CGI to provide UK National Security Vetting Solution
CGI has delivered a vetting solution to the Ministry of Defence via the Cerberus application since 2008. The contract is for four years, with options to extend. CGI will now expand its vetting services into a national solution supporting the majority of UK government departments and major contractors that need to vet employees for security clearance.
NSVS is based on the Cerberus application which is built on an Oracle platform. During the bid, CGI and Oracle worked closely together to develop a robust and efficient solution that uses modern technology and will not only streamline the vetting process, but also improve the user experience significantly.
NSVS will handle in excess of 200,000 vetting requests a year, performing a range of detailed checks on applicants, including financial status, address verification and criminal record checks.
NSVS replaces a range of disparate systems and manual processes with an intuitive user interface that enables applicants and vetting caseworkers to securely access the system from different locations, using many different devices. NSVS is a pan-governmental system, which will be flexible and scalable, able to meet the future demand for security vetting, currently rising by approximately 10% a year. In addition it will be able to handle surges in demand for security clearance, often linked to major events.
NSVS will utilise CGI’s new UK Security Operations Centre (SOC) to monitor and protect NSVS against potential cyber security threats in real-time. To ensure NSVS’s resilience and 24/7 availability, CGI will deliver secure hosting from its ISO/IES 27001 certified facilities in the UK. The service will be managed from CGI’s award-winning 5-star service desk in Wales.
Vince Groome, CIO, Defence Business Services, Ministry of Defence commented: “We are delighted to be working closely together with CGI to make the NSVS application a reliable and robust solution, able to manage the ever changing needs for security vetting. As we continue our drive for efficient and customer-focused processes, we are confident NSVS will provide a single solution with a modern, intuitive, scalable and effective approach to managing this critical security process”.
Steve Smart, Vice-President, Space, Defence and National Security, CGI noted: “Security vetting is a fundamental enabler that underpins the integrity of the UK government. With our history of providing vetting services, the transition to this pan-governmental vetting system will be swift, low risk and will ensure business continuity. We have a strong team with the experience required to provide a secure and effective vetting solution for the UK government and we look forward to working closely with Defence Business Services to deliver this important programme.”
