Unisys Awarded Contract Vehicle to Provide IT Services for the USDA

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has named Unisys as a recipient of the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) Security Analysis and Support Services contract.

Under the multiple-award indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle, Unisys will have the opportunity 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 USDA systems and resources.

Unisys, one of six companies awarded the USDA OCIO Security Analysis and Support Services contract, is eligible to compete for task orders to provide to all USDA agencies a range of IT security services. The contract has one base year and four one-year options, which are exercisable at the sole discretion of the government. The contract has a ceiling value of $25 million over five years for all task orders issued to all companies.

Services may include analysis of security risks associated with offices within the USDA and correcting critical security weaknesses; performing security analyses on networks, applications and USDA hardware; identifying the components of the existing architecture that will require upgrades, replacements or modifications; and designing secure network infrastructures.

Under the contract, USDA also may issue task orders for compliance reviews, penetration testing, forensics support, incident management and technical writing for policies, procedures and standards.

The USDA OCIO Security and Analysis and Support Services contract is a department-wide vehicle and can be accessed by all 29 USDA agencies to procure these types of security support services. It expands the department's longstanding relationship with Unisys, which has included, in recent years, assignments to migrate and consolidate the Food Safety and Inspection Service's data center operations and a contract to develop and deploy the Rural Development Guaranteed Loan System and associated systems to automate the loan underwriting process.

"The USDA OCIO Security Analysis and Support Services contract will provide a new vehicle to help secure the department's data and systems," said Eugene Zapfel, partner, USDA, Unisys Federal Systems. "The contract will give USDA agencies access to the full breadth of the Unisys security portfolio to help the department fulfill its mission to direct the nation's policy on food, agriculture, natural resources and related issues."

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