Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

As of the end of last year, DoD contractors have to start paying attention to CMMC, as the Final Rule for CMMC 2.0 is now in force. While the timelines for full CMMC 2.0 compliance have just started, the full compliance process will inevitably take time. There will be mistakes, gaps, and missed items along the way. The accepted way to handle these gaps is through the use of POA&Ms. What are POA&Ms, how do you use them, and what do you need to know for 2025 and beyond?

Governmental cybersecurity is largely focused on federal government agencies. When we talk about FedRAMP, CMMC, DFARS, and other security standards, it’s almost always with an eye toward the governmental agencies and departments that comprise the federal government and the contractors and suppliers that work with them. For private businesses and non-governmental partners, ISO 27001 provides a great security framework. What about the middle ground, though?

Government cybersecurity and information security frameworks are a constant work in progress. Many different frameworks draw their requirements from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and one of the most important documents for cybersecurity is NIST Special Publication 800-171: Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Systems and Organizations.

Every year that goes by shows an improvement in technology, often by leaps and bounds over previous technology. What used to be the realm of far-off science fiction so unbelievably exotic that it defined genres is now a commonplace reality. With new technology comes new threats. We’ve seen a dramatic increase in digital threats, from the SolarWinds supply line attack, to the compromised Outlook services, to the currently-ongoing Salt Typhoon attack on telecom companies.