The DFARS Compliance is Mandatory for the Contractors

The Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) has been issued by the US Department of Commerce for the security of the Department of Defense (DoD). The federal contractors and subcontractors are required to fulfill the DFARS compliance for acquiring the federal contracts. The US Department of Commerce has taken this step due to increased risks of important data loss due to cyber attacks and hacking. All external contractors and subcontractors must have to be DFARS compliant for getting the DoD contracts. The NIST SP 800 – 171 guidelines are issued and the organization need to pass a readiness assessment according to these guidelines.

How to achieve DFARS Compliance

The DFARS Compliance is a steady process and the requirements are achieved in a stepwise manner. According to current analysis, an organization requires 9-10 months for the achievement of the DFARS Compliance. If the organization have already taken some security measures and they already have enough resources then they can become DFARS compliant in quick time. The DFARS compliance can be achieved with shear planning and management. The organizations must have to take it as a major project for staying long in the field of DoD contracts. They need to set funds for the becoming DFARS compliant. The DFARS service providers can provide you consultancy and technical services. If the companies hire them then they can save a lot of time.

Steps to Achieve DFARS Compliance

I already mentioned that the DFARS compliance can be achieved in a stepwise manner. The companies need to make a plan of action and reserve funds for the DFARS compliance project. Here are the key steps to achieve the DFARS compliance: -

  • The Organizations Need to Calculate the Applicability
  • They need to Build A Remedial Plan to Protect Themselves Against Non-Compliance
  • They need to Implement the Remedial Plan
  • They need to Monitor the Security Continuously

If a company or organization achieve these four key steps then it can surely achieve the DFARS compliance. It is mandatory for the organizations to comply with the DFARS and NIST SP 800 – 171 for getting the federal contracts under the Department of Defense.

Conclusion

The organizations need to make a firm plan for the protection of the covered unclassified data (CUI). The DoD has issued the NIST SP 800 – 171 guidelines for the organizations. The plan should be made on the base of those guidelines. It is a stepwise process to become DFARS compliant. The companies need to allocate funds for the compliance. They can also hire the consultants and experienced service providers for getting it done in a quick time. It is mandatory for the organizations to achieve the DFARS compliance for acquiring the federal contracts.