The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded a task order to Unisys to design and install an integrated suite of security software tools as well as the underlying infrastructure supporting those tools. The tool suite will give the USDA the ability to monitor and secure the infrastructure and data for the department's 29 component agencies.
Working with leading security tool vendors, Unisys will design, install, integrate and deploy solutions for intrusion detection, data loss prevention, network traffic analysis, malware detection, SSL decryption, packet analysis and other functions. The project will result in a virtual Agriculture Security Operations Center (ASOC) to give the USDA real-time insight into the daily activities of tracking, monitoring, reporting and responding to detected security incidents.
The time-and-materials task order has one base year and four one-year options, which are exercisable at the sole discretion of the government. The base year value is estimated at $8 million, and each option year is estimated to be worth $2.5 million.
The task order is the first going to Unisys under the Office of the Chief Information Officer Security Analysis and Support Services contract, awarded last year. Under this multiple-award indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle, Unisys was allowed to compete for task orders to work with the USDA and its agencies to review, analyze and upgrade IT security procedures and tools as well as respond to attacks against the USDA systems and resources.
"By setting up a security tools infrastructure within the new ASOC, the USDA will be better positioned to monitor and protect its IT systems and data," states Gene Zapfel, Unisys Federal Systems partner responsible for the USDA. "We're looking forward to assisting the department as it establishes the ASOC and providing the tools needed to allow USDA to protect systems and data related to the nation's food and agriculture policies."