The deadline for implementation of the National Institute of Standards and Technology ("NIST") special publication ("SP") 800-171 was December 31, 2017. Olga Torres, Managing Member of Torres Law, was recently interviewed by Inside Defense regarding compliance with the NIST SP 800-171 requirements. Even though Department of Defense ("DoD") softened the compliance deadline requirements, Ms. Torres warns that, in recent months, contractors and subcontractors have begun to receive letters from their business partners asking them to certify their compliance with NIST SP 800-171. It seems contractors will monitor and perhaps even reject business partners who are not fully compliant with NIST 800-171. Lastly, Ms. Torres notes that it is possible the government will implement a deadline for full compliance in the future, so companies should ensure they are compliant or working towards ensuring compliance.
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