Homeland Security to Set Cybersecurity Standards for Procurement
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is seeking security and privacy standards to apply to its technology procurements. More importantly, "DHS is working with industry and standards bodies to create procurement requirements that meet those standards..."

A DHS official explained that once "the standards are in place, the procurement policies will ensure that the government only buys from vendors that meet them..."

DHS working with industry and Standards Developing Organizations (SDOs) to develop the applicable standards is an important step to ensuring the quality and transparency of the procurement process. Industry, state and local governments and other stakeholders should take advantage of this opportunity to participate in the processes and contribute their expertise.

One way in which DHS could help ensure that stakeholders are kept informed of all relevant standard activities is to provide, through their website, information about the organizations that are coordinating the standards development processes. DHS could provide information about specific standards development activities, including meetings and the dissemination of draft documents and other materials. By providing the public with this information, DHS could further leverage their important contributions to federal and private cybersecurity accomplishments.