communication technology | The Contracting Education Academy

July 29, 2020 By cs

Deadline looms for contractors to ditch banned Chinese equipment

Federal contractors face a late-summer deadline to ensure they’re not using banned Chinese equipment and services to fulfill their federal contracts, a top White House federal acquisition official stressed.

Federal contractors have until Aug. 13 to comply with Part B of Section 889 of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, Office of Federal Procurement Policy Administrator Michael Wooten said during a July 13 Professional Services Counsel (PSC) webcast.

That provision prohibits government contractors from using technology and services tied to Chinese equipment manufacturers that have been deemed cybersecurity threats by the U.S. government. Those companies include telecommunications gear-makers Huawei and ZTE, as well as video surveillance manufacturer Hikvision.

The Trump administration has worked to push Huawei and ZTE out of U.S. federal and commercial telecommunications networks, both domestically and internationally, deeming the companies’ close relationships to the Chinese government as a virulent cybersecurity threat.

Keep reading this article at: https://fcw.com/articles/2020/07/13/rockwell-defense-contractors-huawei-ban.aspx

July 15, 2020 By cs

Second supply chain risk management rule drops putting agencies, vendors on notice

Starting Aug. 13, agencies will no longer be able to contract with companies using Chinese-made telecommunications products or services in their supply chains.

A new rule from the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council prohibits agencies from buying products or services from companies which use Huawei, ZTE, or other prohibited products from Chinese companies. The prohibition applies to the use of telecommunications equipment or services, whether or not it is used in the performance of work under a federal contract.

The one exception is if the agency’s secretary issues a waiver for the contract.

“The statute is not limited to contracting with entities that use end-products produced by those companies; it also covers the use of any equipment, system or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system,” the council stated.

Keep reading this article at: https://federalnewsnetwork.com/acquisition-policy/2020/07/second-supply-chain-risk-management-rule-drops-putting-agencies-vendors-on-notice/

December 10, 2019 By cs

A new rule could allow Commerce secretary to ban certain tech buys

A proposed rule will allow a government department’s secretary to block the purchase of foreign technology that pose an “undue” risk to the U.S. information and communications infrastructure.

The rule, published by the Department of Commerce Nov. 26, establishes procedures for Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to “identify, assess, and address” information and communication technology (ICT) transactions he deems risky to national security.

The proposed rule stems from an executive order President Donald Trump signed on May 15, which gave the secretary the authority to prohibit or mitigate transactions that involve ICT technology developed or supplied by entities located in adversarial nations.

Transactions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and the secretary will take a “fact-specific approach” to evaluation, according to the Commerce Department announcement.

Specifically, transactions will be blocked or mitigated if they are found to have an “an undue risk of sabotage or subversion ICTS in the United States; an undue risk of catastrophic effects on the security and resiliency of critical infrastructure or the digital economy in the United States; or an unacceptable risk to national security or to the security and safety of U.S. persons.”

Keep reading this article at: https://www.fifthdomain.com/civilian/2019/11/26/a-new-rule-could-allow-one-department-secretary-to-ban-certain-tech-buys/

Federal contractors face a late-summer deadline to ensure they’re not using banned Chinese equipment and services to fulfill their federal contracts, a top White House federal acquisition official stressed.

Starting Aug. 13, agencies will no longer be able to contract with companies using Chinese-made telecommunications products or services in their supply chains.

A proposed rule will allow a government department’s secretary to block the purchase of foreign technology that pose an “undue” risk to the U.S. information and communications infrastructure.

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