GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Military and essential civilians would be paid after shutdown

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: NextGov

08April2011 3:00amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: If the government shuts down Friday night, military personnel and civilian personnel deemed essential will continue to work, but the Defense Department will not have the funds to pay them until after the shutdown ends, Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn III said in a message sent to the Pentagon's workforce on Thursday afternoon.

Military personnel are not subject to furlough and will report for duty as normal during any shutdown, along with essential civilian personnel.

"If there is a government shutdown beginning on Saturday, April 9, all DoD personnel should still report to work on their next scheduled duty day, beginning at their normal duty hours to receive additional instructions," he said.  (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: U.S. House Bill Would Fund DoD Through September

 

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Defense News

05April2011 12:39pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: The U.S. House Appropriations Committee introduced a seventh stopgap spending measure late April 4 that would fund the Pentagon through September.

The temporary spending bill – known as a continuing resolution (CR) – would prevent a government shutdown for one more week, but would keep the Defense Department running through the fiscal year. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Security concerns suppress Pentagon's appetite for wireless devices

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: NextGov

22March2011 6:00amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: The U.S. military wants to go wireless. It wants handheld devices to replace desktop computers, it wants information available for troops "anywhere, on any device anytime," it wants employees to telework, and it wants to do this all with commercial products.

But it also wants security. And for now, the lack of military-grade security for smart phones, iPads, tablets and other mobile devices is the biggest impediment to a wholehearted embrace of mobile computing, military officials told a gathering of technology vendors Thursday.

"Security — I can't stress that enough," said Robert Carey, the Defense Department's deputy chief information officer. And today, the security provided in commercially available mobile devices simply doesn't meet military requirements, he said. That's why the military limits the use of many mobile devices, such as Apple iPads, and services such as social networking.

"Operational security comes first," Carey said.

When Marine Corps pilots wanted to load digital maps into iPads and Kindle devices so they could get rid of bulky briefcases full of paper maps, the Corps said no, Brig. Gen. Kevin Nally, the Corps' CIO, recalled.

The pilots pushed back, demonstrating how they could Velcro the devices to their thighs for quicker, easier access to maps in flight. The Corps finally relented, but forbade connecting the devices to aircraft communications networks — for security reasons, Nally explained. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Budget stalemate hurting services, Pentagon official says

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Federal Times

03March2011 8:27amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: Despite Defense Department warnings that troops, their families and overall military readiness are being hurt by the lack of a formal 2011 Pentagon budget, key Senate leaders said Tuesday that no quick end is in sight for the budgetary standoff.

"Unless cooler heads prevail, and both houses of Congress begin to make progress on passing this year's budget, there remains the possibility that the whole government could be funded through a full-year" continuing resolution, said Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

A continuing resolution is a temporary funding measure that keeps the government operating at a reduced level when a permanent appropriations bill has not been approved by the start of the fiscal year, Oct. 1. In most cases, the Defense Department is limited to spending at 2010 levels — which would be about $23 billion less than the department expected to get for the current year.

Defense funding is not a key element of the disagreement on government funding, but it is tied up in the battle over a strong push by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives to cut $100 billion from the overall 2011 federal budget, something the Democrat-controlled Senate opposes.

Unable to reach agreement on a permanent funding bill, House and Senate leaders are preparing to pass another temporary funding bill this week that would keep the government operating until mid-March. It is expected to include a modest $4 billion in cuts based on deficit reduction proposals from the White House.

"We have a hill to climb," said Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi, ranking Republican on the appropriations committee.

Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn said operating under such temporary funding "is not a workable approach" because it restricts spending.

"Serious problems are already occurring," he said. "If the current CR continues throughout the year, it will cause significantly more harm." (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Financial terrorism suspected in ‘08 economic crash

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: The Washington Times

01March2011 6:30amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: Evidence outlined in a Pentagon contractor report suggests that financial subversion carried out by unknown parties, such as terrorists or hostile nations, contributed to the 2008 economic crash by covertly using vulnerabilities in the U.S. financial system.

The unclassified 2009 report “Economic Warfare: Risks and Responses” by financial analyst Kevin D. Freeman, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Times, states that “a three-phased attack was planned and is in the process against the United States economy.”

While economic analysts and a final report from the federal government's Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission blame the crash on such economic factors as high-risk mortgage lending practices and poor federal regulation and supervision, the Pentagon contractor adds a new element: “outside forces,” a factor the commission did not examine.

“There is sufficient justification to question whether outside forces triggered, capitalized upon or magnified the economic difficulties of 2008,” the report says, explaining that those domestic economic factors would have caused a “normal downturn” but not the “near collapse” of the global economic system that took place. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Debka Report: US weighs hit-and-run raids to disable Qaddafi's air capability

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: DEBKAfile

28February2011 6:25pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: The US is repositioning its naval and air forces around Libya, Pentagon spokesman Col. David Lapan stated Monday, Feb. 28, indicating possible military steps to break the standoff between Muammar Qaddafi's army and rebel forces in the fighting for control of the towns commanding the roads to the capital Tripoli where Qaddafi is barricaded.

The reported rebel capture of the key towns of Misrata and Zawiya is technically correct. In fact, they are both surrounded by Libyan troops who control their road links with Tripoli. In Misrata, the army has a valuable edge over opposition forces in its control of the local airfield.

The Pentagon spokesman's indeed remarked that there are "various contingency plans" for the North African country where Muammar Qaddafi's forces and rebels in the east "remain locked in a tense standoff."

