NSA Looks to IT Industry to Harden Vulnerable U.S. Nets

U.S. intelligence agencies, including the National Security Agency, are increasingly turning to commercial solutions in their efforts to head off the alarming number of cyber attacks that culminated in last year’s massive breach at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

With critics complaining that government agencies have done little since the OPM attack to harden their networks, NSA’s Information Assurance Directorate is seeking vendor solutions through a program called Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) program. Among its goals is “developing new ways to leverage emerging technologies to deliver more timely [information assurance] solutions for rapidly evolving customer requirements,” the program’s web site explains.

Security analysts note the effort seeks to reduce the time required to certify secure architectures and devices from years to months or weeks. The effort also reflects broader U.S. efforts to reform a moribund government acquisition system by adopting industry best practices. For the full article click here 

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