Er, we mean fighting terrorism and organised crime!
Lindsay Clark Thu 17 Dec 2020 // 09:30 UTC Share
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The UK s Home Office has handed a £30m contract to engineering and IT outfit Leidos to help government agencies access and analyse communications data for combatting terrorism and organised crime.
Behind the managed services deal is a plan to smooth the efficiency with which government agents can access telecoms data.
The Home Office s National Communications Data Service (NCDS) launched the Agile Data Retention and Disclosure Services ( ARDS – yes, we know the acronym doesn t work) last year with a prior information notice to the market.
It said the ARDS would allow Telecom Operators to be on-boarded and off-boarded rapidly providing services the Home Office hoped would support collaborative ways of working with telcos and tech suppliers.
The Home Office has signed Leidos Innovations on a £30 million contract to provide a managed service for its Agile Data Retention and Disclosure Service (ARDS).
The service involves monitoring and anticipating changes in telecommunications activity, and makes a significant contribution to the department’s counter-terrorism activities.
It sits within the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism and aligns with the work of the National Communications Data Service in providing security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies with communications data within the legal framework.
This can be used to develop intelligence and build the evidence for prosecutions, against both terrorists and organised criminals.