18F: Digital service delivery | To get things done, you need great, secure tools

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en-US"> <head>  <meta charset="utf-8" /> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge" />  <meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="True" /> <meta name="MobileOptimized" content="320" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />  <title>18F: Digital service delivery | To get things done, you need great, secure tools</title> <meta property="og:title" content="18F: Digital service delivery | To get things done, you need great, secure tools" /> <meta name="description" content="" /> <meta property="og:description" content="" /> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary" /> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@18F" /> <meta name="twitter:title" content="To get things done, you need great, secure tools" /> <meta name="twitter:description" content="" /> <meta property="og:type" content="article" /> <link rel="canonical" href="/2017/02/27/to-get-things-done-you-need-great-secure-tools/" /> <meta property="og:url" content="/2017/02/27/to-get-things-done-you-need-great-secure-tools/" /> <script async="" src=/assets/js/uswds-init.js></script>  <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="16x16" href="/img/favicons/favicon-16x16.png"> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="32x32" href="/img/favicons/favicon-32x32.png"> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="192x192" href="/img/favicons/favicon-192x192.png"> <link rel="icon" type="image/svg+xml" href="/img/favicons/favicon.svg"> <link rel="shortcut icon" type="image/x-icon" href="/favicon.ico" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="180x180" href="/img/favicons/favicon-180x180.png">  <link href="https://unpkg.com/prismjs@1.20.0/themes/prism.css" rel="stylesheet"> <link rel="preload" as="style" href="/assets/styles/styles-UKMOJPRN.css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/assets/styles/styles-UKMOJPRN.css" type="text/css" /> </head> <body class=" "> <a class="usa-skipnav" href="#main-content">Skip to main content</a> <div class="page-landing-page layout-demo "> <a class="usa-skipnav" href="#main-content">Skip to main content</a> <div class="usa-banner"> <div class="usa-accordion"> <section id="gov-banner-header-section" aria-label="USA Gov banner section header" class="usa-banner__header" > <div class="usa-banner__inner"> <div class="grid-col-auto"> <img src="/img/us_flag_small-VKjpzbKpq_.png" class="usa-banner__header-flag" alt="U.S. flag" loading="lazy" decoding="async"> </div> <div class="grid-col-fill tablet:grid-col-auto"> <p class="usa-banner__header-text"> An official website of the United States government </p> <p class="usa-banner__header-action" aria-hidden="true"> Here’s how you know </p> </div> <button class="usa-accordion__button usa-banner__button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="gov-banner" type="button" > <span class="usa-banner__button-text">Here's how you know</span> </button> </div> </section> <div class="usa-banner__content usa-accordion__content" id="gov-banner"> <div class="grid-row grid-gap-lg"> <div class="usa-banner__guidance tablet:grid-col-6"> <div class="usa-media-block__body"> <p> <strong>The .gov means it’s official.</strong> <br /> Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. 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There are good reasons for these barriers: the government places premiums on considerations such as security, privacy, accessibility, license management, and competition. It takes great care to work within those considerations while also providing digital teams with great tools to get work done.</p> <p>Since GSA created the Technology Transformation Service (TTS) in May 2016, we have made enormous investments in the overall security posture of 18F, including bolstering the partnership between TTS and the GSA Chief Information Officer’s office (GSA IT). About six months ago, we announced that we were <a href="/2016/07/18/cloud-gov-full-steam-ahead-fedramp-assessment-process/">“full steam ahead” on our FedRAMP assessment process for cloud.gov</a>, a Platform-as-a-Service for government teams. As part of that process, we invested significant effort into automating <a href="https://cloud.gov/docs/ops/configuration-management/">our infrastructure</a> to ensure continuous improvements. These efforts helped the cloud.gov team receive <a href="/2017/02/02/cloud-gov-is-now-fedramp-authorized/">final signatures</a> from the CIOs of GSA, Department of Defense, and the Department of Homeland Security to certify that the platform meets the controls necessary to operate in the federal government.