NIST 800-171 / DFARS

The Defense Industrial Base (DIB) sector is a vast business network containing some of the most critical infrastructures in the US. Working in partnership with or for the Department of Defense (DoD) as a contractor can be lucrative, but that comes at the cost of high risks to your own company and the safety of all Americans. That’s why you’ll need to ensure compliance with various DoD cybersecurity frameworks, and the NIST 800-171 assessment methodology is a critical first step in that direction. 

Contracts with governmental agencies can be extremely valuable for businesses. This is especially true for contracts with the Department of Defense (DoD), which has abundant resources to offer its vendors. The catch is that the DFARS compliance requirements are among the most complex cybersecurity regulations for any US industry. Any company working with the DoD needs to be fully compliant. Nonetheless, resources spent meeting them are guaranteed to provide optimal ROI.

Companies seeking to work with US governmental agencies need to adhere to strict standards for cybersecurity. This is especially true for contractors looking to work with the US Department of Defense (DoD). To secure specific contracts, and maintain preferred status, you’ll need to comply with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-171. And to do so, there are several NIST 800 171 compliance tools at your disposal.

For companies looking to contract with the United States Department of Defense (DoD), it’s imperative to make sure your cyberdefenses are up to par. A big part of that is implementing the controls from Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Systems and Organizations (SP 800-171), published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). And understanding the NIST 800 171 controls is the first step toward compliance.

The protection of controlled unclassified information (CUI) in non-federal systems and organizations is as important as the security of the federal government data and information. This is because a threat to CUI in non-federal systems could disrupt the proper running of federal government business. The NIST SP 800 171 Revision 1, also called the NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 1 was created to tackle this issue. To further strengthen the confidentiality of the data in CUI,  the NIST SP 800-171 Revision 2, a revision of the NIST 800-171 Rev. 1, was published in February 2020.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published its first draft of Special Publication (SP) 800-171, Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Systems and Organizations, back in December of 2016. It’s undergone several revisions since then, with the final version of NIST 800-171 Revision 1 published in 2018 (and Rev 2 in 2020).

Any business owner who wants to work with the Department of Defense (DOD) has to ensure their organization is secured against cybercrime. While even large firms can have trouble keeping up with safety rules and regulations, it’s uniquely burdensome for smaller companies with modest IT budgets. That’s why we’ve put together this dedicated NIST CSF and NIST 800 171 implementation guide targeted specifically at small to medium businesses.

Responding to new cybersecurity attacks and breaches The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) passed the NIST small business cybersecurity act in 2018. What the act means for small businesses, is that NIST is required to provide support to small and medium-sized companies in their efforts to prevent cybersecurity breaches and attacks.