Looking to improve security culture at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, the Department of Energy is seeking companies able to covertly evaluate management practices and staff for the Carlsbad Field Office, according to a sources sought notice posted Friday. The site’s operational security policy requires the protection of “critical information,” the notice states. ”However, the security culture within WIPP operations does not appear to have matured beyond minimum requirements for the protection of sensitive information,” according to the notice. “Since implementation of the current policy, work practices have evolved with changing technology, the old techniques for security awareness have proven to be too slow and inadequate to mitigate against growing security threats. The intent is to gather information without the knowledge of general management or staff. Testing and evaluation should be planned to assess actual practices by WIPP employees performing normal duties.”
Once the evaluation is complete, “vulnerabilities and areas needing improvement need to be reported with recommended training plans designed to provide awareness level training for WIPP employees,” the notice states. “The final report is expected to provide CBFO a baseline rating of how operational security practices are maintained, a plan for training needs, and key indicators that can be assessed in the future to evaluate progress.” Responses from interested companies are due by April 10.