RFQ_75D301-24-Q-78199_Digital Content Evaluation and Analysis Platform License Subscription.doc

75D301-24-Q-78199

Subject: Digital Content Evaluation and Analysis Platform License Subscription for CDC Office of Communication Solicitation Number: 75D301-24-Q-78199

ISSUANCE DATE: 8/12/2024

QUESTIONS DUE DATE/TIME: 8/16/2024 by 5:00 PM EDT

Response DUE Date/time: 8/26/2024 by 5:00 PM EDT

Section A – Description

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued.

The solicitation number for this requirement is 75D301-24-Q-78199 and is hereby issued as a Request for Quote (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular FAC 2024-05 dated May 22, 2024.

The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 541511, Custom Computer Programming Services of $34M.

This is a RFQ for the procurement of a User Testing Platform for CDC Digital Evaluation. The Government intends to award a Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) contract as a result of this solicitation that will include the terms and conditions that are set forth herein.

The provision at 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial, applies to this acquisition. FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation-Commercial Items, is included, and the specific evaluation criteria are included in paragraph (a) of that provision.

Offerors shall include a completed copy of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items, with its offer or indicate if it is available online at SAM.gov.

FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition; there are no addenda to the clause. FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition and the additional FAR clauses cited in the clause that are applicable have been noted.

There are no additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions determined by the contracting officer to be necessary for this acquisition and consistent with customary commercial practices. No telephonic proposals will be processed. All responses must be received no later than the date stated above. Contact Denedra Threatt, Contracting Officer, at dthreatt2@cdc.gov for any questions regarding this solicitation.

Section B – Supplies or services and Prices

Base Period of Performance: September 16, 2024 – September 15, 2025

ITEM

SUPPLIES / SERVICES

QTY / UNIT

UNIT PRICE

EXTENDED PRICE

Digital Content Evaluation and Analysis Platform License Subscription for

CDC Office of Communication This is a firm-fixed price line item.

This is a severable line item.

1 Job

Total Price: ________________

SECTION C – STATEMENT OF WORK

Title: Digital Content Evaluation and Analysis Platform License Subscription for

CDC Office of Communication

SECTION 1 – BACKGROUND

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Office of Communication (OC) UX Team routinely evaluates digital content and design in order to present timely, relevant and actionable health information to the general public, public health and healthcare professionals. This type of evaluation includes user testing which is the testing of digital content with actual end users, using their feedback to make improvements. This is conducted by showing users digital content or prototypes and taking notes as they conduct a range of task-based scenarios.

This type of evaluation has been historically difficult to accomplish as the OC UX staff needs to be able to watch users’ desktop or mobile screens in order to document and determine their success in completing user tasks. While software exists to share desktop screens, we need a platform that can easily share mobile screens. This poses a problem as CDC has a very large mobile audience. In addition, OC UX staff has had to spend a tremendous amount of time recruiting users to participate in user testing activities, as well as conducting each user testing session and taking detailed notes to track every user action.

SECTION 2 – PURPOSE

The purpose of this acquisition is to procure license subscription access for a digtial evaluation and analysis platform for CDC digital content.The license subscription shall provide an online solution that offers a digital usability testing platform designed to conduct several types of rapid online user tests remotely on both desktop and mobile platforms, and includes a combination of unmoderated short user tests, unmoderated standard user tests and moderated user tests with live participants recruited from the platforms’s Contributor Network of public health professionals.

The ability to record user screens along with capturing user comments and feedback on desktop or mobile devices prevents the OC UX staff from having to monitor each testing sessions. The feedback is rapidly transcribed by the system, and testing results are provided within minutes of completion of the test. OC UX staff can then focus their time on analysis of the results and making improvements to CDC’s digital content as a result of the feedback. This would allow CDC to ensure its digital products and services meet user needs and provide OC UX staff data and insights to inform effective health communications across CDC’s key audiences.

SECTION 3 – SCOPE OF WORK

The scope of the work involves the following needs:

· Easily accessible built-in panelists of general consumers, healthcare providers (e.g. doctors and nurses,) and public health professionals to serve as user test participants.

· Ability to perform a large assortment of user tests including task-based, 1-click, moderated and preference testing without requiring testing on development servers or updating scripts or code on CDC.gov.

· Ability to do Preference testing, A/B testing, and full scale testing on live URLs

· Ability to change/edit header text on screens as needed

· Allow user testing on desktop and mobile devices

· Capture user screens and comments as participants complete evaluation activities on desktop and mobile devices without video recording participants

· Code videos of screen captures and create transcripts to be quickly reviewed by OC UX staff

· Ability to quickly consolidate data from completed studies and provide quick insights

· Customer support and troubleshooting including extensive online knowledgebase that provides information and support on various topics including UX methodologies.

