The government’s main contracting agency wants to make it easier for federal and state agencies to quickly acquire a broader array of cybersecurity services, according to contracting documents released this week.
The General Services Administration is interested in updating the list of “highly adaptive cybersecurity services” it offers on its IT Schedule 70, according to the request for information.
GSA schedules are essentially lists of pre-vetted contractors that agencies can buy particular goods and services from without going through their own lengthy vetting processes.
Currently, the highly adaptive cybersecurity services, or HACS, list includes penetration testing, incident response, cyber hunt (essentially hunting for adversaries you fear may already be inside your systems), and risk and vulnerability assessments.
Keep reading this article at: https://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2018/05/gsa-wants-modernize-how-government-buys-cybersecurity-services/148491/
The General Services Administration’s director of the Office of IT 70 Schedule Contract Operations not only rejects the risk averse culture of the government, but he isn’t afraid to take on bigger challenges.
The backstory of this conflict signifies a more aggressive stance taken by the government in dealing with contractors that mislead the government or bilk taxpayers. Public statements by both DOJ and the General Services Administration’s inspector general further suggest they are more willing than ever to prosecute contractors that play ball unfairly—even if it takes years to do so, as it did with CA.
