The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is looking to establish a new “program management office support” that aims to back up zero trust security implementation across the department, according to a newly published contract opportunity.
The contract opportunity – issued by HHS’ Office of Chief Information Officer (OCIO) – aims to shore up and identify zero trust measures that can be implemented, along with any currently identifiable shortcomings.
Interested parties have until Dec. 6 to respond to the agency’s notice.
“HHS has developed the Department Zero Trust Strategy Implementation Plan. While a few OpDivs within HHS have Zero Trust Maturity (ZTM) plans in place, HHS is just beginning to align resources to a department wide Zero Trust Strategy,” stated the agency.
“Many of the skills and technologies required under Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) already exist in HHS but putting all the components together requires HHS to significantly upgrade governance and Information Technology (IT) management, and more deeply integrate teams and technologies,” the agency said.
Some of the key components of the work will include:
- Identify existent zero trust capabilities and gaps in each HHS operating division;
- Develop and maintain a ZTM scorecard;
- Establish an enterprise ZTA roadmap;
- Provide a secure test and data environment to enable the testing of multiple products to support ZTA;
- Establish reporting mechanisms for financial activities to provide monthly reports to the Office of Management and Budget;
- Improve budget investments for each operating division;
- Provide Security Strategic Design Innovation (SDI) support; and
- Assist HHS with process of identifying the best solutions for fulfilling zero trust objectives and gaps in zero trust architecture.
“HHS expects that strategy, governance, and resources alignment over time will drive the consolidation of control points, data planes and supporting capabilities so that modernization efforts will envelope and eventually retire legacy technologies, and new services can be on-boarded,” the agency said.
