The INSIDER daily digest -- Jan. 6, 2020

By John Liang / January 6, 2020 at 1:57 PM

This Monday INSIDER Daily Digest has news on a recently completed Defense Science Board report on the National Leadership Command Capability, the Pentagon's chief management officer position, the Sea Hunter unmanned surface vehicle and more.

The Defense Science Board has released a public summary of a classified report on the National Leadership Command Capability:

DSB recommends three-part strategy to improve National Leadership Command Capability

A Pentagon advisory board is calling for a more "defensible and resilient" National Leadership Command Capability to shore up weaknesses in the command and control systems used by the president and critical to ensuring continuity of government during a national crisis.

Document: Unclassified version of DSB report on NLCC

Lawmakers are having second thoughts about the Pentagon's chief management officer position:

Congress shifts 'chief data officer' away from CMO's office as Pentagon finalizes data strategy

Congress has shifted the Defense Department's chief data officer position away from the endangered chief management office, while Pentagon officials say the first department-wide data strategy is awaiting Defense Secretary Mark Esper's signature.

The Office of Naval Research is no longer in charge of developing the Sea Hunter unmanned surface vehicle:

Navy shifts Sea Hunter to advance USV development, fleet familiarization, CONOPS

The Navy last month transferred administrative control of the trimaran Sea Hunter -- an experimental prototype medium unmanned surface vehicle that helped launch plans for a fleet of medium and large USVs -- from the Office of Naval Research to Surface Development Command One, on behalf of the Unmanned Maritime Systems program office (PMS-406).

Our colleagues at Inside Cybersecurity have a deep dive into the potential ways Iran could use cyber warfare against the United States as retaliation for the assassination of a senior Iranian general:

Heightened U.S.-Iran tensions may bring 'national reckoning' in cyberspace

The U.S. attack on Iran's top general has the cybersecurity community bracing for possible retaliation in cyberspace, while also pointing to the security tools that are in place and the ongoing policy needs that are highlighted by the latest -- perhaps most serious -- clash with a known international cyber aggressor.

More cyber news:

Early 2020 presents major regulatory milestones for U.S. cyber acquisition revisions

The next two months could be crucial for the federal government's landmark efforts in setting cybersecurity requirements for contractors and agencies to protect national security and other information from foreign adversaries, with a proposed rule later this month and comments due in February on banning Huawei and other China-based tech products.

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