The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) had been hoping to improve its data security by consolidating and streamlining its technology purchases this year. But the ongoing partial federal government shutdown has forced the TSA to postpone its planned $230 million procurement for this year.
Adam Mazmanian filed this report in FCW:
TSA’s Technology Procurement Division was scheduled to host a Jan. 14 industry day with vendors to explain its requirements in a major contract consolidation. The effort aims to combine program management and support on three key credentialing systems that together include data on about 21 million individuals who either work in the transportation sector or are enrolled in TSA’s Precheck program that allows for fast access through airport security.
The industry day has been postponed as a result of the partial government shutdown. A contracting notice posted on FedBizOpps Jan. 7 announced that a new date will be announced after the partial shutdown is over.
The systems in question are operating under existing separate contracts, with varying expiration dates, with the most recent needing to be updated or renewed this September. TSA is looking to find efficiencies in the different credentialing tools and technologies used across the three different systems.
The systems check and recheck enrolled individuals against government watchlists. Key customers of the TSA systems include security analysts, airport badging personnel, TSA investigators and others.
