Tactical Defensive Cyberspace Operations (DCO) Infrastructure (TDI)

The U.S. Army Contracting Command (ACC-NJ), on behalf of The Army, PEO C3T, PM Mission Command, PdM MC Cyber is seeking Tactical Defensive Cyberspace Operations (DCO) Infrastructure (TDI). (DCO) (TDI)s mission is to provide the U.S. Army a suite of pre-configured cyber defense software tools and applications that operate on the Tactical Server Infrastructure (TSI) to protect, search and discover, mitigate and engage, and eradicate cyberspace threats and vulnerabilities. Currently, operational and tactical commanders rely on their organic, local cyber defenders to implement technical and non-technical security measures against common and known threats and vulnerabilities. These measures are based on policy, directives, and best business practices meant to protect end user devices and preserve data availability, integrity, confidentiality, as well as user authentication and non-repudiation. The Software tools leveraged by TDI, in coordination with Project Manager Defensive Cyberspace Operations (PM DCO) and Army Cyber Command (ARCYBER), are a mixture of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS), Government-Off-The-Shelf (GOTS) or Non-Developmental Item (NDI). TDI will automate the deployment of the cyber defense tools to protect the TSI, automatically detect multiple virtual cyber threats, facilitate the mitigation or denial of adversarial actions, and allow global or regional cyberspace defenders to remotely assist with countering advance or persistent threats. The Government intends to solicit proposed solutions to address the development of new and/or updated capabilities for the Tactical Defense Cyberspace Operations (DCO) Infrastructure (TDI) by issuing a Request for White Paper (RWP) and Statement of Need (SON) under Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) W15QKN-17-9-5555 with the Consortium for Command, Control, and Communications in Cyberspace (C5). The Government will evaluate the White Papers submitted in response to the RWP with the intention of awarding a prototype project to demonstrate the selected solution's military feasibility with respect to potential implementation and eventual fielding to theater. The Government anticipates issuing the RWP and SON for this effort to the C5 on or before Tuesday, 01 February 2022. The primary objective of this project will be the development of new and/or updated capabilities for the Tactical Defense Cyberspace Operations (DCO) Infrastructure (TDI). TDI is a series of commercial off the shelf (COTS) cyber and network tools that are packaged, scripted, and automatically deployed to update/replace previous versions of TDI with a default user configuration. TDI will be hosted on the Tactical Server Infrastructure (TSI) hardware (versions TBD) and could interact with Mission Command Enterprise application platform. TDI will integrate updated or completely new DCO applications, as well as other industry standard applications with each iteration, approximately every Fiscal Year. Initial configurations for each tool will be developed so they are presented in a functional form upon boot time to the Operator, from sensor placement to application configuration and licensing, if necessary, through to display and reporting. In addition, interfaces will be enabled, developed, or maintained to allow external programs and applications to access and or provide data to TDI. The Army is seeking a responsible vendor to develop and pre-configure Commercial-Off-The-Shelf / Government-Off-The-Shelf/Non-Developmental Item (COTS/GOTS/NDI) cyber defense software tools. This effort focuses on integration, automation, field testing of the software tools and providing a Configuration Managed (CM) baseline configuration that will operate on the TSI and provide the local cyber defender a minimum view of the tactical network. TDI will also be responsible for integration and interoperability of sensors or log forwarders on various host platforms throughout the network that will collect the requisite data. TDI will also allow remote cyber defenders to access the same views and data in the event the cyber threat is more advance or complex. TDI will have an iterative approach to developing evolutionary capability improvements, labeled as Capability Drops (CDs). The White Paper proposed solution must be able to demonstrate how they will meet the minimal TDI requirements for Capability Drops outlined below All TDI Capability Drops (CDs) shall include: Integrated Cyber defense Software Tools. In concert with ARCYBER and PM DCO, TDI will develop COTS/GOTS/NDI cyber software tools and application in a pre-configured packaged that will support the local cyber defender. Automated Deployment. TDI will use its existing Automated Deployment Process as part of TSI's software and infrastructure build-out for feasibility evaluation. There may be documentation to support training and