Credit: Pxfuel

The Home Office is seeking to appoint a specialist supplier to ensure the security of its digital services.

The department has issued a contract notice related to “security architecture services” for its portfolio of digital, data and technology (DDaT) platforms. 

The deal, which it hopes will come into effect on 1 October and last for two years, is expected to be worth between £15m and £20m to the chosen firm.

The winning bidder will support the Home Office’s internal security team “by providing specialist security advice, leadership and governance for DDaT portfolios, programmes and projects”.

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This will include “advising on the evaluation of complex applications and architectures using both manual and automated techniques – [such as] code security scanners, web vulnerability scanners and assessment support tools – to identify security issues”.

The security partner will also assist in “making and guiding effective decisions on the highest complexity risks, based on information assurance risk assessment methodology”, as well as “articulating the impact of vulnerabilities on existing and future designs and systems to senior stakeholders, explaining how easy or difficult it will be to exploit the vulnerabilities”.

Projects requiring security support will include services and services related to immigration, borders, policing, and counter-terrorism.

“We are increasingly reliant on technology to support the Home Office in its role to lead on immigration and passports, drugs policy, crime policy and counter-terrorism, and to ensure visible, responsive and accountable policing in the UK,” the department said. “We need to design and deliver technology which supports the transformation of the Home Office and the modernisation of our processes making them fit for a digital future.”

Bids for the contract are open until midnight on 22 July.