Non-compliance with NIST 800-171 for government contractors can mean contract termination, criminal fraud or breach of contract. If your sub-contract work and the third-party isn’t compliant, you’re also liable. The Dec. 31, 2017, deadline is approaching to comply with NIST 800-171 as mandated in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS).

It’s been more than a year since the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) breach that exposed the personal information of millions of U.S. Federal workers. You’ve probably seen the news – the breach exposed personal information from a jaw-dropping 22 million people including finger prints, social security numbers and other private information. Victims included current and former Federal employees, retirees, contractors and others who had undergone Federal background checks. It brought to light the need for extreme vigilance in today’s cyber world.

As Washington, D.C. battles a hazy, hot, and humid summer, it also continues to battle a more complex threat – cyber attacks. The public sector is leading a data breach shake down as organizations and agencies look to stop hackers from exposing the United States’ most secure and sensitive data.

Cyber security breaches have exposed millions of private records over the last few years – 87 million to be exact – and it’s clear that hackers are not letting up. Federal, state and local agencies face a constant barrage of cyber attacks by organized crime, hacktivists and state-sponsored agents. To fight these threats, agencies need to update their patches and defenses, but budgets are tight and it’s challenging to retain qualified security professionals.