Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center

New training center in Augusta to counter emerging cyberthreats

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This is a rendering of the future $60 million Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center to be built in downtown Augusta.

In December, as the legislative session was about to kick into high gear, two well-connected Georgia business leaders approached Gov. Nathan Deal’s office with an ambitious idea for the state to build a high-tech training center to assist the NSA and U.S. Army Cyber Command, which just weeks earlier had broken ground on its future headquarters at Fort Gordon.

It would need to be built quickly to stringent national security specifications to handle classified intelligence. But such a center could bolster the state’s claim as a vital center in the nation’s sprawling intelligence network.

The Army Cyber Command is headquartered at Fort Gordon.

On Monday, just six months later, Gov. Nathan Deal and leaders in Augusta held a ceremonial groundbreaking to mark construction of the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center, a $60 million compound that will feature research and classroom space for Augusta University and the state’s technical colleges, as well as office space for established and startup companies.

About 28,000 civilians in Georgia work in cybersecurity. About 13,000, including military personnel, work in cybersecurity in the Augusta area, Deal said Monday.

Keep reading this article at: http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ODN/AtlantaJournalConstitution/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=AJC/2017/06/20&entity=Ar00106&sk=EC2A4954

Cyber executive order could signal windfall for contractors

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This week, the House passed a major bill that would create working capital funds agencies to modernize their internal technology. Last week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing agencies to update their cybersecurity practices and to hold agency heads, not chief information officers, accountable for incidents.

What do these moves mean for technology contractors? They could signal continued or greater upcoming investments in private-sector cyber services, Candace Worley, McAfee’s chief technical strategist, told Nextgov.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2017/05/mcafee-vp-cyber-executive-order-could-signal-windfall-contractors/137979

Frequently-cited statistic about danger small businesses face from cyberattacks has no basis in fact

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It’s the kind of figure that can make your jaw drop, the kind that forces lawmakers and public officials to get off their duffs and do something, that drives home the way cyber insecurity is ravaging small businesspeople across the nation.

House and Senate lawmakers have cited it in bills that would redirect federal resources and are awaiting action on their chambers’ floors. Top executive branch officials have cited it in official testimony to Congress.

But it’s completely erroneous, not based on any existing study, according to an exhaustive Nextgov search.

The statistic, typically attributed to the National Cyber Security Alliance, is that 60 percent of small businesses that suffer a cyberattack will go out of business within six months.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2017/05/how-fake-cyber-statistic-raced-through-washington/137542

See related article, “House Panel Passes Bill Requiring Federal Cyber Guidance for Small Businesses,” at: http://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2017/05/house-panel-passes-bill-requiring-federal-cyber-guidance-small-businesses/137499 

Subcontractor outreach event to be held in Augusta May 9th for Georgia Cyber Innovation & Training Center

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The Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce is hosting an event on Tuesday, May 9, 2017, to encourage local, small, and disadvantaged business enterprises to participate in second-tier contracting opportunities associated with the construction of the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center.

Project Overview

The Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center will be a state-owned multi-story facility designed to promote modernization in cybersecurity technology for private and public industries through unique education, training, research, and practical applications.  The construction of the center will include a 150,000 square-foot building and adjacent multi-level parking structure.  The estimated cost for both facility and parking structure is $62 million.  The center will enhance American cybersecurity in both the public and private sectors and serve as an incubator for start-up cybersecurity companies. It will also focus on research and development, tapping into the assets of Georgia’s research institutions.

The Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center will be a state-owned facility designed to promote modernization in cybersecurity technology for private and public industries through unique education, training, research, and practical applications. It will be housed in a 150,000-square-foot facility to be built near Fort Gordon in Augusta. Fort Gordon is home to the U.S. Army Cyber Command, the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence, and the National Security Agency.

Work Available for Subcontracting

A partial list of scopes of work include, but is not limited to:  soil treatment; concrete (site work, building, landscaping & irrigation); masonry; cabinetry; waterproofing; caulking & sealants; roofing; doors; frames & hardware; drywall & acoustical; flooring; painting; access flooring; toilet partitions & accessories; fire extinguishers and cabinets; residential appliances; and window treatments. 

Construction Oversight

The Georgia Technology Authority (GTA) will oversee construction and operation of the training center. Groundbreaking for the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center is scheduled for spring 2017, with the opening to follow in July 2018. 

Outreach Event time, Date and Location

The subcontractor outreach event will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce, One Tenth Street, Suite 120, Augusta, GA 30901

Subcontractor Qualifications and Further Information

Contact Jared Hardy, Senior Project Manager, New South Construction, at (404) 443-4000 (W), or (404) 427-5250 (M).  If you prefer email, Jared can be contacted at jhardy@newsouthconstruction.com

 

5 steps for contractors to meet the FAR’s cyber requirements

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With major data breaches and system hacks dominating the headlines over the past few years, cybersecurity has become a top consideration for anyone operating a business. Although these breaches affect companies from all industries, the government remains a top target for cybercriminals across the globe.

Widespread attempts to take down government systems and steal data have officials scrambling to eliminate risk from all angles.

Recognizing the devastating impact of data breaches, especially considering the sensitive nature of their respective data, the Department of Defense, NASA, and the General Services Administration collaborated on developing safeguards for contractors who store, transmit, and process federal data – a new subpart and contract clause to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).

The proposed FAR Rule was first issued in August 2012, but the ruling was not finalized until May 2016 – nearly four years later.

The requirements settled upon in the final ruling outline 15 categories of security controls meant to protect government information stored on contractor IT systems. With the federal government spending over $400 million on almost 4 million contracts in 2015 alone, this regulation will affect businesses of all types.

Keep reading this article at: https://washingtontechnology.com/articles/2017/03/07/insights-dunbar-understanding-far-cyber-rules.aspx

New DHS acquisition rules proposal could disrupt contracts, hurt small business

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President Donald Trump celebrated a new executive order designed to eliminate regulations on small businesses. But a series of new acquisition rules proposed weeks ago by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have Federal contracting experts worried about future governmentwide disruptions and a decrease in competition.

DHS’s Office of the Chief Procurement Officer on Jan. 18 issued three proposed rules that would require privacy training and security awareness training for contractors, and would add five new categories of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI)—unclassified information that is still sensitive—that contractors will need to secure and manage.

DHS’s proposed regulations are troubling to some Federal contracting experts because they disrupt the governmentwide standards that took years to set up, and may impose costs on small businesses that make it impossible for them to compete for DHS contracts.

Alan Chvotkin, executive vice president and counsel for the Professional Services Council (PSC), said the new CUI categories “don’t square” with the governmentwide rule that took six years to create.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.meritalk.com/articles/new-dhs-acquisition-rules-proposal-could-disrupt-contracts-hurt-small-business/

DoD further clarifies its DFARS cybersecurity requirements

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On January 27, 2017, the Department of Defense (DoD) issued an updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) regarding the application and requirements of DFARS 252.204.7012, Safeguarding Covered Defense Information and Cyber Incident Reporting.

Though questions remain regarding various nuances of the rule, the FAQ is a helpful document for those contractors still working on implementation of DFARS 252.204.7012.

Divided into three sections — (1) General Application, (2) Security Requirements, and (3) Cloud Computing — the FAC provides answers to 59 commonly asked questions and provides greater clarity on a number of important points, which are discussed in greater detail here: https://www.insidegovernmentcontracts.com/2017/02/dod-clarifies-dfars-cybersecurity-requirements/

Update on government contracts ramifications of the Trump administration

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In December 2016, Jones Day issued “ Government Contracts Ramifications of the Trump Election,” a Commentary in which we discussed several likely impacts of the Trump Administration in the government contracts arena. Specifically, we discussed that the new Administration would:

  • Seek repeal of numerous Executive Orders affecting government contractors.
  • Reject some Obama Administration procurement policies, such as: the preference for fixed-price type contracts; the preference for lowest-price technically acceptable (“LPTA”) evaluation schemes; and the preference against outsourcing government jobs to private companies.
  • Embrace Commercial Item contracting.
  • Increase government spending for defense, cybersecurity, infrastructure, and immigration-related activities.
  • Decrease spending by many agencies, including the Department of Education, Environmental Protection Agency, and Internal Revenue Service.
  • Focus on compliance issues such as rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse, and ensuring compliance with the Buy American Act and Trade Agreements Act.
  • Withdraw from, or renegotiate America’s participation in, certain trade relationships, which could affect companies’ supply chains.
  • Decrease the federal workforce, which could result in understaffing and undertraining within the acquisition workforce.
  • Appoint the members of the FAR Council, including the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (“OFPP”) Administrator, Secretary of Defense, Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Administrator of General Services Administration.

Since the issuance of our earlier Commentary, President Trump has taken several actions that provide additional insight into the impact his Administration will have on government contractors.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/x/564798/Government+Contracts+Procurement+PPP/Update+On+Government+Contracts+Ramifications+Of+The+Trump+Administration

U.S. pushes cybersecurity acquisition tools as contracts flow

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DHS logoVendors of cybersecurity offerings are finding that the U.S. government is serious about improving the protection of federal IT assets.  A steady stream of data protection contracts has been flowing to providers, including some notable high-value transactions during the last half of 2016.

One example is a Department of Homeland Security contract, with a potential value of $395 million, for various cybersecurity protection services designed to prevent, detect, contain and eradicate cyberthreats.  While DHS went through the process of selecting a vendor last year, a final award is pending due to a legal challenge. Still, the magnitude of the DHS project indicates the significant level of potential federal investments in cybersecurity.

Federal contracting is never easy, of course, and the providers who have received cybersecurity contracts have had to meet all the requirements of doing business with the government. While those requirements remain in force, federal agencies, especially the General Services Administration (GSA), are trying to improve the processing of cyberprotection acquisitions through expansions or enhancements to various federal procurement vehicles.

GSA logoGSA’s recently selected Adobe as a provider of data protection capabilities for federal agencies. The administration last month revealed it had engaged Adobe for a “new, government-wide enterprise software acquisition agreement for best-in-class, data-centric security and electronic signature solutions.”

The agreement will help agencies “comply with current information security and electronic government policy recommendations and requirements,” including the Cybersecurity National Action Plan, the Cybersecurity Strategy and Implementation Plan, the Cybersecurity Act of 2015, the Government Paperwork Elimination Act, and the E-Sign Act of 2000, according to GSA.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.technewsworld.com/story/84231.html

What ‘chief innovation officers’ mean to tech contractors

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nextgov-innovation-seriesUnder President Barack Obama, chief innovation officers were starting to proliferate in the federal government.

Though it’s unclear whether President-elect Donald Trump will continue to dedicate top positions to creative problem-solving, innovation-related job titles could signal to tech companies that the federal government is interested in cutting-edge technology, according to one trade group.

Nextgov chatted with David Logsdon, a senior director of public advocacy within the CompTIA trade association. This conversation, part of a Nextgov series on chief innovation officers in the federal government, has been edited for length and clarity.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.nextgov.com/cio-briefing/2017/01/what-chief-innovation-officers-mean-contractors/134338

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