· Comply with CDC’s federal IT security, Personally Identifiable Information (PII), and Section 508 requirements – IT security requirements found in Section 9 of Statement of Work

SECTION 4 – TASKS TO BE PERFORMED

Task 1 – Contractor shall provide access to a license subscription for a digtial evaluation and analysis platform which comes with:

· Functionality to develop the following user tests using panelists from the Contributor Network of public health professionals:

· 930 panelists for short tests

· 3,330 panelists for standard tests (15-30 min)

· 527 panelists for moderated tests (30 min)

· 48,500 session units

· 6 creator seats with unlimited viewer seats for collaboration

SECTION 5 – GOVERNMENT FURNISHED MATERIALS

None

SECTION 6 – PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The work is to be performed at the Contractor’s site.

SECTION 7 – DELIVERABLES/REPORTING SCHEDULE

Includes with:

6 creator seats, 930 Contributor Network panelists for short user tests, 3,330 Contributor Network panelists for standard user tests, 527 Contributor Network panelists for moderated user tests (30 mins or less).

SECTION 8 – POINT OF CONTACT INFORMATION

Contracting Officer Denedra Threatt Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Email:

DThreatt2@cdc.gov Phone:

(404) 498-3371

Contracting Officer’s Representative

TBD

SECTION 9 - Security

A. Baseline Security Requirements

1) Applicability. The requirements herein apply whether the entire contract or order (hereafter “contract”), or portion thereof, includes either or both of the following:

a. Access (Physical or Logical) to Government Information: A Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employee will have or will be given the ability to have, routine physical (entry) or logical (electronic) access to government information.

b. Operate a Federal System Containing Information: A Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employee will operate a federal system and information technology containing data that supports the HHS mission. In addition to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 2.1 definition of “information technology” (IT), the term as used in this section includes computers, ancillary equipment (including imaging peripherals, input, output, and storage devices necessary for security and surveillance), peripheral equipment designed to be controlled by the central processing unit of a computer, software, firmware and similar procedures, services (including support services), and related resources.

2) Safeguarding Information and Information Systems. In accordance with the Federal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS)199, Standards for Security Categorization of Federal Information and Information Systems, the Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall:

a. Protect government information and information systems in order to ensure:

· Confidentiality, which means preserving authorized restrictions on access and disclosure, based on the security terms found in this contract, including means for protecting personal privacy and proprietary information.

· Integrity, which means guarding against improper information modification or destruction, and ensuring information non-repudiation and authenticity; and

· Availability, which means ensuring timely and reliable access to and use of information.

b. Provide security for any Contractor systems, and information contained therein, connected to an HHS network or operated by the Contractor on behalf of HHS regardless of location. In addition, if new or unanticipated threats or hazards are discovered by either the agency or contractor, or if existing safeguards have ceased to function, the discoverer shall immediately, within one (1) hour or less, bring the situation to the attention of the other party.

c. Adopt and implement the policies, procedures, controls, and standards required by the HHS Information Security Program to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of government information and government information systems for which the Contractor is responsible under this contract or to which the Contractor may otherwise have access under this contract. Obtain the HHS Information Security Program security requirements, outlined in the HHS Information Security and Privacy Policy (IS2P), by contacting the CO/COR or emailing fisma@hhs.gov.

d. Comply with the Privacy Act requirements and tailor FAR clauses as needed.

3) Information Security Categorization. In accordance with FIPS 199 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-60, Volume II: Appendices to Guide for Mapping Types of Information and Information Systems to Security Categories, Appendix C, and based on information provided by the ISSO, CISO, or other security representative, the risk level for each Security Objective and the Overall Risk Level, which is the highest watermark of the three factors (Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability) of the information or information system are the following:

Confidentiality:

[ X ] Low [ ] Moderate [ ] High

Integrity:

Availability:

Overall Risk Level:

[ X ] Low [ ] Moderate [ ] High

Based on information provided by the ISSO, Privacy Office, system/data owner, or other security or privacy representative, it has been determined that this solicitation/contract involves:

[ ] No PII [ X ] Yes PII

4) Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Per the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-130, “PII is information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual's identity, either alone or when combined with other information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual.” Examples of PII include, but are not limited to the following: social security number, date and place of birth, mother‘s maiden name, biometric records, etc.

