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DFARS and NIST 800-171 are you Compliant?

DFARS and NIST 800-171 are you Compliant?

 What is NIST 800-171?

The Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 252.204.7012 establishes NIST 800-171 as the minimum security standard a contractor should have to adequately protect Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). This publication was issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).  NIST 800-171 provides guidance for the protection of CUI when processed, stored and used in non-federal information systems.

Is my company affected by NIST 800-171 Guidelines?

Businesses that have contractual relationships with the federal government are now required to comply with NIST 800-171.  Subcontractors that don’t work directly with federal government agencies must comply because they do so indirectly.  NIST SP 800-171 requirements apply to all components of nonfederal information systems and organizations that process, store, or transmit CUI, or provide security protection for such components.  NIST 800-171 impacts a range of service providers, including state and local governments, nonprofits, materials vendors, and systems integrators.

What's at stake with NIST 800-171?

Three consequences of non-compliance are certain:

  • The federal government will terminate contracts over NIST 800-171 non-compliance since it constitutes a failure to uphold contract requirements.
  • A company stating that it is compliant when it is not would be engaging in criminal fraud.
  • Failing to comply can also constitute breach of contract, for not maintaining a specific code of conduct.

What are the 800-171 requirements?

There are 14 categories of security requirements that must be met. Each category has a unique set of policy tests that affected programs must meet.

  1. Access Control
  2. Audit and Accountability
  3. Awareness and Training
  4. Configuration Management
  5. Identification and Authentication
  6. Incident Response
  7. Maintenance
  8. Media Protection
  9. Physical Protection
  10. Personnel Security
  11. Risk Assessment
  12. Security Assessment
  13. System and Communications Protection
  14. System and Information Integrity

How to Comply with the NIST 800-171

The easiest route to determining your compliance status is an assessment by an outside third party. If you are unsure how NIST 800-171 affects your business or don't know where to start with NIST 800-171 compliance, it is strongly advisable to seek advice from compliance experts.

Beringer Technology Group is always here to provide expert knowledge on topics like these. Contact us today for any questions you may have.

Beringer Technology Group, a leading Microsoft Gold Certified Partner specializing in Microsoft Dynamics 365 and CRM for Distribution. We also provide expert Managed IT ServicesBackup and Disaster RecoveryCloud Based Computing and Unified Communication Solutions.


theProfessor

theProfessor

Rob is the CTO of Beringer Technology Group, and focuses his efforts on software development, cloud engineering, team mentoring and strategic technical direction. Rob has worked with Beringer since 2005, and has influenced every department from Development, Security, Implementation, Support and Sales. Rob graduated with his MBA from Rowan University in 2012, earned his Bachelors of Computer Science in 1997, and is current with several Microsoft technical certifications. Rob is very active, and loves to mountain bike, weight train, cook and hike with his dog pack.