fielding of TDI as part of TSI's automated build-out process. Upgrade/Update Path. TDI's CDs will include proposed updates to keep up with evolving cyber threats and adversaries. TDI will allow the cyber defender to keep already collected data, logs, dashboards, or other pertinent configurations while incorporating future CDs. Remote Operations. Each CD will allow remote access for off-site, cyber defenders to augment the local defenders, while providing the remote defenders, at a minimum, the same views, data, and access the local defenders have. TDI must function within a corps, division, brigade combat team (BCT), multi-functional support brigades, and functional support brigade command post. TDI will need to be a technically mature software baseline equivalent to Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 or greater within a tactically deployed network and information system environment. Any proposed Product or Services will need to support testing and fielding to that level. TDI will be hosted on an Army tactical server and, if successful, will be integrated into the Army's Capability Set. Given that tactical server resources are shared and limited, responses should include compute processing unit (CPU) and random access memory (RAM) estimates and storage needs beyond storing raw data feeds. TDI must function in support of mission partner networks and will be configured to allow integration with networks that allow U.S. and coalition nations and their forces to securely share operational information, such as Secure Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet) and Mission Partner Environment (MPE) TDI must be able to efficiently and effectively normalize disparate data sources, lexicons, and formats to permit data correlation and analysis. The COTS/GOTS/NDI software application(s) must be capable of presenting the data in a usable and consolidated manner to allow tactical cyber defenders to quickly comprehend the data and then develop actionable Courses of Action to address operational risks and threat. The desired outputs for the COTS/GOTS/NDI software solution must be dashboard(s) with analytical reports and the ability to pivot to in-depth analysis of the data being presented. The same view presented to the local cyber defender needs to be available to the remote cyber defender. The COTS/GOTS/NDI tool must provide a mature level of automation to reduce Warfighter workload and increase efficiencies. TDI must not utilize proprietary or closed APIs, and should be developed using best practices for extensibility. Product will support the use of modular open systems approaches and that the solution has documented open interfaces to allow for technology insertion. TDI must be installable, configurable, and supportable without the need for any deployed Field Service Representatives (FSRs). The product must meet requirements for certification on unclassified and classified networks per Cybersecurity Risk Management Framework (RMF) requirements (DoDI 8500.01), and maintained compliant with US Army Cyber Command (CYBERCOM) information assurance vulnerability alters (IAVA) requirements The Government strongly prefers to maintain and/or improve its data rights position with Common Software products of Unlimited Rights across all United States Government entities. In no event must the Contractor introduce software or source code with more restrictive rights than Government Purpose Rights into the Common Software baseline without prior approval from the Government. Please note that the Government reserves the right to evaluate any proposed solutions that provide less than GPR negatively, and use that information as part of its selection decision(s). In accordance with 10 U.S.C. - 2371b(f), and upon a determination that this competitively awarded prototype project has been successfully completed, this prototype project may result in the award of a follow-on production contract or transaction without the use of competitive procedures. The purpose of this Special Notice is for planning purposes only and to provide Industry with advance notification of the Army's intentions. This Special Notice is neither a Request for Proposals (RFP) nor a Request for Quote (RFQ). A prototype project award will not be made as a result of this announcement. Any costs associated with efforts undertaken by any contractor with respect to this Special Notice shall not be reimbursed by the Government under any circumstances. NOTE: Formalized membership in the C5 will be required to respond to the requirement. Information regarding membership can be found at https://cmgcorp.org/ *Questions will not be addressed at this time. Questions will be formally address through CMG after the official RWP is released. * Primary POC is Therese Grimm, Agreements Officer (AO); therese.m.grimm.civ@army.mil Secondary POC is Chris Ciupinski, Project Team lead/Acquisition Manager - Christopher.c.ciupinski.civ@army.mil