While the DoD plays a key role in national security, they aren’t the only department awarding contracts. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security also plays a critical role in national security. This fall, DHS will celebrate 20 years of keeping Americans safe within their borders. And part of that mission is protecting air traffic. This week, Accenture Federal Services (AFS), a subsidiary of Accenture, was awarded a 10-year, $199 million contract from the DHS, Transportation Security Administration (TSA), to provide a wide range of IT services in support of TSA’s Secure Flight System.
PreScreening Program Part of National Security
Secure Flight is a risk-based, prescreening program that enhances security by matching passenger names against trusted traveler lists and government watchlists.
“TSA’s Secure Flight system identifies low and high-risk passengers before they arrive at the airport. It does this by synching up watchlist and intelligence information against traveler information and passenger reservation data,” said Maurine Fanguy, AFS managing director and DHS lead. “AFS will enhance the system by incorporating emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, into this mission-critical program.”
Accenture Federal Services Contract with TSA
Under the Secure Flight Systems IT Services contract, which runs for one base and nine option years, AFS will provide IT services to engineer, test, and sustain the Secure Flight system. Ultimately the goal is to transition the passenger screening system from its current architecture to open-source technologies to reduce operating costs for the program while enhancing security and maintaining its commitment to passenger privacy rights.
“AFS has been responsible for TSA Secure Flight program delivery since November 2018,” said Anthony Pinheiro, AFS managing director and TSA lead. “We’re proud of the many successes that have resulted from our partnership with the TSA and are excited to continue helping the agency optimize security on domestic and international commercial flights.”
