On August 15, 2024, the Department of Defense (DoD) published a proposed rule to amend the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to incorporate contractual requirements related to the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) 2.0 program rule. The CMMC 2.0 program provides a framework for assessing contractor implementation of cybersecurity requirements and enhancing the protection
Cybersecurity
New EU Cyber Rules: Implementation of NIS2 in the EU Member States
The Network and Information Security 2 Directive (EU) 2022/2555 (“NIS2”) entered into force on 16 January 2023. NIS2 sets cyber rules for organizations whose services are considered essential or important for maintaining critical societal and economic activities, such as ensuring the flow of energy or financial transactions. As a Directive, NIS2 must be transposed into…
White House Releases National Cybersecurity Strategy Implementation Plan, Version 2
On May 7, 2024, the Biden Administration released the second version of the National Cybersecurity Strategy Implementation Plan as well as the first Report on the Cybersecurity Posture of the United States. These actions reflect the Administration’s continued focus on enhancing the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure and software as well as its work to…
US DOD Issues Class Deviation Delaying DFARS Implementation of Upcoming NIST SP 800-171, Revision 3
On May 2, 2024, the Department of Defense (DoD) issued a class deviation to DFARS 252.204-7012, Safeguarding Covered Defense Information and Cyber Incident Reporting.
The deviation relates to contractors’ compliance with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-171, which is currently undergoing a revision. The deviation changes the requirement that contractors…
DOJ and FBI Announce Guidance on Seeking Delays in SEC 8-K Filings for Cyber Incidents
On December 12, 2023, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued guidelines for companies to follow in requesting that the Attorney General authorize delays of cyber incident disclosures required by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) pursuant to Form 8-K Item 1.05.
In July, the SEC finalized a rule (the “Final Rule”), which comes…
CISA and HHS Provide Cyber Toolkit for Healthcare Organizations
On October 25, 2023, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (“CISA”) and the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) released a cybersecurity toolkit containing resources and information that organizations in the healthcare and public health (HPH) sector can utilize to reduce their cyber risk.
NYDFS Releases Amendment to Cybersecurity Regulation
On November 1, 2023, the New York Department of Financial Services (“NYDFS”) finalized the amendment to its cybersecurity regulation (the “Amendment”). The Amendment expands cybersecurity requirements across many areas—from governance to incident response to access controls.
The Amendment follows the three published drafts: two proposals published for formal notice and comment in November 2022 and…
Upcoming Publication of New NYDFS Cybersecurity Requirements for Financial Services Companies
The Second Amendment to the New York Department of Financial Services’ (“NYDFS”) Cybersecurity Requirements for Financial Services Companies (the “NYDFS Requirements”) is expected to be published in final form in the next two weeks. The Second Amendment will follow updated proposed amendments to the NYDFS Requirements published on June 28, 2023 (the “2023 Proposal”),1…
EU Cyber Resilience Act Moves Closer to Adoption
On 13 September 2023, negotiations began between European institutions to adopt the text of the EU Cyber Resilience Act (the “CRA”). If adopted, the CRA will impose a set of software security, cybersecurity, and vulnerability management requirements on products with digital elements (i.e., software or hardware products and their remote data processing solutions) placed on…
Software Security: Recent Policy Actions Highlight Importance of Mitigating Legal Risks
Recent high-profile cyber incidents involving exploitation of software vulnerabilities—such as the SolarWinds and MOVEit incidents—have increased scrutiny of the security of the software upon which corporate and government customers rely. Though phishing and social engineering continue to be leading causes of cyber incidents, there is growing potential legal exposure for companies from security vulnerabilities in…