PII Confidentiality Impact Level has been determined to be: [ X ] Low [ ] Moderate [ ] High

5) Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). CUI is defined as “information that laws, regulations, or Government-wide policies require to have safeguarding or dissemination controls, excluding classified information.” The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) must comply with Executive Order 13556, Controlled Unclassified Information, (implemented at 3 CFR, part 2002) when handling CUI. 32 C.F.R. 2002.4(aa) As implemented the term “handling” refers to “…any use of CUI, including but not limited to marking, safeguarding, transporting, disseminating, re-using, and disposing of the information.” 81 Fed. Reg. 63323. All sensitive information that has been identified as CUI by a regulation or statute, handled by this solicitation/contract, shall be:

a. marked appropriately;

b. disclosed to authorized personnel on a Need-To-Know basis;

c. protected in accordance with NIST SP 800-53, Security and Privacy Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organizations applicable baseline if handled by a Contractor system operated on behalf of the agency, or NIST SP 800-171, Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Information Systems and Organizations if handled by internal Contractor system; and

d. returned to HHS control, destroyed when no longer needed, or held until otherwise directed. Destruction of information and/or data shall be accomplished in accordance with NIST SP 800-88, Guidelines for Media Sanitization.

6) Protection of Sensitive Information. For security purposes, information is or may be sensitive because it requires security to protect its confidentiality, integrity, and/or availability. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall protect all government information that is or may be sensitive in accordance with OMB Memorandum M-06-16, Protection of Sensitive Agency Information by securing it with a FIPS 140-2 validated solution.

7) Confidentiality and Nondisclosure of Information. Any information provided to the contractor (and/or any subcontractor) by HHS or collected by the contractor on behalf of HHS shall be used only for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this contract and shall not be disclosed or made known in any manner to any persons except as may be necessary in the performance of the contract. The Contractor assumes responsibility for protection of the confidentiality of Government records and shall ensure that all work performed by its employees and subcontractors shall be under the supervision of the Contractor. Each Contractor employee or any of its subcontractors to whom any HHS records may be made available or disclosed shall be notified in writing by the Contractor that information disclosed to such employee or subcontractor can be used only for that purpose and to the extent authorized herein.

The confidentiality, integrity, and availability of such information shall be protected in accordance with HHS and CDC policies. Unauthorized disclosure of information will be subject to the HHS/CDC sanction policies and/or governed by the following laws and regulations:

a. 18 U.S.C. 641 (Criminal Code: Public Money, Property or Records);

b. 18 U.S.C. 1905 (Criminal Code: Disclosure of Confidential Information); and

c. 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, Subchapter I (Paperwork Reduction Act).

8) Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6). All procurements using Internet Protocol shall comply with OMB Memorandum M-05-22, Transition Planning for Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6).

9) Information and Communications Technology (ICT). ICT products and services from prohibited entities/sources must not be used/acquired in compliance with Public Law 115-232, Section 889 Parts A and B, FAR 4.21, FAR 52.204.23, FAR 52.204.24, and FAR 52.204.25. The contractor (and/or any subcontractor) must notify the government if they identify prohibited ICT products and/or services are used during the contract performance.

10) Government Websites. All new and existing public-facing government websites must be securely configured with Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) using the most recent version of Transport Layer Security (TLS). In addition, HTTPS shall enable HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) to instruct compliant browsers to assume HTTPS at all times to reduce the number of insecure redirects and protect against attacks that attempt to downgrade connections to plain HTTP. For internal-facing websites, the HTTPS is not required, but it is highly recommended.

11) Contract Documentation. The Contractor shall use provided templates, policies, forms and other agency documents to comply with contract deliverables as appropriate.

12) Standard for Encryption. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall:

a. Comply with the HHS Standard for Encryption of Computing Devices and Information to prevent unauthorized access to government information.

b. Encrypt all sensitive federal data and information (i.e., PII, protected health information [PHI], proprietary information, etc.) in transit (i.e., email, network connections, etc.) and at rest (i.e., servers, storage devices, mobile devices, backup media, etc.) with FIPS 140-2 validated encryption solution.

c. Secure all devices (i.e.: desktops, laptops, mobile devices, etc.) that store and process government information and ensure devices meet HHS and CDC-specific encryption standard requirements. Maintain a complete and current inventory of all laptop computers, desktop computers, and other mobile devices and portable media that store or process sensitive government information (including PII).

d. Verify that the encryption solutions in use have been validated under the Cryptographic Module Validation Program to confirm compliance with FIPS 140-2. The Contractor shall provide a written copy of the validation documentation to the COR [CDC-provided delivery date].

e. Use the Key Management system on the HHS personal identification verification (PIV) card or establish and use a key recovery mechanism to ensure the ability for authorized personnel to encrypt/decrypt information and recover encryption keys. Encryption keys shall be provided to CDC CyberSecurity Program Office (CSPO).

