Cyber Command planning an analytics program called RAINFIRE

The U.S. Cyber Command issued a request for information this week seeking insights on joint analytics support capabilities it’s looking to obtain, including development and optimization.

The command said that the analytics solution — housed under a contract called RAINFIRE — would serve its Capabilities Development Group and  integrate with a number of collaborative IT initiatives it currently has across the digital defense space, ultimately supporting “cyber warfighters within the Department of Defense.”

But the RFI doesn’t explain much more than that.

“This effort is expected to enable a single contractor to provide the analytics capabilities, development, integration and optimization required by the USCYBERCOM CDG Analytics Portfolio,” the RFI said. “Each analytic is expected to be highly variable, based upon the target operational environment and granular requirements. Furthermore, the quantity of analytics is expected to evolve over the life of this effort.”

The broad RFI calls for a solution that provides integration management and analytic support for entities like the Cyber National Mission Force and the Cyber Protection Team Cyber Missions, as well as meet the DOD Information Network’s cyber operational requirements.

Contractors would likely need to provide new analytic capabilities that use a combination of machine learning, data mining and auditing, unstructured data translation, the utilization of analytic tools in cloud-based platforms and other skills.

The RFI said that existing analytic work could be transferred under the RAINFIRE contract, requiring a contractor to be able to integrate that capability, including transitioning some of it out of research entities like the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA.

Interested contractors have until March 12 to respond to the request.

Last Fall, Cyber Command held its first industry day open only to those with a top secret security clearance.

And also this week, the command also issued another vague RFI for “Tools Acquisition and Capability Integration,” seeking a “prime contractor to procure sources that will provide a diverse set of offensive and defensive cyber tools.”