Upping the Cyber Oversight Ante: DoD Deploys DCMA to Audit Contractor Supply Chain Compliance
Client Alert | 1 min read | 01.28.19
The Defense Department has unveiled plans to audit contractors’ supply chain compliance with the DFARS Safeguarding Clause 252.204-7012. Under the auspices of 252.244-7001, Contractor Purchasing System Administration, Under Secretary of Defense Ellen Lord has directed the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) to review contractors’ purchasing systems with the intent of verifying compliance with the Safeguarding Clause’s flowdown requirements. Notably though, the scope of DCMA’s review appears broader than the Clause’s textual requirements. Specifically, DCMA will review contractor procedures to:
- Ensure that Tier 1 Level Suppliers are receiving properly marked Covered Defense Information (CDI), or instructions on how to do so; and
- “Assess compliance” of Tier 1 Level Suppliers with both the Clause and NIST SP 800-171.
The memorandum is the latest signal from the DoD that it views the Safeguarding Clause’s flowdown requirements as more than a check-the-box exercise and an increasingly important piece of its overall cybersecurity.
Contacts

Partner and Crowell Global Advisors Senior Director
- Washington, D.C.
- D | +1.202.624.2698
- Washington, D.C. (CGA)
- D | +1 202.624.2500
Insights
Client Alert | 7 min read | 10.21.26
Securities Law for Entrepreneurs
Do you want your startup to expand and become a major player in your industry? If so, you will most likely need to seek capital from outside investors to help you build infrastructure and fulfill orders.
Client Alert | 5 min read | 10.01.26
California Establishes First-in-the-Nation Framework for Verifying Independent AI Auditors
Client Alert | 7 min read | 10.01.26
SEC and FDA Formalize Information-Sharing Framework for Public Companies
Client Alert | 12 min read | 09.30.26
From Process to Principles: Federal Regulators Propose a New Third-Party Risk Management Framework
