Digital Evidence Laboratory Cyber Support Contract

The DEA's Digital Evidence Laboratory (SFL9) requires qualified digital forensic examiners to conduct identification, collection, preservation, documentation and analysis of digital evidence. SFL9 also requires qualified Discovery staff in support eLitigation services. SFL9 requires the following support staff: program analyst, research and develop engineers, senior system architect, and a senior system administrator. The Digital Evidence Laboratory Cyber Support Contract is a follow-on effort of the Computer Forensics Services Contract that began over twenty years ago and has evolved multiple times since it's inception. The contractual history is complicated and has struggled to meet the staffing requirements of SFL9 since entering the 8a program approximately 15 years ago. Because of the difficulties of the contract to meet staffing requirements, the current contract had to be reduced from 40 positions to 26 positions. For most of the contract term, the staffing has been at or below 50%. For a brief period, the contract was at 100% when the positions authorized on the contract was reduced. Currently, as of this writing, the contract is at approximately 65% capacity. The scope of the contract has also increased in size and complexity over the years. With the increase of encryption, dark web activities, cryptocurrency, rapid development of new devices and applications, the need for highly trained and experienced personnel has increased. During Option Year 1, eDiscovery services were added to the contract. eDiscovery services (now eLitigation) support highly complex litigation cases within the DEA and DOJ. Over the past 4-5 years, there has been a significant increase in cryptocurrency useage and seizure activity. Digital Forensic Examiners need to have special training on how to identify and handle cryptocurrency cases. The sensitive nature of these cases requires a high level of trust in the DFEs to handle the cryptocurrency cases appropriately and coordinate closely with the investigators assigned to the cases.