A task order has been awarded in this connection to the company’s subsidiary by DHS’s CISA

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Accenture Federal Services secures $112m task order to protect US federal agencies from cyber breaches. (Credit: Braveman2/Wikimedia Commons)

Accenture Federal Services (AFS) has won a $112m task order from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for protecting the country’s federal agencies from cyber attacks.

The order was awarded to the Accenture subsidiary by the department’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

Under the terms of the order, Accenture Federal Services will offer advanced cyber services for CISA. The services will assist agencies in the Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) reduce the impacts of ransomware, botnets, and malware campaigns and other cyberattacks.

The company’s advanced cyber services will also help the federal agencies boost real-time visibility into cyber threats.

Accenture Federal Services managing director and cybersecurity practice lead Aaron Faulkner said: “Now, more than ever, it is crucial for our nation to move from a ‘detect and respond’ to a ‘predict and prevent’ model for dealing with cyberattacks. Our solution delivers a whole-of-government view of the threats we face as a nation.

“Accenture Federal Services is excited to build upon our track record of delivering highly complex cyber solutions at scale.”

Cloudflare, as a team member on the CISA task order, will partner with the Accenture subsidiary. The company will help Accenture Federal Services in reinforcing the systems of the federal agencies by preventing phishing and malware attacks before they happen and also in containing breaches taking place on laptops, cell phones, and other devices.

Cloudflare co-founder and CEO Matthew Prince said: “Cyberattacks are becoming much more sophisticated. As a result of several recent newsworthy breaches, we are all now much more aware of the impact cyber threats can have on our daily lives.

“We’re proud to partner with AFS in helping to build a more secure and resilient infrastructure for our nation.”

The task order from CISA on the Alliant 2 Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) will be for a base period of one year and it comes with four one-year option periods.

In another development, Accenture has signed a deal to acquire French consulting firm Exton Consulting for an undisclosed price. Exton Consulting caters to financial services clients across Europe by providing strategy and business management support.