Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP)

Background

The Maryland State Board of Elections (SBE) is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) to procure Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) services aimed at enhancing the agency's cybersecurity operations, engineering capabilities, and enterprise risk management. The goal is to centralize SBE's cybersecurity functions, eliminate security gaps, improve cyber hygiene, and establish clear roles and responsibilities to strengthen governance and protect SBE systems and data. The contract will have a base period of two years with two additional two-year option periods.

Work Details

The selected contractor will provide comprehensive managed security services including: 1) Security Project Management Support - integrating with SBE’s Jira for managing solution components, overseeing contractor personnel activities, providing actionable remediation recommendations, and ensuring compliance with regulatory needs. 2) Application Security - conducting vulnerability assessments, secure code reviews, and integrating security practices into the software development lifecycle (SDLC). 3) Security Engineering - designing and maintaining security configurations across environments, supporting centralized enterprise security platforms. 4) Zero Trust Architecture - evaluating and deploying Zero Trust solutions. 5) Security Operations Center (SOC) services - providing real-time monitoring, incident response capabilities, and continuous monitoring of security-relevant systems. 6) Technology Risk Management - conducting risk assessments and delivering mitigation recommendations. 7) Security Advisory Services - offering architectural guidance and engineering support for upgrades. The contractor must also ensure compliance with NIST standards and provide a dedicated analyst team for ongoing support.

Period of Performance

The contract has a base period of performance lasting two years with two optional extensions of two years each.

Place of Performance

The primary place of performance is the SBE Headquarters located at 151 West St, Ste 200, Annapolis, MD 21401. Remote work may also be permitted.

Bidder Requirements

This procurement is designated as a Small Business Reserve Procurement; only certified small businesses are eligible to bid. Offerors must demonstrate experience providing MSSP support for at least three state or federal agencies with a minimum of 700 assets. Key personnel must meet specific qualifications related to project management, governance risk compliance (GRC), security engineering, application security, incident response, and other relevant areas.