Tag Archive for: deficiencies

Air Force assembling electronic warfare ‘sprint’ to fix deficiencies


NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The U.S. Air Force is stepping up efforts to improve electromagnetic spectrum capabilities that are “nowhere near” where they need to be, according to Lt. Gen. Leah Lauderback.

The deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and cyber effects operations told the Air Force Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference that the service is poised to answer questions about requirements and funding flows.

“We are just starting the sprint,” she said Sept. 20. “It’s with the acquisition community, it’s with the operational community.”

Modern warfare relies on the electromagnetic spectrum, which militaries leverage for communications, situational awareness and even weapons guidance. Competition over the spectrum is expected to be heated in a conflict involving the U.S., China or Russia.

The Air Force undertaking could eventually produce a so-called operational imperative — a service priority marked by intense focus and investment. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall in March laid out seven imperatives, among them the pursuit of the Advanced Battle Management System and a better understanding of resilient basing, sustainment and communications in contested environments.

“You might see this turn into another operational imperative, like a year from now, or something of that nature,” Lauderback said Tuesday. “But it’s something that we do not have a deep bench on, at all.”

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown has said the service was “asleep at the wheel” for decades in electromagnetic operations. Adversaries have observed how critical the spectrum is for U.S. forces and have sought sophisticated methods to deny, jam and spoof.

Taking full advantage of the spectrum and related assets, Brown said last year, could save money while still delivering results. The Air Force last summer activated the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing, a first-of-its-kind entity designed to optimize electromagnetic capabilities and provide maintenance, operational and technical expertise.

“In some aspects, an electron is much cheaper than a very expensive missile,” Brown said at the time.

Colin Demarest is a reporter at C4ISRNET, where…

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Auditor General spotlights ‘serious deficiencies’ in Navajo County safeguards | Latest News


HOLBROOK — Lax credit card supervision.

At least $41,000 in gas purchases that didn’t include a vehicle log showing the business purpose of the purchase and the trip.

And a computer system vulnerable to security breaches that would risk disclosure of confidential information and access to the system.

The Arizona Auditor General definitely had some pointed suggests about the county’s financial and IT oversight procedures.

The just released report on Internal Control and Compliance for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020 suggests the county has additional problems beyond the previously disclosed and now-repaid $5,579 in allegedly improper credit card charges by former health director Jeff Lee, who now faces multiple fraud charges.

The audit report obtained by the Independent indicates additional issues with both record-keeping for gas purchases and more importantly, a series of problems with the security of the county’s computer systems.

However, the county has already put in place policy changes to respond to the recommendations in oversight of credit card purchases, gas purchases and IT security.

Assistant County Manager Bryan Layton said “it is important to note that purchasing card mitigation measures and Travel policy changes have been implemented to improve internal controls.”

Moreover, he noted that the audit report spotlighted a lack of documentation of spending for gas, but did not find a case in which the spending wasn’t appropriate.

Layton said employees driving to Phoenix on business or deputies traveling to remote areas of the Navajo Reservation do have to buy gas on the road. “It is necessary in both cases to purchase fuel remotely – and our policy rightly allows this. It is important to note that they did not identify a single case of misuse, rather the issue is focused on the controls needed to detect and prevent misuse.”

Finally, he said the county works constantly to improve computer security. “This will remain a very high priority for the county and we will continue to work with the Arizona Counties Insurance Pool and the professional experts they bring on board to consistently work to reduce our risk.”

The…

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