1. Home
  2. |Insights
  3. |Forget The Showers. April Brings Flurry of New Cyber Guidance.

Forget The Showers. April Brings Flurry of New Cyber Guidance.

Client Alert | 1 min read | 05.01.18

April has marked a busy month for those following the DoD’s approach to contractor cybersecurity. Earlier in the month, the DoD published a much-anticipated revision to their Frequently Asked Questions regarding DFARS 252.204-7012 and other cybersecurity requirements, reflecting feedback on various questions posed by industry over the past year and including new information regarding:

  • COTS and commercial items
  • Scope of covered defense information
  • Conflicts with foreign laws
  • Subcontractor flowdowns
  • System security plans (SSPs) and plans of action & milestones (POAMs)
  • Requirements for FIPS-validation, multifactor authentication, and marking
  • Cybersecurity requirements beyond NIST SP 800-171
  • Cloud service providers
  • Examples of cyber incidents
  • Guidance for small businesses
  • DCMA oversight

Then just weeks later, the DoD issued proposed guidance for evaluating contractor cybersecurity, including implementation of NIST SP 800-171. Importantly, contractors may comment on the draft guidance through May 31 – and would be well-served to familiarize themselves with the new FAQs before doing so.


Contacts

Insights

Client Alert | 3 min read | 07.10.26

Federal Circuit Clarifies Application of Blue & Gold: Proposal Submission Deadline, Not Award, is the Operative Time for Filing

In Utech, Inc. v. United States, No. 24-1586 (Fed. Cir. June 24, 2026), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit clarified that in most cases, a pre-award protest must be filed before the proposal submission deadline to avoid the Blue & Gold waiver rule.  This decision, while nonprecedential, is in line with U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) precedent, which has long held that pre-award protests must be filed before the proposal submission deadline....

View All Insights