Ms. Ann Wachtel

Ms. Ann Wachtel serves as a key procurement professional within the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), overseeing acquisitions critical to safeguarding the national defense industrial base. She manages contracts focused on cybersecurity compliance, personnel security clearance systems, and insider threat mitigation technologies, ensuring that contractor ecosystems meet stringent federal security standards. Her work directly supports DCSA’s mission to conduct continuous vetting and secure information systems management for federal and defense personnel, making her a central figure in the agency’s efforts to modernize its security infrastructure through targeted technology acquisitions. Wachtel maintains consistent contracting relationships with leading defense and cybersecurity contractors including Peraton Risk Decision Inc., CACI Premier Technology, LLC, Echelon Services, LLC, DDC IT Services LLC, and RELX Inc. These partnerships are primarily centered on software-driven solutions for background investigation automation, secure data analytics, and identity management systems. Her procurement approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, long-term vendor collaboration, and the integration of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies that align with DoD cybersecurity frameworks such as NIST SP 800-53 and RMF. Wachtel’s contracting portfolio exhibits no set-aside preferences, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a strategic focus on technical capability and mission-critical performance over socioeconomic classifications, prioritizing vendor expertise and system interoperability in high-stakes security environments. Her procurement activity is exclusively aligned with NAICS 513210 (Software Publishers), indicating a deep specialization in custom and enterprise software solutions for security clearance automation, continuous diagnostics and mitigation (CDM) tools, and secure data exchange platforms. She procures mission-critical software systems that enable real-time vetting, threat detection, and compliance monitoring across the defense supply chain.