VA Awards GDIT Enterprise Security Architecture Modernization Contract

Virginia-headquartered General Dynamics Information Technology announced that it was awarded the $45 million Enterprise Security Architecture contract by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The deal calls for support to the VA’s business and IT modernization initiatives by integrating new and emerging cybersecurity technologies, GDIT said Monday.

In a statement, the General Dynamics business unit said the recently-awarded contract has a nine-month base period and four option years. The deal will see GDIT implementing a zero trust security architecture that meets the stringent national security standards and a “robust development, security, and operations approach to modernize, secure, and accelerate software delivery.”

Kamal Narang, GDIT’s vice president and general manager for federal health, said by implementing zero trust-enabled tools, the VA will be able to address an evolving threat landscape, protect patient privacy, and improve the veteran experience.

Narang added that securing the VA’s infrastructure is critical to providing better care for America’s veterans.

In late 2021, the VA announced that it is accelerating its zero trust journey, as the White House urged federal agencies to secure IT infrastructures and improve cybersecurity. The department is looking at how it can leverage zero trust to improve the ways it protects critical data in the face of evolving threats, according to Royce Allen, director of enterprise security architecture at VA.

Allen outlined the agency’s two priorities as it works to integrate zero trust: protecting health services to help patients and improving the supply chain to minimize exploits. VA is also launching security awareness programs to provide its workforce with basic protocols and technologies to continue to improve security, he added.