# Federal Agencies Accelerate Cybersecurity Procurement

Federal agencies are currently challenged by procurement processes that cannot keep pace with rapidly evolving cybersecurity threats, especially those accelerated by artificial intelligence. Structural constraints such as outdated acquisition regulations and budget cycles hinder timely procurement of critical cybersecurity solutions. Experts recommend that agencies adopt continuous risk visibility and pre-plan acquisition pathways to streamline procurement timelines and enhance public-private collaboration.

- Agencies should prioritize mapping and confirming the fastest acquisition pathways in advance to reduce delays when urgent cybersecurity needs arise.
- Procurement professionals must consider integrating continuous risk assessment tools to maintain up-to-date threat awareness and inform acquisition strategies.
- Strengthening partnerships with industry can facilitate more agile contracting approaches and improve responsiveness to emerging cyber threats.
- This focus on accelerating cybersecurity procurement is critical for maintaining federal network resilience and protecting sensitive data against increasingly sophisticated attacks.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Information Technology
**Topics:** Cybersecurity
**Published:** September 16, 2026

### Government Entities
- Government Accountability Office (GAO)

### Vendors
- SecurityScorecard (industry expert)

### Key Quotes
> Agencies that map their fastest available acquisition path ahead of time, and confirm it genuinely covers the capability they are likely to need, can remove much of that discovery process from the timeline the moment a real gap shows up.
> — Mike Centrella, Head of Public Policy at SecurityScorecard

### Sources
- [
        The federal government can’t buy cybersecurity at the speed of a cyber attack | Federal News Network](https://federalnewsnetwork.com/commentary/2026/09/the-federal-government-cant-buy-cybersecurity-at-the-speed-of-a-cyber-attack) - federalnewsnetwork.com