In the event that you have a contract with the department of defense, you will be required to observe the defense federal acquisition regulation supplement clauses that are in the contracts. Before we go through DFARS in details, it is a good idea to know what it is all about; it refers to the set of instructions that are set to govern the federal government in its acquisition of goods and services. Contractors need to ensure that they are observing all the clauses set in the DFARS since if they fail to do so, their contract with the federal government can be terminated. Contractors also need to follow the rules stated in the contract since whey they fail to do so, they may end up losing all their work. When you have a contract with the federal government, you need to beware of the DFARS clauses especially the one that defines cybersecurity standards. In a cyber-security clause, contractors need to implement the requirement identified in the national institute of security and technology special publication 800-171.
Many times, contractors who are in contract with the government tend to come into possession of non-classified information which the government needs to safeguard. Though the unclassified information may seem of less importance to the contractors, protection of such information is vital for national security concerns. When the federal government realizes that a contractor has access to non-classified information, it will ensure that such information is not disclosed so that to protect the person or entity who owns the information.
In the event of noncompliance, the contracting officer is the one responsible for determining the action to be taken. In the event that you are dealing with contracts that involve controlled unclassified information, attestation of compliance is a prerequisite for submitting bids for future DOD contracts. Suppose you are a small contractor who acts as a subcontractor to a prime contractor it is best to let the prime to be vigilant about your compliance.
One of the challenges most small contractors go through involves searching for the best compliance strategy. For instance, one of the rules require the contractor to have adequate security on the covered information systems.
In this section, we will take you through the factors to consider in getting federal government contract. Before you decide to enter into contract with a government, it is best to be sure of the constituents of DFARS compliance. While looking for answers to the questions, contractors need to describe how they have implemented the special publications. Therefore, when you pay attention to the contents of this article, you will understand much about DFARS compliance.