The US government will pay one company half a billion dollars to watch all its internet traffic

The US government just awarded a nearly half-billion dollar contract for a service that inspects all network traffic. This means a single private company will now monitor and analyze the digital communications of federal agencies.

Governments are increasingly relying on private companies to manage core cybersecurity functions. This contract shows a significant shift towards outsourcing the deep inspection of federal network traffic. It means a private entity will have unprecedented visibility into government operations, raising questions about data privacy and national security.