Cybersecurity for Government Contractors—2021 Update

Thomson Reuters Government Contracts Year in Review has published “Cybersecurity for Government Contractors—2021 Updates,” an article co-written by Akin Gump government contracts practice head Michael Vernick.

The article looks at President Joe Biden’s May 12, 2021 Executive Order (EO), “Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity,” which the authors note “seeks to harmonize, enhance, and extend existing cyber and supply chain security requirements across the government while operationalizing several new programs and frameworks to address existing and emerging threats.”

The authors begin by discussing, specifically, within the context of the EO, the topics of critical software, its security and integrity; software supply chain security; software bill of materials, or SBOM; zero trust architecture; and rulemakings by the Federal Acquisition Regulation Council.

The authors also look at updated Department of Defense cybersecurity requirements, the Department of Energy Cybersecurity Capability Maturity Model, developments in the national Controlled Unclassified Information program, the report of the U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission, and the Department of Justice Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative.