White House issues cyber guidance for federal contractors

The White House this week issued minimum cybersecurity guidelines for any contractors working with the government to meet in order to improve overall safeguards for information contained on government networks.

In an effort to display transparency, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) circulated the proposed guidelines, seeking comment from interested parties. Safeguarding federal networks has become a significant topic in recent months for Congress.

“The threats facing federal information systems have dramatically increased as agencies provide more services online, digitally store data, and rely on contractors for a variety of information technology (IT) services. The Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 (FISMA), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) policy, and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards and guidelines provide agencies with a framework for securing their information,” noted the OMB in its proposal. “This information can be on government information systems, contractor information systems, and contractor information systems that are part of an IT service operated on behalf of the federal government. The increase in threats facing federal information systems demand that certain issues regarding security of information on these systems should be clearly, effectively, and consistently addressed in federal contracts.”

The guidance tasks federal agencies with performing “better due diligence” to ensure safety through the period of outsourcing any work or systems to contractors. Agencies are instructed to use the cybersecurity framework developed by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), as well as technology to provide continuous monitoring of cyber threats.