The 2019 Federal Cloud Computing Strategy — Cloud Smart — is a long-term, high-level strategy to drive cloud adoption in Federal agencies. This is the first cloud policy update in seven years, offering a path forward for agencies to migrate to a safe and secure cloud infrastructure. This new strategy will support agencies to achieve additional savings, greater security and faster services. In the…
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According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Office of Management Budget’s (OMB) 2019 budget document, over 80 percent of all information technology (IT) spending is on the Operations and Maintenance of "aging legacy systems, which pose efficiency, cybersecurity, and mission risk issues, such as ever-rising costs to maintain them and an inability to meet current or expected…
Type: Article
A 2019 memorandum from the Office of Management and Budget directs agencies to increase their use of Best in Class (BIC) contracts. But the case for BIC solutions goes well beyond any mandate. BIC, part of the federal government’s category management initiative, is a government-wide designation for acquisition solutions that can be used by multiple agencies and that satisfy key criteria defined…
Type: Article
As Congress continues to deliberate on the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), many small business contractors are wondering if the reforms started in 2018 will continue. The FY 2018 and 2019 NDAA both contained positive provisions for small businesses. From making it easier for small businesses to win follow-on contracts, to encouraging prompt payment of small business contractors,…
Type: Article
Rockville, MD - November 19, 2020 -, Today, the NIH Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center (NITAAC) announced that all three NITAAC Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs) have maintained Best in Class (BIC) status after successful completion of the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Annual Review. The status of a BIC contract is reviewed annually to ensure solution providers continue to meet the five…, About NITAAC:, The NIH Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center (NITAAC) is housed within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and is a full-service acquisition program that has been designated a federal Executive Agent, authorized by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to administer three Best in Class (BIC) Government-Wide…
Type: Article
Every day the federal government fends off tens of thousands of cyberattacks from adversaries. Some of these attacks are simple – phishing emails aimed at hopefully tricking an unassuming federal employee – to more sophisticated attacks targeting the nation’s most precious data assets. Protecting federal agencies from cyberattack is not an easy job, but an incredibly important one as more and…, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)., The newest cyber tools use behavior analytics to stop bad actors in their tracks and prevent intellectual property and sensitive data from falling into the wrong hands. These end-to-end analytics work across data environments to identify and stop threats to network traffic, files and devices, leveraging user behavior analytics that get smarter over time. AI and ML can now provide complete…, Intrusion detection and prevention systems., Known as IDS and IPS tools, these can help IT staff identify and protect their wired and wireless networks against several security threat types. These technologies, like other network security tools, have become more popular as government networks have grown in complexity. Both IDS and IPS solutions detect threat activity in the form of malware, spyware, viruses, worms and other attack types, as…, Anti-malware., Anti-malware tools help administrators identify, block and remove malware. Malware’s primary purpose is to look for network vulnerability, especially in security defenses, operating systems, browsers, applications and popular targets such as Adobe Flash, Acrobat and Reader. Best practices call for a multipronged defense that might also include IP blacklisting, data loss prevention tools, anti-…, Mobile device management., Also called MDM, these solutions allow administrators to remotely monitor and control security configurations on mobile devices. This allows employees to work remotely on agency-approved devices, but leadership can know these devices are secure since they can manage them at all times., Network access control., These products enforce security policy by granting only policy-compliant devices access to network assets. They handle authentication and authorization functions and can control the data that specific users access, ensuring that users meet a certain safety standard before they can access any information., Next-generation firewalls, . The technology beyond the traditional firewalls has expanded. Next-generation firewalls provide enhanced network security services, including application visibility and control, along with web security essentials., Authentication and authorization, . Traditional directory-based services authenticate users and grant access based on authorization rules. Newer identity-based security technology uses methods such as digital certificates and public key infrastructure solutions that provide an extra layer of security on top. The NITAAC Difference With technology constantly evolving, Cybersecurity threats become more and more of a concern. Cyber…
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At NITAAC, we are not only fueling modernization across the government, we are leading by example. As one of the federal government’s top sources for ‘everything IT,’ NITAAC has taken the message of modernization to heart and is proud to launch a refreshed experience that will change how agencies acquire new technology. NITAAC’s three easy-to-use, easy-to-understand, Best in Class GWACs – CIO-SP3…
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By Mark Rockwell October 20, 2020 The National Institute of Health's Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center (NITAAC) is still on schedule to issue its request for proposals for the CIO Solutions and Partners 4 (CIO-SP4) contract vehicle in late December, Brian Goodger, the center's acting director told FCW in an Oct. 20 interview. Plans for the new contract haven't been slowed…
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NITAAC recently was recognized as a 2020 EPEAT Purchaser Award winner. The EPEAT Purchaser Award celebrates leaders in sustainable electronics procurement. NITAAC is the first Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) to receive the EPEAT award. “Thank you to all our CIO-CS contract holders whose commitment to providing sustainable products made this award possible,” said Keith Johnson, NITAAC…
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By Jason Miller | @jmillerWFED May 25, 2020, 3:16 pm Like many acquisition organizations, the National Institutes of Health’s Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center (NITAAC) is busier than ever. But the pressure to deliver during the coronavirus pandemic hasn’t caused NITAAC to falter or struggle. Keith Johnson, the contracting lead for the CIO-SP3 and CIO-SP4 vehicles for …
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U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