</p> <p>To make system delivery easier, and to pave the way for development teams in other agencies, we have also made significant investments in the past year to dramatically improve our ability to make use of commercially available SaaS products. Part of this process has been continuing our close collaboration with GSA IT. TTS can only deliver on projects like cloud.gov by working in tight collaboration with GSA’s CIO, CTO, CISO, and security and compliance folks. Together, we’re helping GSA chart this new territory. For example, in September, GSA IT issued a <a href="https://www.gsa.gov/portal/directive/d0/content/541261">new policy related to GSA’s IT Standards Profile</a>, which established a new “pilot process” that enables TTS to test out commercially available cloud-based SaaS and ensure compliance with various federal laws and policies. Similarly, GSA IT issued a new <a href="https://www.gsa.gov/portal/directive/d0/content/526805">OAuth Integration Policy</a>, which provides clarity around user authentication and authorization for TTS’s use of commercially available SaaS products. Our close collaboration means that we can have the tools and resources we need, and we’re more aligned with industry best practices.</p> <p>Similarly, TTS is focused on helping bring commercially available products and services that are used widely in the private sector into the federal government. For example, TTS and the GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service have been working in partnership to purchase SaaS products that TTS relies upon. We’re also working closely with GSA’s Schedule 70 program to help <a href="https://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/122754">make it easier</a> for innovative companies to work with the federal government.</p> <p>Finally, the FedRAMP program recently announced its “<a href="https://www.fedramp.gov/launching-a-fedramp-tailored-baseline/">FedRAMP Tailored</a>” initiative, which will help accelerate the availability of low-impact SaaS offerings government-wide, making it possible for agencies to more readily adopt commercially available SaaS.</p> <p>In the long-run, GSA wants to make it easy for the government to take advantage of best-of-breed software, and to accelerate adoption of SaaS by government agencies. We will continue to improve TTS processes, ensure that our systems are secure, and partner with industry to help reduce the barriers for effective software delivery in the government.</p> </div> </div> <aside class="tablet:grid-offset-1 tablet:grid-col-4"> <div class="bg-primary-darker padding-3 text-white usa-dark-background radius-md"> <h2 class="font-sans-lg text-bold margin-bottom-2">Follow 18F</h2> <ul class="usa-list usa-list--unstyled"> <li class="margin-bottom-2"> <a href="https://github.com/18F" class="usa-link--alt usa-link--external" rel="noreferrer" > <img src="/img/github-lightest-dnvvdJeNxl.svg" class="maxw-3 margin-right-2 text-sub" alt="" loading="lazy" decoding="async">18F on GitHub </a> </li> <li class="margin-bottom-2"> <a href="https://twitter.com/18F" class="usa-link--alt usa-link--external" rel="noreferrer" > <img src="/img/twitter-lightest-MyHkS8cnLa.svg" class="maxw-3 margin-right-2 text-sub" alt="" loading="lazy" decoding="async">18F on Twitter </a> </li> <li class="margin-bottom-2"> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/gsa18f" class="usa-link--alt usa-link--external" rel="noreferrer" > <img src="/img/linkedin-lightest-hDYpqtBBKD.svg" class="maxw-3 margin-right-2 text-sub" alt="" loading="lazy" decoding="async">18F on LinkedIn </a> </li> <li class="margin-bottom-2"> <a href="/feed.xml" class="usa-link--alt " > <img src="/img/rss-lightest-29xxdTjXfa.svg" class="maxw-3 margin-right-2 text-sub" alt="" loading="lazy" decoding="async">RSS feed </a> </li> </ul> </div> </aside> </div> </div> </article> <section class="margin-top-6 post-pagination"> <div class="grid-container"> <hr class="hr-1-base-lighter"> <div class="grid-row grid-gap"> <div class="grid-col-6"> <a href="/2017/02/02/cloud-gov-is-now-fedramp-authorized/" class="text-no-underline post-pagination__link" > <h2 class="post-pagination__heading"> <svg class="icon caret" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" version="1.1" x="0px" y="0px" width="512px" height="512px" viewBox="0 0 444.531 444.531" style="enable-background:new 0 0 444.531 444.531;" xml:space="preserve" role="img" aria-hidden="true"> <title>Arrow left</title> <desc>Arrow pointing to the left</desc> <g> <path d="M213.13,222.409L351.88,83.653c7.05-7.043,10.567-15.657,10.567-25.841c0-10.183-3.518-18.793-10.567-25.835 l-21.409-21.416C323.432,3.521,314.817,0,304.637,0s-18.791,3.521-25.841,10.561L92.649,196.425 c-7.044,7.043-10.566,15.656-10.566,25.841s3.521,18.791,10.566,25.837l186.146,185.864c7.05,7.043,15.66,10.564,25.841,10.564 s18.795-3.521,25.834-10.564l21.409-21.412c7.05-7.039,10.567-15.604,10.567-25.697c0-10.085-3.518-18.746-10.567-25.978 L213.13,222.409z" fill="#046b99"/> </g> </svg> Previous post </h2> <p class="measure-1 text-bold text-primary-darkest">cloud.gov is now FedRAMP Authorized for use by federal agencies</p> </a> </div> <div class="grid-col-6 text-right"> <a href="/2017/03/13/us-web-design-standards-releases-version-10/" class="text-no-underline post-pagination__link" > <h2 class="post-pagination__heading"> Next post <svg class="icon caret" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="444.819" height="444.819" viewBox="0 0 444.819 444.819" role="img" aria-hidden="true"> <title>Arrow right</title> <desc>Arrow pointing to the right</desc> <path fill="#046b99" d="M352.025 196.712L165.885 10.848C159.028 3.615 150.468 0 140.185 0s-18.84 3.62-25.696 10.848l-21.7 21.416c-7.045 7.043-10.567 15.604-10.567 25.692 0 9.897 3.52 18.56 10.566 25.98L231.544 222.41 92.785 361.168c-7.04 7.043-10.563 15.604-10.563 25.693 0 9.9 3.52 18.566 10.564 25.98l21.7 21.417c7.043 7.043 15.612 10.564 25.697 10.564 10.09 0 18.656-3.52 25.697-10.564L352.025 248.39c7.046-7.423 10.57-16.084 10.57-25.98.002-10.09-3.524-18.655-10.57-25.698z"/> </svg> </h2> <p class="measure-1 float-right text-bold text-primary-darkest text-right">U.S. Web Design Standards releases version 1.0</p> </a> </div> </div> <hr class="hr-1-base-lighter"> </div> </section> <section class="margin-top-3 margin-bottom-6"> <div class="grid-container"> <ul class="grid-row grid-gap usa-list--unstyled"> <li class="grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 tablet-lg:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-5 "> <a href="/2015/04/23/coming-soon-the-agile-delivery-services-soliciatation/" class="text-no-underline"> <h3 class="border-top-05 border-primary hover-primary-dark padding-top-3 margin-bottom-3 text-bold "> Coming soon: the agile delivery services solicitation </h3> </a> Calling all agile vendors...get ready! By the end of this month, GSA will be releasing a Request for Quote (RFQ) for the alpha version of the Agile Delivery Services Blanket Purchase Agreement </li> <li class="grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 tablet-lg:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-5 "> <a href="/2015/06/15/agile-bpa-is-here/" class="text-no-underline"> <h3 class="border-top-05 border-primary hover-primary-dark padding-top-3 margin-bottom-3 text-bold "> The Agile Delivery BPA is here! </h3> </a> The Request for Quotation (RFQ) for the Agile Delivery Services Blanket Purchase Agreement (Agile Delivery BPA) is hitting the street on Wednesday, June 17, 2015. </li> <li class="grid-col-12 tablet:grid-col-6 tablet-lg:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-5 "> <a href="/2015/06/22/avoiding-cloudfall/" class="text-no-underline"> <h3 class="border-top-05 border-primary hover-primary-dark padding-top-3 margin-bottom-3 text-bold "> Avoiding cloudfall: A systematic approach to cloud migration </h3> </a> 18F has been working on reducing the costs of entry to the cloud and thinking about good practices for cloud migration. 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18F: Digital service delivery | To get things done, you need great, secure tools