Defense contractors busy preparing to meet cybersecurity deadline

Susan Cassidy is quoted in a Bloomberg Government article regarding contractors' efforts to comply with new cybersecurity standards. According to Cassidy, the mandate that contractors develop cybersecurity plans—the most recent requirement added to the NIST list—is crucial for contractors. Contractors must “develop, document, and periodically update system security plans that describe system boundaries, system environments of operation, how security requirements are implemented, and the relationships with or connections to other systems,” under that NIST rule. There are “gray areas” regarding some of the NIST requirements, despite the issuance of DOD’s guidance on the topic in September, Cassidy adds.