Working as a contractor within the Defense Industrial Sector comes with a number of responsibilities and obligations. Maintaining an adequate cybersecurity infrastructure for your firm is at the top of that list. Your relationship with the Department of Defense makes you a target to criminals and rivals of the United States. As such, you must protect the interests of your employees as well as those of the country. Compliance with DFARS is essential to doing so. The question is, what is DFARS compliance and what does it mean for your operations? Answering these questions is critical to keeping your business safe and healthy for years to come.
Simply put, the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement is the legal language that establishes your obligation to protect sensitive information on behalf of the Department of Defense. More specifically, compliance with DFARS refers to your ability to carry out this task effectively.
How Do I Protect Sensitive Information?
Now that you understand what DFARS requires of you, you must understand how to prepare your systems for any threats they can encounter. Fortunately, you do not need to be an expert in Information Technology or Computer Science to get started. DFARS employs a document called NIST 800-171 in order to outline the cybersecurity standards you need to have in place.
NIST 800-171 is a document drafted by the National Institute for Standards and Technology, and it is the most important piece of your compliance with the DFARS. Implementing the protections and procedures detailed in NIST 800-171 will minimize the risk you encounter, and prepare you for the accreditation requirements mandated by CMMC.
CMMC and DFARS
CMMC stands for Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification, and it is the framework that verifies compliance with DFARS according to NIST 800-171. In the same way that DFARS establishes your duty to protect sensitive information, CMMC establishes verification procedures based on your exposure to such information.
In order to remain compliant with DFARS, you need to understand what kinds of sensitive information you handle. Contractors with no exposure to High-Value Assets or Controlled Unclassified Information only need to self-certify the integrity of their systems to remain compliant. Depending on the nature of the information, contractors that only handle CUI will either need to self-assess their systems or verify them with a third-party accreditation service. Finally, contractors with an obligation to protect High-Value Assets will need to have their systems audited by an internal government organization.
DFARS compliance can be summarized in three parts. DFARS is the document that establishes your duty to protect sensitive information. NIST 800-171 is the document that guides you on protecting sensitive information, and CMMC is the framework that verifies your compliance. Once you understand the basics, the next step is evaluating your cybersecurity network to ensure that it is in compliance. Since running a business includes many responsibilities, working with an experienced compliance management service is highly recommended. They have the experience to give you guidance and they will free up your time and resources for other areas of your business.