13) Contractor Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). Each Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employee having access to non-public government information under this contract shall complete the CDC non-disclosure agreement, as applicable. A copy of each signed and witnessed NDA shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer (CO) and/or CO Representative (COR) prior to performing any work under this acquisition.

14) Privacy Threshold Analysis (PTA)/Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) – The Contractor shall assist the CDC Senior Official for Privacy (SOP) or designee with conducting a PTA for the information system and/or information handled under this contract in accordance with HHS policy and OMB M-03-22, Guidance for Implementing the Privacy Provisions of the E-Government Act of 2002.

a. The Contractor shall assist the CDC SOP or designee in reviewing the PIA at least every three years throughout the system development lifecycle (SDLC)/information lifecycle, or when determined by the CDC SOP that a review is required based on a major change to the system (e.g., new uses of information collected, changes to the way information is shared or disclosed and for what purpose, or when new types of PII are collected that could introduce new or increased privacy risks), whichever comes first.

B. Training

1) Mandatory Training for All Contractor Staff. All Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employees assigned to work on this contract shall complete the applicable HHS/CDC Contractor Information Security Awareness, Privacy, and Records Management training (provided upon contract award) before performing any work under this contract. Thereafter, the employees shall complete CDC Security Awareness Training (SAT) and Records Management training at least annually, during the life of this contract. All provided training shall be compliant with HHS training policies.

2) Role-based Training. All Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employees with significant security responsibilities (as determined by the program manager) must complete role-based training (RBT) within 60 days of assuming their new responsibilities. Thereafter, they shall complete RBT at least annually in accordance with HHS policy and the HHS Role-Based Training (RBT) of Personnel with Significant Security Responsibilities Memorandum.

All HHS employees and contractors with SSR who have not completed the required training within the mandated timeframes shall have their user accounts disabled until they have met their RBT requirement.

3) Training Records. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall maintain training records for all its employees working under this contract in accordance with HHS policy. A copy of the training records shall be provided to the CO and/or COR within 30 days after contract award and annually thereafter or upon request.

C. Rules of Behavior

1) The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall ensure that all employees performing on the contract comply with the HHS Information Technology General Rules of Behavior.

2) All Contractor employees performing on the contract must read and adhere to the Rules of Behavior before accessing Department data or other information, systems, and/or networks that store/process government information, initially at the beginning of the contract and at least annually thereafter, which may be done as part of annual CDC Security Awareness Training. If the training is provided by the contractor, the signed ROB must be provided as a separate deliverable to the CO and/or COR per defined timelines above.

D. Incident Response

FISMA defines an incident as “an occurrence that (1) actually or imminently jeopardizes, without lawful authority, the integrity, confidentiality, or availability of information or an information system; or (2) constitutes a violation or imminent threat of violation of law, security policies, security procedures, or acceptable use policies. The HHS Policy for IT Security and Privacy Incident Reporting and Response further defines incidents as events involving cybersecurity and privacy threats, such as viruses, malicious user activity, loss of, unauthorized disclosure or destruction of data, and so on.

A privacy breach is a type of incident and is defined by Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) as the loss of control, compromise, unauthorized disclosure, unauthorized acquisition, or any similar occurrence where (1) a person other than an authorized user accesses or potentially accesses personally identifiable information or (2) an authorized user accesses or potentially accesses personally identifiable information for an other than authorized purpose.

OMB Memorandum M-17-12, “Preparing for and Responding to a Breach of Personally Identifiable Information” (03 January 2017) states:

Definition of an Incident:

An occurrence that (1) actually or imminently jeopardizes, without lawful authority, the integrity, confidentiality, or availability of information or an information system; or (2) constitutes a violation or imminent threat of violation of law, security policies, security procedures, or acceptable use policies.

Definition of a Breach:

The loss of control, compromise, unauthorized disclosure, unauthorized acquisition, or any similar occurrence where (1) a person other than an authorized user accesses or potentially accesses personally identifiable information or (2) an authorized user accesses or potentially accesses personally identifiable information for an other than authorized purpose.

It further adds:

A breach is not limited to an occurrence where a person other than an authorized user potentially accesses PU by means of a network intrusion, a targeted attack that exploits website vulnerabilities, or an attack executed through an email message or attachment. A breach may also include the loss or theft of physical documents that include PU and portable electronic storage media that store PU, the inadvertent disclosure of PU on a public website, or an oral disclosure of PII to a person who is not authorized to receive that information. It may also include an authorized user accessing PU for an other than authorized purpose.

