Over the past day, users of the National Background Investigation Services (NBIS), the largest IT system supporting the background investigation process, have experienced a number of delays and issues with accessing the system. In a breaking news update, Director of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) David Cattler addressed the issues and noted the agency was working hard to get systems back online and ensure user access. Under intense volume, the NBIS help desk became overwhelmed and users reported inability to use the system. As of this writing, some industry users remain unable to access the NBIS system and process new investigations.
The system issue came as the agency tried to implement a good move toward better security – a two-factor authentication upgrade for system access. Unfortunately, as technical issues arose with implementation and with end-users unaware of the change, a flood of queries and even higher volume of traffic led the NBIS help desk to be flooded with hundreds of simultaneous queries. Some companies remain unable to access NBIS, although Director Cattler noted it is operational and the agency is working to get everyone back online and will remain communicative with industry and end users as it works to do so.
NBIS remains critically important – and beleaguered.
Launched in 2016 following significant cybersecurity breaches at the Office of Personnel Management, NBIS was intended to replace outdated legacy systems and enhance security clearance processes. However, the program has faced substantial challenges, including delays and cost overruns.
Originally scheduled for full deployment by 2019, NBIS has experienced multiple setbacks. As of mid-2024, only partial capabilities, such as the electronic application (eApp), have been implemented, with full operational capability now projected for the end of 2024 . The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has criticized the program for lacking a reliable schedule and cost estimate, noting that the 2022 cost estimate of $767.9 million was not reliable . By 2023, the DoD had already spent over $1.3 billion on NBIS, nearly doubling initial projections
In 2024, under the leadership of Director Cattler, DCSA initiated a 90-day recovery plan focusing on stabilizing NBIS’s development. This plan emphasized modernizing applications, enhancing cybersecurity measures, and transitioning systems to cloud-based solutions. A key component of this effort is an 18-month capability roadmap designed to address technical requirements and ensure resource alignment across the DoD.
Additionally, DCSA introduced a 36-month product roadmap aiming to retire legacy background investigation systems, such as the Personnel Investigations Processing System (PIPS), by fiscal year 2027 . This roadmap, developed using Agile methodologies, outlines the release, testing, and operationalization of NBIS products and services, ensuring that stakeholders are informed and prepared for upcoming changes .
To support these initiatives, DCSA has onboarded new leadership and restructured its NBIS program team to incorporate technical, Agile, and acquisition expertise. The agency has also committed to ongoing stakeholder engagement, ensuring that feedback is integrated into the program’s development and implementation processes.
The events of the past 48 hours have put some questions behind both the oversight and communication elements of the current NBIS roadmap, but the remarks by Cattler appear to emphasize that leadership is engaged, aware, and committed to getting the program back on track and heading toward the established roadmap without further outages and delays – all of which affect the mission and readiness of the national security community.
Original article updated 5/16 based on updated information provided by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency.
