DIUx procuring mobile endpoint security software on behalf of Pentagon
The Defense Department is looking to procure a mobile endpoint solution that can scale to millions of users’ devices globally to protect against threats on iOS and Android devices.
On behalf of the Pentagon, the Defense Innovation Unit-Experimental listed a solicitation for a commercially available solution that can “actively vet applications to standards on DoD mobile devices, limiting downloads of certain applications, and stopping malicious activities.”
The Defense Innovation Unit-Experimental, or DIUx, partners with various DOD entities to help them contract for commercial, innovative national defense solutions in a fraction of the time — usually within 60 days of first contact — using what it calls commercial solutions openings.
Though it doesn’t explicitly require them, the language of the solicitation suggests the Pentagon is pursuing something automated —with the potential for next generation machine learning or behavioral analysis capabilities. The technology must proactively update to reflect “[t]rends and signatures of cutting edge ransomware or other kinds of malicious activities” and automatically detect “[a]bnormalities and unusual account behavior…prior to granting users access to sensitive information,” the solicitation says.
Proposed technologies must also integrate with MobileIron, the Pentagon’s existing mobile device management software, and give users “the flexibility to isolate, wipe, blacklist, patch, and perform other security actions when responding to an identified threat.”
DIUx will invite selected companies to show their endpoint security software during a “PlugTest,” which will be used in part to evaluate which vendor — or possibly vendors — the Pentagon will award a prototype contract to.
“DoD is considering the possibility of awarding more than one contract should multiple solutions meet the evaluation criteria,” the opening says.
The solicitation is open until July 19; the PlugTests will begin July 24.
