SEC Employee Graduates CECOM Action Officers Development Program
Posted by mward in Uncategorized on March 14, 2012
Holden Lassiter (pictured third from left) at the AODP Graduation (Photo credit US Army CECOM)
Recently, a group of CECOM employee’s participated in a newly designed Action Officers Development Program (AODP), aimed at providing CECOM personnel with training and skills to grow as Army action officers. Among the graduates was one SEC employee, Holden Lassiter. Lassiter participated in hopes to improve his skills and performance within the Center, calling it “a great experience”. “I gained a lot of new skills, particularly briefing skills that will be beneficial for interns like myself. I highly recommend others take this opportunity the next time it comes around,” said Lassiter.
The program culminated with each student presenting on a topic of interest pertaining to their work responsibilities. Lassiter presented on his work in developing SEC’s in-house Customer Relationship Management tool and its benefits for both the workforce, as well as SEC’s customers.
For more information on the AODP, check out this article posted on the Army’s website.
Social Media: Staying Connected Safely
Posted by mward in social media on January 24, 2012
The use of social media continues to grow throughout the world, connecting friends, family, and sometimes strangers in ways we never thought possible. Social media has even enabled deployed soldiers to engage with their families in the day-to-day events they might have otherwise missed without these technologies. Check out this inspiring story of how social media has impacted soldiers and their families.
While there are tremendous benefits to using social media, we must remember the importance of practicing safe social networking. The Army’s Office of the Chief of Public Affairs frequently offers tips on how to safely navigate the world of social media on their official SlideShare site, including this presentation, 6 Social Media Considerations for Deployed Soldiers and Their Families.
How do you use social media to stay connected?
SEC Products and Services Catalog now available
Posted by mward in customers, products and services on December 27, 2011
The SEC Products and Services Catalog is now available on the SEC website. The catalog contains over 40 SEC products and services supporting the software needs of the Warfighter from the business office to the battlespace. Products and services arranged alphabetically,allowing existing and prospective customers to quickly and easily discover what SEC has to offer via the catalog’s interactive table of contents.
For more information or questions concerning our products and services, contact the Customer Relationship Management program at Ask.SEC@us.army.mil.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Posted by mward in Uncategorized on November 24, 2011
The Software Engineering Center would like to wish you a very happy and safe Thanksgiving, from our family to yours!
Check out President Obama’s Thanksgiving Day Presidential Proclamation.
Financial Disclosure Management System wins highest honor at National Government Ethics Conference
Posted by mward in Uncategorized on October 27, 2011
The Software Engineering Center’s Financial Disclosure Management (FDM) System was recently recognized with two awards at the 18th National Government Ethics Conference. The conference, hosted by the US Office of Government Ethics, was held September 13-15 in Orlando, FL.
The FDM was first awarded with Best Financial Disclosure E-Filing Solution, beating out seven other financial disclosure e-filing systems, including one developed by the US Department of Commerce. The second award received was for Overall Program Excellence and Innovation, the conference’s highest honor. Winners were selected through voting by the conference attendees from various Executive Branch agencies. Conference attendees were given the opportunity to look through about 40 exhibits of Agency ethics programs in various categories, such as e-filing, training aids, and ethics training programs and vote for the program of their choice.
Developed and maintained by the CECOM SEC, the Financial Disclosure Management (FDM) is a web-based system that automates the financial disclosure reporting and reviewing processes. Each year, over 100,000 OGE 450 and OGE 278 filers use the FDM system to file their financial disclosure reports. FDM is used across the DoD by agencies such as the Army, Navy, Air Force, DCMA, DeCA, DISA, DSS, DTRA, DCAA, OSD, DLA, and others. FDM is also used by various non-DoD Executive Branch agencies including the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Homeland Security, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Office of Government Ethics.
The system has been in operation since 2004 and is the largest and most robust electronic financial disclosure reporting system available to the Federal Government. In the three-year period from 2008 to 2010, it is estimated that the FDM system has saved the Army over $9.2 million. FDM is projected to save over $21.8 million DoD-wide over the next three years when compared to the paper-based financial disclosure reporting process.