The HHS Policy for IT Security and Privacy Incident Reporting and Response further defines a breach as “a suspected or confirmed incident involving PII” .

Contracts with entities that collect, maintain, use, or operate Federal information or information systems on behalf of CDC shall include the following requirements:

1) The contractor shall cooperate with and exchange information with CDC officials, as deemed necessary by the CDC Breach Response Team, to report and manage a suspected or confirmed breach.

2) All contractors and subcontractors shall properly encrypt PII in accordance with OMB Circular A-130 and other applicable policies, including CDC-specific policies, and comply with HHS-specific policies for protecting PII. To this end, all contractors and subcontractors shall protect all sensitive information, including any PII created, stored, or transmitted in the performance of this contract so as to avoid a secondary sensitive information incident with FIPS 140-2 validated encryption.

3) All contractors and subcontractors shall participate in regular training on how to identify and report a breach.

4) All contractors and subcontractors shall report a suspected or confirmed breach in any medium as soon as possible and without unreasonable delay, consistent with applicable CDC IT acquisitions guidance, HHS/CDC and incident management policy, and United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) notification guidelines. To this end, the Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall respond to all alerts/Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) provided by HHS Computer Security Incident Response Center (CSIRC) or CDC Computer Incident Response Team (CSIRT) within 24 hours via email at cdc@csirt.gov or telephone at 866-655-2245, whether the response is positive or negative.

5) All contractors and subcontractors shall be able to determine what Federal information was or could have been accessed and by whom, construct a timeline of user activity, determine methods and techniques used to access Federal information, and identify the initial attack vector.

6) All contractors and subcontractors shall allow for an inspection, investigation, forensic analysis, and any other action necessary to ensure compliance with HHS/CDC Policy and the HHS/CDC Breach Response Plan and to assist with responding to a breach.

7) Cloud service providers shall use guidance provided in the FedRAMP Incident Communications Procedures when deciding when to report directly to US-CERT first or notify CDC first.

8) Identify roles and responsibilities, in accordance with HHS/CDC Breach Response Policy and the HHS/CDC Breach Response Plan. To this end, the Contractor shall NOT notify affected individuals unless and until so instructed by the Contracting Officer or designated representative. If so instructed by the Contracting Officer or representative, all notifications must be pre-approved by the appropriate CDC officials, consistent with HHS/CDC Breach Response Plan, and the Contractor shall then send CDC- approved notifications to affected individuals; and,

9) Acknowledge that CDC will not interpret report of a breach, by itself, as conclusive evidence that the contractor or its subcontractor failed to provide adequate safeguards for PII.

E. Position Sensitivity Designations

All Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) employees must obtain a background investigation commensurate with their position sensitivity designation that complies with Parts 1400 and 731 of Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

F. Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)-12

The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) and its employees shall comply with Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)-12, Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors; OMB M-05-24; FIPS 201, Personal Identity Verification (PIV) of Federal Employees and Contractors; HHS HSPD-12 policy; and Executive Order 13467, Part 1 §1.2.

Roster. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall submit a roster by name, position, e-mail address, phone number and responsibility, of all staff working under this acquisition where the Contractor will develop, have the ability to access, or host and/or maintain a government information system(s). The roster shall be submitted to the COR and/or CO by the effective date of this contract. Any revisions to the roster as a result of staffing changes shall be submitted immediately upon change. The COR will notify the Contractor of the appropriate level of investigation required for each staff member.

If the employee is filling a new position, the Contractor shall provide a position description and the Government will determine the appropriate suitability level.

G. Contract Initiation and Expiration

1) General Security Requirements. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall comply with information security and privacy requirements, Enterprise Performance Life Cycle (EPLC) processes, HHS Enterprise Architecture requirements to ensure information is appropriately protected from initiation to expiration of the contract. All information systems development or enhancement tasks supported by the contractor shall follow the HHS EPLC framework and methodology and in accordance with the HHS Contract Closeout Guide (2012).

2) System Documentation. Contractors (and/or any subcontractors) must follow and adhere to NIST SP 800-64, Security Considerations in the System Development Life Cycle, at a minimum, for system development and provide system documentation at designated intervals (specifically, at the expiration of the contract) within the EPLC that require artifact review and approval.

3) Sanitization of Government Files and Information. As part of contract closeout and at expiration of the contract, the Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall provide all required documentation to the CO and/or COR to certify that, at the government’s direction, all electronic and paper records are appropriately disposed of and all devices and media are sanitized in accordance with NIST SP 800-88, Guidelines for Media Sanitization.

4) Notification. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall notify the CO and/or COR and system ISSO before an employee stops working under this contract.

