, interviews, and reviews.

Advancing American Leadership Abroad

• Expand bilateral, multilateral, and multistakeholder engagements to collaborate on AI.
• Accelerate development and implementation of vital AI standards with international partners and in standards organizations.
• Promote the safe, responsible, and rights-affirming development and deployment of AI abroad to solve global challenges, such as advancing sustainable development and mitigating dangers to critical infrastructure.

Ensuring Responsible and Effective Government Use of AI

• Issue guidance for agencies’ use of AI, including clear standards to protect rights and safety, improve AI procurement, and strengthen AI deployment.
• Help agencies acquire specified AI products and services faster, more cheaply, and more effectively through more rapid and efficient contracting.
• Accelerate the rapid hiring of AI professionals as part of a government-wide AI talent surge led by the Office of Personnel Management, U.S. Digital Service, U.S. Digital Corps, and Presidential Innovation Fellowship.

The Administration will work with allies and partners abroad on a strong international framework to govern the development and use of AI.

Source: White House

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The following recipients were recognized:

Shawn Porter, 312th Military Intelligence Battalion, US Army

Porter received the LTC Ed Waller IC OSINT Practitioner of the Year award, which recognizes the IC OSINT professional who has demonstrated exceptional service to the nation, materially contributed to the OSINT discipline, and mentored other OSINT practitioners.

Marine Corps Intelligence Activity, Open-Source Intelligence Branch

The Branch’s exceptional work was recognized with the Dr. Graham Turbiville IC OSINT Unit of the Year award, given to the IC unit that has demonstrated exceptional impact to national security and materially contributed to the OSINT discipline.

NGA Tearline and University of Mississippi

They were jointly awarded the foundation’s new OSINT Product of the Year honor for a product entitled “China’s Interests in Montenegro: Alternative Analysis Case Study.” The award recognizes a finished OSINT product that has demonstrated exceptional value to the nation. The students’ product demonstrated effective OSINT tradecraft and served as an exemplar of a high-quality OSINT product.

Abel Vandegrift, Authentic8

Another new foundation award this year, the OSINT Foundation Volunteer of the Year award, was given to Vandegrift in recognition of his outstanding service to the OSINT Foundation and the OSINT discipline.

Barbara Alexander, president of the OSINT Foundation, noted the awards are important to celebrate the growing professionalization and maturation of the OSINT profession as a critical Intelligence Community discipline. Additionally, 100% of the proceeds of the tickets goes to support the foundation’s scholarship fund, with two scholarships awarded annually to students in an undergraduate degree program who are interested in OSINT and a career in national security. She announced the evening’s ticket sales fully funded the 2024 scholarships, and that the foundation is adding a graduate scholarship next year for OSINT professionals who are pursuing advanced degrees.

The awards reception drew over 120 attendees, who appreciated the keynote address given by Lieutenant General Laura Potter, the US Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, G-2. Attendees representing the honorees’ organizations included Colonel Bradley Bean, USMC, Commander of the Marine Corps Intelligence Activity, and Command Sergeant Major Kyle Gillam, US Army, of the Intelligence and Security Command. Lieutenant General Ron Burgess (US Army, retired), former Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and OSINT Foundation advisory board member, provided the closing remarks. BAE Systems hosted the event at its Falls Church, Virginia facility.

Source: OSINT Foundation

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Each of the awards is named after a recipient of the William Oliver Baker Award, which INSA presents annually to an extraordinary leader for sustained contributions to excellence in intelligence and national security affairs.

In June 2023, INSA announced the Achievement Awards would be renamed after The Hon. Charlie Allen, former Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, legendary CIA officer, and 2002 Baker Award recipient, to honor Mr. Allen’s lifelong commitment to the U.S. intelligence and national security workforce.

“Charlie Allen’s tireless work ethic, love of country, and unparalleled analytic expertise inspires others to be more and do more,” said INSA Chairwoman Letitia A. Long. “By naming these awards after him, we hope to inspire our future leaders to dream bigger, push harder, and to live a life of service and purpose.”

Nominations are due COB on Tuesday, October 31.

About the 2024 INSA Achievement Awards

The Richard J. Kerr Government Award

Open to civilian government employees up to and including GS-13 and equivalent rank.

The John W. Warner Homeland Security Award

Open to law enforcement professionals, intelligence analysts, and first responders from federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies at levels up to federal GS-13 or equivalent.

The Edwin H. Land Industry Award

Open to contractors and nongovernment employees with eight to ten years of nonexecutive experience.

The Joan A. Dempsey Mentorship Award

Open to public, private, and academic professionals up to and including GS-15/O-6 and equivalent rank.

The William O. Studeman Military Award

Open to uniformed military personnel up to and including 0-4/E-7.

The Sidney D. Drell Science & Technology Award

Open to researchers conducting innovative scientific or technological R&D whose applications have the potential to make significant impacts in intelligence, defense, and/or homeland security.

Source: INSA

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