House NDAA draft mandates database of contractors used in covert operations

The House of Representatives draft version of the fiscal 2026 defense policy bill would require the Pentagon to create and maintain a database of all commercial vendors involved in clandestine military operations, a move aimed at tightening oversight and reducing counterintelligence risks across the U.S. defense ecosystem. The current bill text would require the Defense Department to “establish, maintain, and continuously update a database for vendors supporting clandestine activities to facilitate deconfliction and risk assessment,” known as the “Clandestine Activities Vendor Database,” the draft text says. The NSA and Cyber Command — the latter of which is a DOD combatant command — have relied on longstanding relationships with telecommunications providers to eavesdrop on conversations that cross the internet backbone.

Author: David DiMolfetta

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