5) Contractor Responsibilities Upon Physical Completion of the Contract. The contractor (and/or any subcontractors) shall return all government information and IT resources (i.e., government information in non-government-owned systems, media, and backup systems) acquired during the term of this contract to the CO and/or COR. Additionally, the Contractor shall provide a certification that all government information has been properly sanitized and purged from Contractor-owned systems, including backup systems and media used during contract performance, in accordance with HHS and/or CDC policies.

6) The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall perform and document the actions identified in the CDC Out-Processing Checklist (http://intranet.cdc.gov/od/hcrmo/pdfs/hr/Out_Processing_Checklist.pdf) when an employee terminates work under this contract. All documentation shall be made available to the CO and/or COR upon request.

H. Records Management and Retention

The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall maintain all information in accordance with Executive Order 13556 -- Controlled Unclassified Information, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) records retention policies and schedules and HHS policies and shall not dispose of any records unless authorized by HHS.

In the event that a contractor (and/or any subcontractor) accidentally disposes of or destroys a record without proper authorization, it shall be documented and reported as an incident in accordance with HHS policies.

I. High Value Asset (HVA)

If a system is identified as HVA, the contractor must comply with the HHS Policy for the High Value Asset (HVA) Program and the DHS HVA Control Overlay in addition to the above requirements.

A. Security Requirements for GOCO and COCO Resources

1) Federal Policies. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall comply with applicable federal directives that include, but are not limited to, the HHS Information Security and Privacy Policy (IS2P), the CDC Protection of Information Resources policy; Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) of 2014, (44 U.S.C. 101); National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-53, Security and Privacy Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organizations; Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-130, Managing Information as a Strategic Resource; and other applicable federal laws, regulations, NIST guidance, and Departmental policies.

2) Security Assessment and Authorization (SA&A). A valid authority to operate (ATO) certifies that the Contractor’s information system meets the contract’s requirements to protect the agency data. If the system under this contract does not have a valid ATO, the Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall work with the agency and supply the deliverables required to complete the ATO prior to any use of the system in a production capacity, i.e., its intended users able to collect, store, process or transmit data to fulfill the system’s function. The Contractor shall conduct the SA&A requirements in accordance with HHS IS2P/ CDC Protection of Information Resources; the CDC IT Security Program Implementation Standards; the CDC Security Assessment and Authorization (SA&A) Standard Operating Procedure; and NIST SP 800-37, Guide for Applying the Risk Management Framework to Federal Information Systems: A Security Life Cycle Approach (latest revision).

CDC acceptance of the ATO does not alleviate the Contractor’s responsibility to ensure the system security and privacy controls are implemented and operating effectively.

SA&A Package Deliverables - The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall provide an SA&A package to the CO and/or COR in accordance with the timeline, process and formats proscribed for a Full system authorization in the CDC Security Assessment and Authorization Standard Operating Procedure (CDC SA&A SOP). The following SA&A deliverables are required to complete the SA&A package:

· Baseline System Information (BSI) – The Contractor will document a system overview, in accordance with the timeline, process and formats described in the CDC SA&A SOP. The BSI includes information concerning: system identification and ownership; system data, information types, impact levels and system categorization; system functional description / general purpose; system authorization boundary and environment; system user descriptions; and system interconnections and dependencies. The Contractor shall update the BSI at least annually thereafter.

· Privacy Threshold Analysis / Privacy Impact Analysis – The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall provide a PTA/PIA (as appropriate), in accordance with the timeline, process and formats described in the CDC SA&A SOP. Also see the sections of this contract concerning “Privacy Threshold Analysis (PTA)/Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA)” and “Requirements for Procurements Involving Privacy Act Records.”

NOTE: If social security numbers (SSN) are expected to be handled by the system, the program and Contractor must include a SSN Elimination or Usage Approval Request along with the PTA/PIA. That request will be processed in accordance with the CSPO Standard for Limiting the Use of Social Security Numbers in CDC Information Systems.

· System Security Plan (SSP) – The SSP must be provided in a digital format supporting copy or export of all content into the HHS/CDC automated SA&A tool. The SSP shall comply with the NIST SP 800-18, Guide for Developing Security Plans for Federal Information Systems, the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 200, Recommended Security Controls for Federal Information Systems, and NIST SP 800-53, Security and Privacy Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organizations applicable baseline requirements, and other applicable NIST guidance as well as HHS and CDC policies and other guidance. The SSP shall be consistent with and detail the approach to IT security contained in the Contractor’s bid or proposal that resulted in the award of this contract. The SSP shall provide an overview of the system environment (including an inventory of all devices and software contained within the system boundary) and security requirements to protect the information system as well as describe all applicable security controls in place or planned for meeting those requirements. It should provide a structured process for planning adequate, cost-effective security protection for a system. The Contractor shall update the SSP at least annually thereafter.

