The National Nuclear Security Administration, which has moved to bolster its cyber security in recent years, this week awarded two key contracts to small businesses to help protect its computer networks, including detection of intruders into its highly sensitive nuclear weapons files.
NNSA, the Energy Department’s semi-autonomous weapons agency said it gave a $52 million contract to OnPoint Consulting Inc. to operate the agency’s Information Assurance Response Center in Las Vegas. The facility is responsible for continuously monitoring all activity going through NNSA’s nuclear security complex’s computer firewall system. The contractor also will provide intrusion detection and “event forensics,” which means tracking down hackers that break into computer systems.
NNSA said it awarded a $70 million contract to Metrica Team Venture to provide information technology and cyber support for NNSA’s Office of Chief Information Officer headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The agency said the new competitively bid contracts would cost $22 million less than the prior single contract under which the cyber security functions were carried out.
NNSA and DoE officials say they have seen a huge increase in recent years in attempts to break into sensitive agency computer systems, and in 2005 hackers succeeded in penetrating NNSA’s network to access personal data on some 1,500 NNSA employees.