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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchIn August 2013, the U.S. General Services Administration announced a contract vehicle for 17 firms to support the Department of Homeland Security’s Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program. SecurityWeek reported a potential ceiling of up to $6 billion over five years—not a $6 billion payment or confirmed amount spent. The award was designed to help federal agencies monitor, assess and mitigate cybersecurity risks.
What was the DHS $6 billion cybersecurity contract?
SecurityWeek’s August 14, 2013 report described a GSA-announced award that let government agencies partner with DHS to deploy CDM technology. CDM aimed to improve the security and resilience of federal networks by giving agencies tools and services for ongoing monitoring and risk reduction.
The contract’s reported value was a maximum ceiling across a potential five-year term: one base year followed by four one-year options. The ceiling describes the possible contract value if work and options were used to that extent; it does not establish that all options were exercised or that the government obligated or spent $6 billion.
How was the CDM program intended to work?
The 2013 report described CDM as a combination of monitoring sensors, diagnosis and mitigation tools, agency dashboards, and Continuous Monitoring as a Service. These pieces were meant to help agencies identify weaknesses, understand their significance and act on risks.
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Agency-level monitoring and prioritization
Agency dashboards were intended to provide customized reports so IT managers could identify and prioritize critical cyber risks within their own networks. Monitoring and diagnosis helped surface issues; mitigation capabilities and managed services supported responses to them.
Federal-level risk picture
Summary information from agency dashboards would feed a federal dashboard managed by DHS’s National Cybersecurity Communications and Integration Center. The aim was to inform assessment of risk across agencies while agencies retained their more detailed, customized views. A DHS statement quoted by SecurityWeek said: “The CDM Program brings an enterprise approach to continuous diagnostics, and allows consistent application of best practices.”
Which 17 firms were selected?
SecurityWeek listed these contract participants in 2013:
- Booz Allen Hamilton
- CGI Federal, Inc.
- Computer Sciences Corporation
- Digital Management, Inc.
- Dynamics Research Corporation
- General Dynamics Information Technology
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise Services
- IBM
- Knowledge Consulting Group
- Kratos Technology and Training Solutions
- Lockheed Martin
- ManTech International
- Northrop Grumman
- SAIC
- SRA International
- Technica Corporation
These are the names as reported at the time. The list identifies firms associated with the 2013 award; it does not establish their current corporate identities or present-day contract status.
What did observers see as the benefits and risks?
Mike Lloyd, then CTO at RedSeal Networks, described the program as a potential improvement in leadership’s view of cyber risk: “The DHS CDM program is a direct and significant step in the right direction, with the potential to offer senior leaders at DHS a level of situational awareness and risk management that has not been possible in the past.” He also emphasized context and prioritization: “Defenders need the same capability – the ability to find, understand, and prioritize all these weaknesses in full context of the mission of the organization.”
Greater visibility also raised questions about how information would be shared. Robert Hansen, then director of product management and technical evangelist at WhiteHat Security, cautioned: “The government will need to be choosy about whom it decides to share data with.” The comments in SecurityWeek’s report frame the trade-off: shared information could improve situational awareness, while access and software or hardware audits required careful attention.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the 2013 report does—and does not—establish
SecurityWeek also reported that IBM offered consulting services and software including IBM Security Endpoint Manager, IBM Security AppScan and IBM Security QRadar in the program context. That is a vendor statement reported in 2013, not a current product-status update or endorsement.
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- The report establishes the announced award structure and the program description it published in 2013.
- It does not establish the final amount spent, whether every option year was exercised, or the contract’s current status.
- It is a secondary news account; it does not independently verify the original GSA award notice.
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