· Risk Assessment Report (RAR) The initial security assessment shall be conducted by the Contractor in conjunction with the program’s Information System Security Officer, consistent with NIST SP 800-53A, NIST SP 800-30, and HHS and CDC policies. The assessor will document and submit the assessment results in the RAR, in accordance with the process and formats described in the CDC SA&A SOP. The Contractor shall address all “High” deficiencies before submitting the package to the Government for acceptance. All remaining deficiencies must be documented in a system Plan of Actions and Milestones (POA&M) for CDC CSPO approval in accordance with the CDC SA&A SOP. Thereafter, the Contractor, in coordination with CDC shall conduct an assessment of the security controls and update the RAR within 365 days.

· POA&M –The POA&M shall be documented consistent with the HHS Standard for Plan of Action and Milestones and CDC policies. Identified risks stemming from deficiencies related to the security control baseline implementation, assessment, continuous monitoring, vulnerability scanning, and other security reviews and sources, as documented in the SAR, shall be documented and tracked by the Contractor for mitigation in the POA&M document. Depending on the severity of the risks, CDC may require designated POAM weaknesses to be remediated before an ATO is issued. Thereafter, the POA&M shall be updated at least quarterly.

· Contingency Plan and Contingency Plan Test –The Contingency Plan must be developed in accordance with NIST SP 800-34, Contingency Planning Guide for Federal Information Systems, and be consistent with HHS and CDC policies. Upon acceptance by the System Owner, the Contractor, in coordination with the System Owner, shall test the Contingency Plan and prepare a Contingency Plan Test Report that includes the test results, lessons learned and any action items that need to be addressed. Thereafter, the Contractor shall update and test the Contingency Plan at least annually.

· E-Authentication Assessment – The contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall collaborate with government personnel to ensure that an E-Authentication Threshold Analysis (E-auth TA) is completed to determine if a full E-Authentication Risk Assessment (E-auth RA) is necessary. System documentation developed for a system using E-auth TA/E-auth RA methods shall follow OMB 04-04; NIST SP 800-63, Digital Identity Guidelines; the CSPO Standard for Electronic Authentication (E-Authentication); and the CDC SA&A SOP.

Based on the level of assurance determined by the E-Auth, the Contractor (and/or subcontractor) must ensure appropriate authentication to the system, including remote authentication, is in-place in accordance with the assurance level determined by the E-Auth (when required) in accordance with HHS policies.

b. Information Security Continuous Monitoring. Upon the government issuance of an Authority to Operate (ATO), the Contractor (and/or subcontractor)-owned/operated systems that input, store, process, output, and/or transmit government information, shall meet or exceed the information security continuous monitoring (ISCM) requirements in accordance with FISMA and NIST SP 800-137, Information Security Continuous Monitoring (ISCM) for Federal Information Systems and Organizations, and HHS IS2P. The following are the minimum requirements for ISCM:

· Annual Assessment/Pen Test - Assess the system security and privacy controls (or ensure an assessment of the controls is conducted) at least annually to determine the implemented security and privacy controls are operating as intended and producing the desired results (this may involve penetration testing conducted by the agency or independent third-party. In addition, review all relevant SA&A documentation (SSP, POA&M, Contingency Plan, etc.) and provide updates by specified due date.

· Asset Management - Using any available Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP)-compliant automated tools for active/passive scans, provide an inventory of all information technology (IT) assets for hardware and software, (computers, servers, routers, databases, operating systems, etc.) that are processing HHS-owned information/data. It is anticipated that this inventory information will be required to be produced at least [insert specific timeframe]. IT asset inventory information shall include IP address, machine name, operating system level, security patch level, and SCAP-compliant format information. The contractor shall maintain a capability to provide an inventory of 100% of its IT assets using SCAP-compliant automated tools.

· Configuration Management - Use available SCAP-compliant automated tools, per NIST IR 7511, for authenticated scans to provide visibility into the security configuration compliance status of all IT assets, (computers, servers, routers, databases, operating systems, application, etc.) that store and process government information. Compliance will be measured using IT assets and standard HHS and government configuration baselines at least annually. The contractor shall maintain a capability to provide security configuration compliance information for 100% of its IT assets using SCAP-compliant automated tools.