- Ray Henley, FDM Project Lead
SEC Intern Advisory Council hosts first event
Posted by mward in Uncategorized on September 9, 2011
SEC’s Intern Advisory Council held their first event the afternoon of 8 September, a speaking engagement with SEC Director Mr. Ned Keeler.
The event began with an introduction of the IAC and its members before an audience of about 40 SEC interns. Mr. Keeler presented an overview of his career, including time served as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as his time as a civilian working for NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration. The talk highlighted how interns can use their experience, leadership skills, and drive to excel in their careers at SEC. The event concluded with a question and answer session with the audience at which time an audience member inquired whether Mr. Keeler had any final piece of advice for the interns. His answer: “Live each day to its fullest”.
This lunch-and-learn-style event is the first of many intern-focused events to be held by the Intern Advisory Council. The IAC was formed as a means to open and extend the lines of communication amongst the SEC interns and management. In addition to acting as liaisons, the IAC, whose council members were elected by their peers, will organize events aimed at educating and socializing SEC interns. The Council will support other speaking engagements featuring both SEC and CECOM leadership, as well as knowledge sharing and career building events. Additionally, the IAC will initiate after-hours events for interns in an effort to promote relationship building and networking amongst their peers.
The next Intern Advisory Council event will be held in mid-October.
Points of View: Software Assurance
Posted by mward in customers, products and services on July 26, 2011
Software Assurance (SwA) is a major area of concern for our systems as the threat focuses more on the mission applications versus the infrastructure now that the Department of Defense (DoD) has hardened the networks and operating system platforms. Among other things, this means that mission applications need to be carefully verified for compliance with information assurance controls that outline the essential discipline required to survive on the modern cyber battlefield. The fact is that the developer, who may be very mature with a Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) level 5, will often use open source or commercial software they did not write. They may include software from vendors with a risky pedigree, or they may have software code writers either on their staff or on the staff of their suppliers who are not really current on how to write secure code.
In order to address these issues, developers and maintainers of software need to implement processes and independent validation routines that will “bake security in” to the software that soldiers need. This is not about just meeting information assurance or security requirements to achieve approval to operate, it is about improving the reliability, integrity, and maintainability of software. If the software fails under attack it means more than just that a security requirement was not met.
Therefore, code analysis needs to go beyond just peer review. Moreover, validation of software performance needs to go beyond “black box” functional testing. What developers really need is an independent software quality assessment regimen. This regimen will use independent and qualified software professionals that apply not only effective static code analysis tools, but plain good judgment to check the source code. These professionals provide useful metrics and “actionable recommendations” back to both developers and their managers. This allows improvements not just to the code, but to the technique used to write the applications in the first place.
Educating your programmers on the Defense Information System Agency (DISA) Security Technical Implementation Guidance (STIG) for applications and teaching them how to apply these practices, could potentially save your organization from running into problems in both deployment and in daily operations. The enemy gets to vote and this means the enemy will attack your software mission applications without mercy. They are in it to win as much as we are!
Recent events have shown how even outstanding organizations with prestigious track records can be seriously compromised by adversaries attacking the soft underbelly of our systems. Acquisition professionals need to ensure that contracts, service level agreements, and performance objectives clearly address software assurance so that the bar is properly set for the effective development, deployment, and maintenance of mission applications.
- Frank Mayer
Frank Mayer is the Acting Deputy Director of Software Support Services at SEC and a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserve.
LinkedIn quickly increasing in US popularity
Posted by mward in social media on July 13, 2011
It was recently announced that LinkedIn, a social networking site dedicated to connecting professionals and job-seekers throughout the world, is now the second-most actively used social networking site in the US. LinkedIn, having now surpassed MySpace, is second only to Facebook in popularity.
With so many social networking sites available to users, each with its own goals and merits, it isn’t always easy to determine which to use or whether to use them all. Many folks stay actively engaged in a variety of social media, like maintaining their own blogs, tweeting their day’s events, and finding where their friends are on FourSquare. Others tend to separate their use of social media, depending on their goals. This is likely how Facebook and LinkedIn have risen to such incredible popularity. While most people enjoy sharing their thoughts and daily activities, both private and public, with friends on Facebook, there may be hesitation to share this information with one’s colleagues. Facebook users may find themselves denying friend requests from current and even former colleagues because of this. This is where LinkedIn can be truly beneficial. Users can maintain relationships with co-workers, former supervisors, and contacts they’ve made throughout their careers, without blurring the lines between personal and professional conversation. The varied focus of these social networks is more proof how social media can expand and enhance our real-life relationships.
