DoD Seeks Changes to Acquisition Rules to Reduce #Cyberespionage

Big-time hacks against major defense contractors have been all over the news lately, raising fears of cyberespionage by China or Russia.  Part of the problem may be that the Pentagon's Defense Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) doesn't contain data security requirements for defense contractors that handle unclassified DoD information.  This omission has caused concerns that foreign governments could obtain sensitive defense information by hacking into defense contractors.  Last year, the Defense Department took the first steps toward addressing this by issuing an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on changes that would add cybersecurity requirements.  And last month, DoD took the next step, publishing proposed amendments to the DFARS that would impose minimum cybersecurity requirements on government contractors for unclassified DoD information and require reporting of certain cyber incidents.  Comments are due by August 29, 2011.

Article source: Steptoe & Johnson LLP

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