Online ID grants, NGA personnel, DARPA IT and more

NIST grants back online ID verification

The National Institute of Standards and Technology launched a competition for a fourth round of grants for pilot online identity verification systems that help improve the privacy, security and convenience of online transactions.

The grants support the White House's 2011 National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace. That program is aimed at improving trust online through creation of an "identity ecosystem" in which individuals and organizations have higher levels of trust because they follow agreed-upon standards and processes for secure, privacy-enhancing and interoperable identity solutions online.

NGA deputy off to NATO

NATO’s mission in Afghanistan is getting a top geospatial intelligence officer. Maj. Gen. Mark Quantock, director of operations at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, will be assigned as deputy chief of staff for intelligence for the NATO mission, the agency announced.

In his job overseeing NGA’s daily geospatial agency operations, Quantock has worked closely with the military services and combatant commands, the agency said. NGA has not named a successor.

DARPA award IT service task order

Agile Defense Inc. has won a $26.2 million task order to provide IT services and support to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Washington Technology reports. The task order was awarded under GSA’s Alliant contract vehicle, and is to support DARPA’s Information Technology directorate.

Report: Researchers uncover more NSA spying

Kaspersky Lab, a Moscow-based computer security firm, has uncovered a sophisticated cyber espionage program it says has infected personal computers in over 30 countries. Reuters, citing former intelligence officials, is reporting that the National Security Agency is behind the program.