Census Bureau | The Contracting Education Academy

June 1, 2020 By cs

Census Bureau seeks industry input on cybersecurity acquisitions strategy for next decade

With data collection for the 2020 census underway, the bureau is thinking about how artificial intelligence and other capabilities might help address sore points.

With government watchdogs eyeing its operations, the U.S. Census Bureau issued a request for information as it decides on acquisitions it might make to improve cybersecurity in a number of areas.

The centuries-old decennial census is being conducted digitally for the first time this year, a herculean effort that is projected to cost $15.6 billion and opened the count to new cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

“The purpose of this request for information is to provide information to the United States Census Bureau to help determine an acquisition strategy for cybersecurity for the coming decade,” reads the document posted to betaSAM.gov. “The USCB believes industry holds the most current and best practices in these areas impacted by cybersecurity and seeks recommendations on how to best acquire the needed industry knowledge and expertise and achieve benefits in accordance with federal requirements.”

The Census Bureau’s cybersecurity posture has received some stern criticism from the Government Accountability Office in the years leading up to the current count. And the RFI is looking for input to address some of the very weaknesses GAO flags.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2020/05/census-bureau-seeks-industry-input-cybersecurity-acquisitions-strategy-next-decade/165621/

May 25, 2018 By AMK

Census Bureau goes tech shopping for 2020 count

The Census Bureau is ramping up technology investments to address a slew of IT issues experts fear could pose major threats to the integrity of the decennial count.

So far this month, the bureau already requested information on three different IT services to support efforts leading up to 2020 and extended an existing deal to secure its largest databases.

The Government Accountability Office designated the 2020 Census as a “high-risk” project last year after it found the bureau had fallen far behind schedule on developing and testing the vast majority of its IT systems. Congress has since injected the agency with an extra $3 billion, about half of which will go to IT.

The extra funds helped get kickstart many long-delayed tech projects, but experts worry the those systems’ cybersecurity might suffer from an accelerated rollout.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.nextgov.com/analytics-data/2018/05/census-goes-tech-shopping-2020-count/148325/

December 13, 2017 By AMK

Census can move forward after $283 million contract dispute

AT&T will no longer protest a Census Bureau contract to provide mobile devices for workers for the 2020 Census, according to an official from a congressional watchdog agency.

In a letter dated Nov. 8, a Census official told the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that AT&T would no longer contest the $283 million mobile contract awarded to CDW-G, a GAO official involved in the protest told Nextgov. Instead, the companies reached an agreement in which AT&T would assist CDW-G in Census operations as a subcontractor, the Census official wrote.

The resolution of the mobile contract dispute allows work to resume on preparations for the 2020 Census, which are already far behind schedule.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.nextgov.com/policy/2017/12/census-can-move-forward-after-283-million-contract-dispute/144320/

May 20, 2013 By AMK

Commerce employees made improper purchases with Pcards, IG report says

Commerce Department employees in 2011 made improper transactions with department purchase cards that included transactions that exceeded the card holders limit, a May 2, 2013 Commerce Department Inspector General report says.

In fiscal 2011, Commerce staff used 4,515 purchase cards for 265,423 transactions, spending $118,628,549, the report says.

Errors included incomplete and mission documentation of transactions, lack of evidence of available funds and legitimate government need and lack of vendor invoices and payment receipts, the report says.

There were procedural errors as well. Cardholders inappropriately paid state and local sales tax, did not pay invoices within 30 days and faxed purchase card information, the report says. Commerce improperly paid about $292,619 in state and local taxes, the report says.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.fiercegovernment.com/story/commerce-employees-made-improper-purchases-agency-cards-report-says/2013-05-14?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal

With data collection for the 2020 census underway, the bureau is thinking about how artificial intelligence and other capabilities might help address sore points.

The Census Bureau is ramping up technology investments to address a slew of IT issues experts fear could pose major threats to the integrity of the decennial count.

AT&T will no longer protest a Census Bureau contract to provide mobile devices for workers for the 2020 Census, according to an official from a congressional watchdog agency.

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