Nextgov reports that the tech giant Amazon has been awarded a $10 billion cloud-computing contract from the National Security Agency (NSA). According to protest filings obtained by Nextgov, the contract is named “WildandStormy” and appears to be part of an initiative by the NSA to modernize its storage of classified data.
Microsoft has challenged the awarding of the contract, according to Government Accountability Office records. An NSA spokesperson commented: “NSA recently awarded a contract for cloud computing services to support the Agency. The unsuccessful offeror has filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office. The Agency will respond to the protest in accordance with appropriate federal regulations.”
Microsoft confirmed that it filed the protest, stating: “Based on the decision we are filing an administrative protest via the Government Accountability Office. We are exercising our legal rights and will do so carefully and responsibly.”
Amazon Web Services has previously worked with multiple intelligence organizations and has worked with the NSA in the past. In 2013, Amazon received a deal worth $600 million from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to provide cloud services to both the CIA and the NSA.
This June 6, 2013 file photo, shows the sign outside the National Security Agency (NSA) campus in Fort Meade, Md.All fingers are pointing to Russia as author of the worst-ever hack of U.S. government agencies. But President Donald Trump, long wary of blaming Moscow for cyberattacks has so far been silent. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)
Chris Cornillie, an analyst at Bloomberg Government, commented on the situation: “[The NSA’s award] just reiterates that Amazon is still the cloud provider to beat across the federal government. Microsoft has come a long way and made it a two way horse race in government, but Amazon was forming relationships and gathering security certifications a decade ago and Microsoft is still playing catch-up.”
Read more at Nextgov here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan or contact via secure email at the address lucasnolan@protonmail.com
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