Government Cybersecurity Failure

President Obama, DHS and many Congressional Oversight Committees all claim the need for improved cybersecurity. However, it is very difficult for government agencies to acquire the required technologies. Most cybersecurity hardware and software products fall into the GSA classification of Computer-Peripheral-Other. That’s because there are no government NAICS, SIC or SIN procurement codes for cybersecurity. Without specific codes, it’s very difficult and expensive for cybersecurity businesses to make the government aware of the vast number of solutions available today.

Below is a sample of a letter I have sent to President Obama, Congressman Darrell Issa, Senator Barbara Boxer, Senator Ron Johnson, Senator Dianne Feinstein, White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Michael Daniel, and many others. I wrote to them to make them aware of a problem that they may have never considered. While Acts and Laws can be passed, if agencies can’t find products to buy, what good are the laws.

I need your help.

If you agree with me that there needs to be cybersecurity specific products and services procurement codes then please write your representatives (you can use my letter below as a template), contact the SBA, contact the GSA, and any others government personnel or agency that can help or need to know.

Finally, please Repost, Share, and Like this post. I need all three to help this message go viral so the government can see the need. As business owners, let’s help our government find and acquire the technology they need to make their computers and networks secure. A large number of responses will help the government to start addressing this need.

Let’s help turn the government’s cybersecurity failure into a win for all of us. Thank you.

Letter Template: Modify to your particular business.

Re: NAICS, SIC, and GSA SIN Procurement Codes for Cybersecurity Products

Dear Congressman Issa,

I need your help in getting the Department of Commerce, Department of Labor and the GSA to authorize the creation of new NAICS, SIC, and GSA SIN procurement codes for cybersecurity products and services.

Many cybersecurity companies have to list their products under very general codes. For example, while we are listed on the GSA Schedule, the best NAICS matches the GSA office has for our products and services are:

• 511210 – Software Publishers,
• 334119 – Other Computer Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing, and
• 541512 – Computer Systems Design Services.

None of these are obvious cybersecurity categories. The SIC and SIN codes are no better.

Without cybersecurity procurement codes, government agencies and departments are unable to find, let alone implement, targeted products and services to help keep our Nation’s electronic data secure. Their current procedure is to do keyword searches on the GSA Schedule and hope they find something. If they don’t put in the appropriate keywords or vendors have not listed those keywords, the agency finds no match. Their only recourse is to generate expensive and time consuming RFIs, RFP’s and RFQ’s. Cybersecurity NAICS, SIN and SIC codes would stream line the entire process, save money, and ensure fast implementations.

Without updated procurement codes, small businesses like mine are at a great disadvantage. We don’t have the ability to lobby all the agencies about our state-of-the-art solutions, so contracts are always awarded to the major primes which often are not up to speed fighting the latest hacking technology or methodology. When we contact the primes to tell them what we offer with hopes to be a supplier, they too don’t know how to classify our products to easily drop into their government bids (no codes to match against). Cybersecurity procurement codes would help to even the playing field for all cybersecurity small businesses.

Cybersecurity is one of this nation’s biggest security concerns. With the recent data breaches at the IRS, OPM, DoD, and even Congress, government agencies should be keen on finding solutions today that can help safeguard their networks.

If I can be of further assistance in describing my concerns, I am happy to meet with you or any of your staff members. Thank you for your time and consideration.

With warmest regards,