Most military observers interpreted his remark as referring to potential US military intervention in Libya to break the stalemate. It was strengthened by the imminent redeployment off the Libyan coast of USS Enterprise from the Red Sea and the amphibious USS Kearsarge, which has a fleet of helicopters and about 1,800 Marines aboard. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS TECHNOLOGY BRIEFING: AeroVironment Develops World’s First Fully Operational Life-Size Hummingbird-Like Unmanned Aircraft for DARPA

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: L.A. Times

18February2011 12:39pmEST

 http://latimes.vid.trb.com/player/PaperVideoTest.swf

GCIS TECHNOLOGY UPDATE: A pocket-size drone dubbed the Nano Hummingbird for the way it flaps its tiny robotic wings has been developed for the Pentagon by a Monrovia company as a mini-spy plane capable of maneuvering on the battlefield and in urban areas.

The battery-powered drone was built by AeroVironment Inc. for the Pentagon's research arm as part of a series of experiments in nanotechnology. The little flying machine is built to look like a bird for potential use in spy missions.

The results of a five-year effort to develop the drone are being announced Thursday by the company and the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Equipped with a camera, the drone can fly at speeds of up to 11 miles per hour, AeroVironment said. It can hover and fly sideways, backward and forward, as well as go clockwise and counterclockwise, by remote control for about eight minutes.

The quick flight meets the goals set forth by the government to build a flying "hummingbird-like" aircraft. It also demonstrates the promise of fielding mini-spy planes. Industry insiders see the technology eventually being capable of flying through open windows or sitting on power lines, capturing audio and video while enemies would be none the wiser. (read full report)

 

 

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS CYBER-SECURITY BRIEFING: Foreign agencies test security of U.S. networks

 

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Army Times

16February2011 12:35pmEST

GCIS CYBER-SECURITY UPDATE: WASHINGTON — More than 100 foreign intelligence agencies have tried to breach U.S. defense computer networks, largely to steal military plans and weapons systems designs, a top Pentagon official said Tuesday.

Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn said that while foreign governments and rogue states may try to launch more destructive attacks against military networks, most may stick to theft and spying because they are worried about a U.S. counterattack.

The greater threat, he said, are terror groups such as al-Qaida, who are more difficult to deter. Terrorists have vowed to unleash cyberattacks, and over time may be able to either develop their own malicious computer threats or buy them on the black market.

Lynn’s remarks, made at a cybersecurity conference in San Francisco and released in Washington, come as the U.S. government is struggling to ramp up its abilities to block cyberintrusions and to lay out policies for launching the high-tech attacks when needed. U.S. government sites are scanned and attacked millions of times a day, and there have been a number of serious breaches in recent years, including into the electric grid and Pentagon weapons contractors.(read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS CYBER-SECURITY BRIEFING: Pentagon investing $500 million in cyber-security

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: SF Gate

16February2011 12:11pmEST

GCIS CYBER-SECURITY UPDATE: The U.S. Defense Department is planning to spend $500 million to research new cyber-security technologies, including cloud computing and encrypted data processing, Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn said Tuesday at a security conference in San Francisco.

The Pentagon will also provide "seed capital for companies to develop dual-use technologies that serve our cyber-security needs," Lynn said in remarks delivered at the RSA Conference.

"Cyber-defense is not a military mission, like defending our airspace, where the sole responsibility lies with the military," Lynn said. "The overwhelming percentage of our nation's critical infrastructure – including the Internet itself – is largely in private hands. It is going to take a public-private partnership to secure our networks."
 

The $500 million is part of the Pentagon's 2012 budget request of $2.3 billion to improve the Defense Department's cyber-capabilities. At a Pentagon news conference Monday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates called the research money, to be spent through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, "big investment dollars, looking to the future."

The military is reaching out to commercial companies for the latest technologies and technical experts to safeguard the Pentagon's computer networks from attacks and espionage, Lynn said. The effort is part of a "comprehensive cyber-strategy called Cyber 3.0," he said. (read full report)

 

 

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Defense leaders warn of impact of big budget cuts

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle

10February2011 2:12pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: WASHINGTON, (AP) — Congress' failure to pass a 2011 defense budget bill is jeopardizing the military's effort to send more surveillance and attack drones into Afghanistan, as well as stymieing plans to buy a new Navy submarine, Army combat helicopters and other major weapons systems, defense leaders say.

As Pentagon officials fan out across Capitol Hill, pleading for lawmakers to approve the 2011 spending levels proposed by the Obama administration, they also are hitting lawmakers where it hurts — in their congressional districts and states. Less money in the budget, the officials said, will put at risk thousands of jobs and construction projects nationwide.

Right now the U.S. is operating under a stopgap budget extension that funds the federal government at the 2010 level. And Republicans, who control the House and gained ground in the Senate in the 2010 elections, have said they intend to use this opportunity to end dozens of programs and slash spending on many more. (read full report)

 

 

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's advertisers or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Defense Mergers Opposed by U.S.

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: WSJ

09February2011 6:12pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: The Pentagon's procurement chief is expected to deliver a message to Wall Street Wednesday: The Defense Department wants to discourage potential consolidation among top-tier defense contractors.

In remarks to an investment conference in New York, Ashton Carter, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, is expected to draw a line against major defense-sector mergers in an era of tighter defense spending. A draft of Mr. Carter's remarks says the Pentagon "is not likely to support further consolidation of our principal weapons-systems prime contractors."

His principal concern, Mr. Carter indicated during an interview, is maintaining competition and bolstering the Pentagon's buying power. (read full report)

 

 

 

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's advertisers or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.