The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology branch has awarded SecureLogix a two-year $997,526 Phase II Small Business Innovation Award to continue research and development of an architecture for an Emergency Communications Cybersecurity Center (E3C) concept that centralizes security processing functions for regions, states, or at the national level. “The ever-increasing frequency and sophistication of cyber-attacks on public safety answering points, EC3, and emergency operations centers demand that cutting-edge technical enhancements must be developed and put in place to protect NG9-1-1 center operations against telephony denial of service attacks, ransomware, zero-day and other advanced attacks,” says David Nolan, a program manager with the DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
The Transportation Security Administration
plans to award OSI Systems’ [OSIS] Rapiscan Systems division a sole source contract for Itemiser 5X explosive trace detector systems to address requirements of the agency’s Requirements and Capabilities Multimodal and Public Areas Capabilities Division’s Air Cargo Qualification testing. The award will have a one-year warranty in the base purchase year and follow-on option years for extended maintenance to support test bed activities.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Office of the Chief of Learning plans to award a sole-source contract to University Enterprises Corporation at California State Univ., San Bernadino to procure NICE Challenge Project content. The NICE Challenge Project is used to assess cybersecurity professional workforce readiness and currently serves more than 425 educational institutions in the U.S. by providing students workforce experience before joining the workforce.
Paravision, a computer vision company developing leading face recognition algorithms, has named Benji Hutchinson, a former top executive with NEC Corp. of America, as its president and chief operating officer. Hutchinson previously was president of NEC National Security Systems, a subsidiary of NEC that serves NEC’s federal government customers. Before joining NEC, he was senior director of federal business for Idemia, focused on national security business. NEC’s face recognition algorithm is used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in its Biometric Exit and Entry program.
The Government Accountability Office says that of the more than 600 miles the Army Corps of Engineers contracted for to build barriers on the southern border between fiscal years 2018 and 2020, more than 450 miles of wall panels were built but that only 69 miles include the full wall system, which also features lighting and cameras.
The Transportation Security Administration has awarded DSA Detection a $32,752.50 contract to provide sample swabs for the Leidos [LDOS] QS-B220 explosive trace detector. The award was a small business set aside. TSA uses the B220 as part of its layered approach to aviation security.