· Vulnerability Management - Use SCAP-compliant automated tools for authenticated scans to scan information system(s) and detect any security vulnerabilities in all assets (computers, servers, routers, Web applications, databases, operating systems, etc.) that store and process government information. Contractors shall actively manage system vulnerabilities using automated tools and technologies where practicable and in accordance with HHS policy. Automated tools shall be compliant with NIST-specified SCAP standards for vulnerability identification and management. The contractor shall maintain a capability to provide security vulnerability scanning information for 100% of IT assets using SCAP-compliant automated tools and report to the agency at least annually.

· Patching and Vulnerability Remediation - Install vendor released security patches and remediate critical and high vulnerabilities in systems processing government information in an expedited manner, within vendor and agency specified timelines.

· Secure Coding - Follow secure coding best practice requirements, as directed by United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) specified standards and the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP), that will limit system software vulnerability exploits.

· Boundary Protection - The contractor shall ensure that government information, other than unrestricted information, being transmitted from federal government entities to external entities is routed through a Trusted Internet Connection (TIC).

3) Government Access for Security Assessment. In addition to the Inspection Clause in the contract, the Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall afford the Government access to the Contractor’s facilities, installations, operations, documentation, information systems, and personnel used in performance of this contract to the extent required to carry out a program of security assessment (to include vulnerability testing), investigation, and audit to safeguard against threats and hazards to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of federal data or to the protection of information systems operated on behalf of HHS, including but are not limited to:

a. At any tier handling or accessing information, consent to and allow the Government, or an independent third party working at the Government’s direction, without notice at any time during a weekday during regular business hours contractor local time, to access contractor and subcontractor installations, facilities, infrastructure, data centers, equipment (including but not limited to all servers, computing devices, and portable media), operations, documentation (whether in electronic, paper, or other forms), databases, and personnel which are used in performance of the contract.

The Government includes but is not limited to the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Government Accountability Office, and the HHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG). The purpose of the access is to facilitate performance inspections and reviews, security and compliance audits, and law enforcement investigations. For security audits, the audit may include but not be limited to such items as buffer overflows, open ports, unnecessary services, lack of user input filtering, cross site scripting vulnerabilities, SQL injection vulnerabilities, and any other known vulnerabilities.

b. At any tier handling or accessing protected information, fully cooperate with all audits, inspections, investigations, forensic analysis, or other reviews or requirements needed to carry out requirements presented in applicable law or policy. Beyond providing access, full cooperation also includes, but is not limited to, disclosure to investigators of information sufficient to identify the nature and extent of any criminal or fraudulent activity and the individuals responsible for that activity. It includes timely and complete production of requested data, metadata, information, and records relevant to any inspection, audit, investigation, or review, and making employees of the contractor available for interview by inspectors, auditors, and investigators upon request. Full cooperation also includes allowing the Government to make reproductions or copies of information and equipment, including, if necessary, collecting a machine or system image capture.

c. Segregate Government protected information and metadata on the handling of Government protected information from other information. Commingling of information is prohibited. Inspectors, auditors, and investigators will not be precluded from having access to the sought information if sought information is commingled with other information.

d. Cooperate with inspections, audits, investigations, and reviews.

4) End of Life Compliance. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) must use Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) software or other software that is supported by the manufacturer. In addition, the COTS/other software need to be within one major version of the current version; deviation from this requirement will only be allowed via the HHS waiver process (approved by HHS CISO). The contractor shall retire and/or upgrade all software/systems that have reached end-of-life in accordance with HHS End-of-Life Operating Systems, Software, and Applications Policy.

5) Desktops, Laptops, and Other Computing Devices Required for Use by the Contractor. The Contractor (and/or any subcontractor) shall ensure that all IT equipment (e.g., laptops, desktops, servers, routers, mobile devices, peripheral devices, etc.) used to process information on behalf of HHS are deployed and operated in accordance with approved security configurations and meet the following minimum requirements:

a. Encrypt information categorized as moderate or high impact as required by OMB Memorandum A-130, Managing Information as Strategic Resource, in accordance with the HHS Standard for Encryption of Computing Devices and Information and FIPS 140-2.

b. Configure laptops and desktops in accordance with the latest applicable United States Government Configuration Baseline (USGCB) and HHS Minimum Security Configuration Standards;

c. Maintain the latest operating system patch release and anti-virus software definitions;

d. Validate the configuration settings after hardware and software installation, operation, maintenance, update, and patching and ensure changes in hardware and software do not alter the approved configuration settings; and

e. Automate configuration settings and configuration management in accordance with HHS security policies, including but not limited to:

· Configuring its systems to allow for periodic HHS vulnerability and security configuration assessment scanning; and

· Using Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP)-validated tools with USGCB Scanner capabilities to scan its systems at least on a monthly basis and report the results of these scans to the CO and/or…