Chinese Cyber Warfare RFP -- FINAL.doc

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

December 19th, 2008

PERIOD OF PROPOSAL SUBMISSION ENDS: 5:30 PM Wednesday, January 21st, 2009 The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (hereafter “the Commission”) invites submission of proposals to provide a one-time unclassified report examining the capabilities of entities affiliated with the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to conduct cyber warfare and computer network exploitation.

ABOUT THE COMMISSION. The Commission was established by Congress in 2000 to monitor and report to Congress on the economic and national security dimensions of the United States’ trade and economic ties with the PRC. Further details about the Commission are available on its website at: www.uscc.gov .

ABOUT PROPOSALS. The Commission solicits proposals from contractors capable of providing a one-time unclassified report that would examine the capabilities of PRC government and government-sponsored entities to conduct cyber warfare and computer network exploitation.

Key issues and questions to be addressed by the report are:

· Identify the major actors within China (both state-affiliated and state-sponsored) who appear to be engaged in the development of cyber warfare and computer network exploitation, and assess the extent of their capabilities in these areas. Explicate any identifiable institutional linkages these entities may have with one another, as well as any such linkages with identified or likely government patron organizations.

· Assess the state of development in Chinese cyber-warfare doctrine, and identify the major institutions and/or authors prominent in developing these concepts.

· Provide a timeline history of noteworthy instances of alleged Chinese-based hacking and intrusion into the computer networks of the United States, as well as those of U.S. allies. Identify and explicate selected case studies as illustrative examples.

· Analyze the vulnerabilities of both U.S. government computer systems and civilian infrastructure (transportation nodes, electric power grids, etc.) within the United States to cyber attack, and assess the potential national security implications of such vulnerabilities. As applicable, offer policy recommendations for the U.S. government to follow in addressing these vulnerabilities.

Additional Requirements of the Commission:

· Prior to responding to this RFP, the responding entity must be currently registered in the federal Central Contractor Registry (CCR), and it shall confirm its current registration in its proposal.

· Once a contractor has been selected for this project by the Commission and a contract signed, public notice of this will be made on the Commission’s website.

· Once a contractor has been selected by the Commission and a contract signed, a draft of the report must be submitted to the Commission for review no later than 120 days from the date of contract confirmation. The Commission will then endeavor to provide comments and requests for adjustments within 30 days; subsequently, the final report must be submitted within 30 days of formal receipt of the Commission’s comments.

· As work on the report progresses, the Commission’s Research Coordinator shall act as a representative of the Commission in monitoring the progress, quality, and relevance of the report to the identified major issues of concern. The Research Coordinator shall, on request to the contractor, be entitled to informal briefings on the status of the research work and to readings of the draft in progress.

· The contract shall be subject to termination if the Commission deems that the work is of unsatisfactory quality.

· At the Commission’s discretion, the report procured via this Request for Proposal may be posted on the Commission’s website.

· Each organization or individual responding to this request must warrant that it/he/she will perform this work solely for the Commission, and that the resulting report will not be shared with other parties without the prior written consent of the Commission.

· The Commission expects contractors to identify all personnel working on the contract, and that there not be any delegation of responsibilities to other parties without prior approval of the Commission.

Primary Selection Criteria:

· The Commission will determine which organization or individual responding to this request will be awarded the contract based on a comprehensive “best value” analysis of the proposals received, to include costs, technical value, and ability to complete the work satisfactorily and on time.

· The primary weighting criterion in selection shall the assessed qualifications and ability of an organization or individual to address the fundamental research points enunciated above (“issues and questions to be addressed by the report”).

· The cost and amount of time necessary to complete the report will also be considered as criteria in the selection process.

Proposal submissions should include:

· A statement of the applicant’s relevant qualifications to satisfy the terms of this request for proposals (RFP);

· An description of the research methodology the applicant proposes to employ;

· An estimate of the time the applicant will need to complete the required work;

· The price the applicant will charge to the Commission to complete the work set forth in this RFP.

Firms and individuals wishing to submit a proposal in response to this Request for Proposal must ensure that the response arrives at the following location by 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 21st, 2009, or it will not be accepted or considered.

Electronic submissions are acceptable.

Proposals, as well as any other correspondence related to this matter, should be directed to:

John Dotson

Research Coordinator

U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission

Hall of the States, Suite 602

444 North Capitol Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20001 phone: 202-624-1482 jdotson@uscc.gov

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