1. Home
  2. |Insights
  3. |DoD Previews New Third-Party Cyber Certification Requirements

DoD Previews New Third-Party Cyber Certification Requirements

Client Alert | 1 min read | 06.17.19

The Department of Defense is moving closer to a third-party certification to ensure compliance with its standard cybersecurity requirements – what is being called the “Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification” (CMMC). While still in the early stages of development, the CMMC would likely require all contractors subject to DFARS 252.204-7012 to obtain a certification issued by an independent third party stating that the contractor has sufficiently implemented its required cybersecurity controls. Holding this certification would be a “go/no-go” condition to compete for relevant DoD work. Although NIST SP 800-171 is the default cybersecurity standard currently required under -7012, DoD is also exploring the creation of a new standard that would govern the certification. DoD is projecting that the CMMC will start appearing in solicitations as early as Fall 2020, but much work remains to be done – including potential revisions to -7012 – and will no doubt be informed by extensive industry engagement. 

Contacts

Insights

Client Alert | 4 min read | 06.25.26

Twin Executive Orders Seek to Spur Quantum Leap in Technology and Cybersecurity

On June 22, 2026, President Trump signed two executive orders, “Securing the Nation Against Advanced Cryptographic Attacks” (Quantum Security EO) and “Ushering in the Next Frontier of Quantum Innovation” (Quantum Innovation EO), marking the most significant federal action on quantum technology since the Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act of 2022, which directed agencies to harden their information systems against quantum-enabled hacking. The orders seek to speed the development of quantum computers, which are advanced processors that can calculate multiple possibilities simultaneously and thus solve problems exponentially faster than traditional computers. At the same time, the orders look to protect against the danger that quantum technology can “break” traditional encryption by easily decoding it. Of particular note for government contractors, the Quantum Security EO directs agencies to update federal acquisition regulations to require contractors by 2031 to adopt information processing standards that resist quantum-enabled codebreaking....

View All Insights