Volume 1, Issue 15
SE&M Solutions LLC publishes The In-Brief to help keep government and industry leaders aware of important issues in the personnel security, suitability, Trusted Workforce 2.0, background investigations, adjudications, counterintelligence, industrial security communities, and emerging technologies.
Articles of Interest
Key Takeaways From the 2025 Intel Summit
The recent Intel Summit hosted by the Potomac Officer’s Club featured several important themes, including: building trust and integrating AI into mission workflows; continued Chinese efforts at economic espionage; the need to embed geopolitics in core business strategies; harnessing commercial AI into classified systems; and ensuring trust, transparency, and faster AI adoption.
Interestingly, panelist Andrew Baczewski from Sandia National Laboratory claimed the U.S. is far ahead of China in quantum computing:
“There’s no shortage of times where I’ve read a paper from…one of the centers of gravity in China and said ‘oh, geez, I thought that six to seven years ago’. There’s certainly a lot of money and effort there, but there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of originality. Of course, this is just speaking to the technologies that I know, but, it’s clear that…the things that people are publishing [here are] being replicated over there.”
More on the Intel Summit here.
Senate Passes Defense Policy Bill
Politico reports the Senate passed the $925 billion defense policy bill in a 77-20 vote. The House passed an $893B version of the bill last month. The Senate version restricts U.S. troop reductions in Europe and South Korea, and seeks to overhaul the Pentagon’s complex acquisition process to more quickly field weapons and technology.
Next-Generation C2 Won’t Be Next-Gen Without the Network Transport
Breaking Defense reports the Army’s Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) effort will need to provide more robust data transport and analytics capabilities with expanded network connectivity to higher echelons, while also supporting emerging requirements like ground/air robotics and sensor integration. Specifically, the network transport layer should also leverage a hybrid architecture for NGC2 combining tactical radios, 5G, WiFi, and multi-orbit satellites.
Aspen Institute Releases a Proposed National Strategy on Cybercrime
The Aspen Institute’s National Task Force on Fraud and Scam Prevention released an extensive report outlining a national strategy for the private and public sectors to tackle cybercrime. Developed by a task force of 80 groups both in government and business, it recommends legal protections for companies to incentivize sharing intelligence on crimes and updating how law enforcement databases collect and share data.
Qunnect Announces Air Force Contract for Quantum Networking Over Conventional Fiber
New York City-based startup Qunnect has won an award from the Air Force Research Laboratory to refine its quantum networking technology. Quantum particles are extremely sensitive and difficult to transport over long distances without decoherence. Qunnect claims its approach is unique, with a track record of successful test runs over existing fiber optic cables rather than on test infrastructure. It has also tested a repeater that extends the range of its quantum signals. More here.
Upcoming Events and Conferences
2025 Homeland Security Summit
11/12/2025
Hyatt Regency | Reston VA
Safeguarding the nation from emerging threats remains a critical priority for the U.S. government in this complex era of defense and security. As global competition grows, new challenges, vulnerabilities and concerns arise. Join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Homeland Security Summit to gain insights into the most pressing threats facing the country and the measures being implemented to counteract them.
https://www.potomacofficersclub.com/events/2025-homeland-security-summit
State of Defense Business Acquisition Summit
11/18/2025
Westin | Washington, D.C.
This year’s State of Defense Business event, Defense One will bring together public sector leaders to explore the future of defense acquisitions and industrial base strategy, highlighting how the Pentagon is advancing modernization and reshaping the defense business landscape. Officials will share updates on efforts to streamline procurement, accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies, and expand production capacity to meet evolving mission demands.
https://events.defenseone.com/state-of-defense-business-acquisition-summit/home
About SE&M
SE&M Solutions LLC is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) headquartered in Harrisburg, PA. We are experts in personnel security, continuous vetting, Trusted Workforce 2.0 (TW2.0) policies, processes, and information technology. We offer professional services and IT support including staff augmentation, consulting, planning and implementation for clients in the federal, state, local and commercial sectors. For more information, contact SE&M at info@semsolutionsllc.com.