Aquia Inc. Announces Support of $101 Million CMS Security, Innovation, and Operations (SIO) Contract

The SDVOSB will lead security assurance — maintaining FISMA compliance and managing security operations across CMS's cloud environments for the systems behind the nation's health care quality programs

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24, 2026 -- Aquia Inc., a digital services firm helping the government modernize and secure systems and processes, today announced its support of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Security, Innovation, and Operations (SIO) contract — a five-year effort to advance a critical Center for Clinical Standards and Quality (CCSQ) modernization initiative.

As a subcontractor to Goldman Edwards-Tantus Technologies, LLC, a joint venture between Tantus and Goldman Edwards, Aquia will deliver the security assurance pillar of the contract, helping ensure that the information systems serving millions of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries remain secure, compliant, and resilient.

In support of CMS and CCSQ, Aquia will:

• Maintain Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) compliance across CCSQ's portfolio of information systems, including authorization-to-operate (ATO) maintenance and assessment readiness.

• Manage security tooling and web application firewall (WAF) configurations across the QualityNet Amazon Web Services (AWS) and CMS Office of Information Technology (OIT) Hybrid AWS cloud environments.

• Support vulnerability and patch management for application development teams, along with cyber threat detection and response.

• Embed security directly into development cycles, ensuring it is built in from the start rather than added at the end.

• Bring expertise in continuous authorization to operate (cATO) and post-quantum cryptography (PQC) readiness to move CMS from periodic, point-in-time assessments toward continuous, real-time assurance.

"The systems behind CMS's quality programs touch the health care of millions of Americans, and keeping them secure is a responsibility we don’t take lightly," said David Maskeroni, chief executive officer of Aquia. "We're proud to bring our security and compliance automation expertise to this team and to help CMS deliver care that is not only modern, but trustworthy."

About Aquia Inc.

Aquia is a digital services firm helping the government modernize systems and processes to improve outcomes for millions of Americans. Since 2021, we’ve helped our country’s Veterans access earned benefits in days instead of weeks, generated millions in cost savings through cloud services and licensing optimization, enabled civil servants to double health care fraud investigations through streamlined cloud-based systems, and reduced authorization timelines by 74% through modernized security processes. 

As strategic advisors and engineers, we help our customers develop and deploy innovative solutions, adopt and implement digital transformation initiatives, and navigate complex regulatory landscapes. 

Named the “2024 Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) of the Year” by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), we are passionate about making our country digitally capable and secure.

Aquia has been named to the 2026 Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies, honored as a 2026 Inc. Best Workplace, and ranked the #1 Best Remote Startup to Work For in 2025 by Built In. Learn more at aquia.us.

Press contact for Aquia:

Ashling Knight

comms@aquia.io

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