Soldiers, particularly, have an opportunity to use social networks to enrich their communication. Active duty soldiers keep in touch with friends and family through social networks by exchanging stories, pictures, video, and more. Here at SEC, we use the SEC Live blog to share our thoughts on technology and innovation, amongst so many other topics. We also use the CECOM Facebook page to make announcements and share news about our organization. We’d like to know what type of social media you’re using. How do you connect, both personally and professionally?
Remembering the true meaning of Independence Day
Posted by mward in Uncategorized on July 1, 2011
We all know that On July 4, 1776 legal separation of the original thirteen colonies from Great Britain was declared. However, what everyone doesn’t know is that John Adams had written a letter to his wife Abigail, foreseeing the importance this act would have on the country from then on. The letter read, “I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.” . Unfortunately, his prediction was off by two days.
Nowadays, Independence Day is celebrated with fireworks, barbecues and political heads attending public events. Military bases even show their appreciation for this day by performing what is known as a “salute to the union,” by firing a gun for each state in the Americas at noon on July 4. Many traditions have developed over the years as a way for people to join together and celebrate this memorable day. Some of these traditions include the Bristol Fourth of July Parade held in Bristol, Rhode Island which has survived since 1785. Another major tradition involves the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, which was developed on Independence Day in 1916 by four men fighting to prove who was the most patriotic. People all over the country unite on this day to remember how lucky we are to have our freedom, and to honor the military for continuing to fight for it. This day goes out to all of the soldiers who are facing the independence war everyday and to those who have lost their lives for it.
Remember to enjoy this day with your family and friends and take a moment to keep in mind why this day is so significant in our history. If you have a tradition that you celebrate on Independence Day, don’t be afraid to share it with us. We would love to hear all the different ways everyone chooses to celebrate their 4th of July! Enjoy your holiday!
- Amy Wuyscik, Operations Directorate
JUICE hosts VIPs today
Posted by mward in Uncategorized on June 23, 2011
Having already hosted several media outlets, public officials, and educational institutions, JUICE will conclude today with a visit by our Army senior leaders. The Joint User Interoperability Communications Exercise (JUICE) 2011 will take visitors on an evolutionary three-year journey that begins with the concept for developing a much-needed capability linking architectures and joint operating concepts in the operational world. This concept matured into prototyping and testing in a distributed laboratory environment – the Joint On-demand Interoperability Network (JOIN). JOIN provides the Information Grid for JUICE, having the capability to connect operational sites worldwide via both terrestrial and satellite links.
JOIN , a round-the-clock secure, survivable, interoperable presence, is dynamically configurable to be a specific operational, training, experimental, or assessment/validation information network for support to the Warfighter, as well as combat and materiel developers. JOIN is available free of charge to DoD organizations and, traditionally, has served many critical missions, such as pre-deployment staging of equipment, training, and distributed testing, amongst many others. This provides an advanced degree of realism which greatly increases Warfighter preparedness prior to actual deployment.
The next year of the journey leaves behind the conceptual realm of JOIN and moves into the complicated operational world of deployment, employment, redeployment and sustainment, and this is where the operational realm of JUICE takes over. Visitors will be directed to the Joint Task Force (JTF) Forward Operating Base (FOB) that is JUICE. Here, staff will demonstrate how JUICE has gone from paper concept to live deployment because of the immensity of the effort and the requisite expertise involved. Next, visitors will be directed to the Joint NETOPS Coordination Center (JNCC), which is tasked with the responsibility of provisioning network services on time at JUICE’s worldwide locations. The JNCC is the heartbeat of JUICE and vital to the success of the mission.
The journey will conclude with a visit to the sustainment systems, followed by a question and answer session.
- John Caruso, JUICE
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