Source: United States General Services Administration
February 17, 2023
WASHINGTON – Today, the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) announced new investments that will build and improve cybersecurity and digital services at the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the U.S. Agency for Global Media.
“Cybersecurity is the great enabler of IT modernization. When we help agencies launch technology that is secure by design, they’re able to drive transformation across products and services to improve the digital experience and maximize investments,” said TMF Board Chair and Federal CIO Clare Martorana. “Through the TMF, we are helping agencies build a secure foundation to keep the American public’s information confidential, preserve data integrity, and improve accessibility.”
“With these new cybersecurity investments, TMF funding will increase the security of some of the nation’s most critical systems and sensitive data,” said TMF Executive Director Raylene Yung. “The TMF is helping these agencies protect lives and livelihoods, safeguard intelligence and information integrity, and keep the programs the federal workforce relies on to serve the American public up and running.”
The following investments aim to modernize services and secure assets:
Social Security Administration: Personal data security for public benefits processing
SSA’s front-line employees depend on the agency’s internal services to provide virtual, telephone, and in-office support to hundreds of thousands of customers daily.
A $23.3 million TMF investment will accelerate multi-factor authentication and increase security of an agency that pays benefits to more than 70 million people, including retirement and disability beneficiaries and their families.
“Millions count on Social Security for their benefits, and we are committed to secure systems that protect their personal information and allow our hard-working employees to provide the daily services and assistance American retirees and other beneficiaries depend on,” said Sean Brune, Chief Information Officer. “This investment will improve security and protections of our programmatic systems while avoiding potential agency costs and potential disruption of services.”
U.S. Department of the Treasury: Secure cloud national intelligence sharing
The Treasury Foreign Intelligence Network (TFIN) is used to share classified information with other government agencies. Treasury’s bureaus and subagencies rely on the network to identify and analyze overseas threats to America’s economy and finances, and to monitor and evaluate the evolving impact of foreign sanctions.
An $11.1 million TMF investment will improve the reliability and mitigate the security challenges of this critical network. It will prevent interruptions and outages while meeting the needs of its approximately 800 national security users.
“This project addresses critical challenges for security on our national security system, as outlined in White House National Security Memorandum 8, as well as a need for technological transformation that will bring TFIN in line with current performance and security best practices,” said James D. (Trey) Treadwell, III, Treasury’s Deputy Assistant Secretary, Support and Technology, Office of Intelligence and Analysis.
U.S. Agency for Global Media: Improving IT security with zero trust architecture
USAGM provides accurate, objective, and comprehensive news and information to audiences overseas who are often subject to censorship, strict media controls, or influence by violent extremism.
A $6.2 million TMF investment to implement zero trust architecture will support the agency’s mission and ultimately protect the lives of its journalists and their sources, safeguard the integrity of USAGM-funded news content frequently targeted by oppressive governments and non-state actors, and improve management of USAGM devices for its decentralized and remote workforce.
“USAGM’s five news networks produce television, radio, and digital content in 63 languages and for a weekly audience of 410 million people. Because of our success in providing sought-after reporting in media-restricted environments, USAGM and our employees are frequently targets of harassment, hacking, and impersonation,” said Amanda Bennett, USAGM CEO. “This investment will dramatically improve USAGM’s IT security posture and reduce the risk of identity fraud and unauthorized access, protecting both lives and the integrity of our agency’s trusted journalism products.”
GSA encourages federal agencies to contact the TMF Program Management Office at tmf@gsa.gov if the vision, mission, and use of TMF makes sense in their agency IT modernization efforts. Agencies can follow these guidelines for submitting a proposal.
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About the TMF: The Technology Modernization Fund is working to transform the way the government uses technology to deliver for the American public in an equitable, secure, and user-centric way. The TMF invests in technology projects across government, providing incremental funding, technical assistance, and oversight throughout execution to ensure the success of its investments.
The TMF is overseen by the Technology Modernization Board, which is composed of government IT leaders representing proven expertise in technology, transformation, and operations. To date, the TMF has announced investments totaling over $650 million. These investments have supported projects ranging from providing a single secure login experience for government websites to digitizing temporary worker visa programs and modernizing systems that support crop inspection and certification. The TMF has received $225 million through the annual budget process and $1 billion through the American Rescue Plan to fund modernization projects to date. For more information, visit tmf.cio.gov.
About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.