By: Robert Huffman, Susan Cassidy, Michael Wagner, Ryan Burnette, and Emma Merrill
This is the seventeenth in a series of Covington blogs on implementation of Executive Order 14028, “Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity,” issued by President Biden on May 12, 2021 (the “Cyber EO”). The first blog summarized the Cyber EO’s key provisions and timelines, and
This is the sixteenth in a series of Covington blogs on implementation of Executive Order 14028, “Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity,” issued by President Biden on May 12, 2021 (the “Cyber EO”). The first blog summarized the Cyber EO’s key provisions and timelines, and the subsequent blogs described the actions taken by various Government agencies to implement the cyber EO from June 2021 through July 2022. This blog describes key actions taken to implement the Cyber EO during August 2022.
Continue Reading August 2022 Developments Under President Biden’s Cybersecurity Executive Order
On September 14, 2022, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) issued a memorandum to the heads of executive branch departments and agencies addressing the enhancement of security of the federal software supply chain. The memorandum applies to all software (other than agency-developed software) developed or experiencing major version changes to be operated “on the agency’s information systems or otherwise affecting the agency’s information,” and requires new self-attestations from software vendors before that software can be used by agencies.
The memorandum is one among many deliverables stemming from Executive Order 14028, “Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity,” issued by President Biden on May 12, 2021 (the “Cyber EO”). We have covered developments under this Executive Order as part of a series of monthly posts, with the first blog summarized the Cyber EO’s key provisions and timelines, and the subsequent blogs described the actions taken by various Government agencies to implement the Cyber EO from June 2021 through August 2022. Key requirements of the memorandum are discussed in more detail below.
This is the fifteenth in a series of Covington blogs on implementation of Executive Order 14028, “Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity,” issued by President Biden on May 12, 2021 (the “Cyber EO”). The first blog summarized the Cyber EO’s key provisions and timelines, and the subsequent blogs described the actions taken by various Government agencies to implement the Cyber EO from June 2021 through June 2022. This blog describes key actions taken to implement the Cyber EO during July 2022.
Continue Reading July 2022 Developments under President Biden’s Cybersecurity Executive Order
This is the fourteenth in a series of Covington blogs on implementation of Executive Order 14028, “Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity,” issued by President Biden on May 12, 2021 (the “Cyber EO”). The first blog summarized the Cyber EO’s key provisions and timelines, and the subsequent blogs described the actions taken by various Government agencies to implement the Cyber EO from June 2021 through May 2022. This blog describes key actions taken to implement the Cyber EO during June 2022.
Continue Reading June 2022 Developments Under President Biden’s Cybersecurity Executive Order
This is the eleventh in a series of Covington blogs on implementation of Executive Order 14028, “Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity,” issued by President Biden on May 12, 2021 (the “Cyber EO”). The first blog summarized the Cyber EO’s key provisions and timelines, and the second through tenth blogs described the actions taken by various Government agencies to implement the EO from June 2021 through February 2022, respectively. This blog summarizes key actions taken to implement the Cyber EO during March 2022. As with steps taken during prior months, the actions described below reflect the implementation of the EO within the Government. However, these activities portend further actions, potentially in or before June 2022, that are likely to impact government contractors, particularly those who provide software products or services to the Government.
Continue Reading March 2022 Developments Under President Biden’s Cybersecurity Executive Order
On March 8, 2022, the Department of Justice announced the first settlement of a case under the Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative. Established in October 2021, the Initiative aims to utilize the government’s authority under the civil False Claims Act to pursue alleged instances of fraud and misrepresentation concerning cyber practices. (We previously wrote about the Initiative here.) The Initiative has been a point of emphasis in DOJ speeches and public comments in recent months. This settlement is a milestone in the rollout of the program and confirmation that DOJ intends to take allegations of cyber fraud seriously.
Continue Reading First Settlement of DOJ Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative
This is the tenth in a series of Covington blogs on implementation of Executive Order 14028, “Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity,” issued by President Biden on May 12, 2021 (the “Cyber EO”). The first blog summarized the Cyber EO’s key provisions and timelines, and the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth blogs described the actions taken by various Government agencies to implement the EO from June 2021 through January 2022, respectively.
This blog summarizes key actions taken to implement the Cyber EO during February 2022. As with steps taken during prior months, the actions described below reflect the implementation of the EO within the Government. However, these activities portend further actions in March 2022 that are likely to impact government contractors, particularly those who provide software products or services to government agencies.
Continue Reading February 2022 Developments Under President Biden’s Cybersecurity Executive Order
On February 4, 2022, the National Institute for Standards and Technology (“NIST”) published its Recommended Criteria for Cybersecurity Labeling of Consumer Software (“Software Labeling Criteria”). NIST also published guidance to federal agencies regarding practices for enhancing software supply chain security when they acquire software (“Supply Chain Security Guidance”). Both the Software Labeling Criteria and the Supply Chain Security Guidance were issued by NIST pursuant to Section 4 of Executive Order 14028, “Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity” (the “Cyber EO”), which was issued by President Biden on May 12, 2021. The Cyber EO and its implementation are the subject of several previous Covington blogs that are available here.
These documents have relevancy to U.S. government contractors and technology companies alike. The Software Labeling Criteria may serve as a model for labeling requirements on software products purchased by consumers, and therefore should be reviewed closely by all software developers and resellers. The Supply Chain Security Guidance will likely have more immediate impacts, as the Cyber EO requires (1) that the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) take “appropriate steps” to require that agencies comply with the Guidance with respect to software purchased after the date of the EO, and (2) that the FAR to be amended to require all agencies to procure software (defined to include firmware, operating systems, applications, and cloud-based services) in accordance with the Guidance.
This is the ninth in a series of Covington blogs on implementation of Executive Order 14028, “Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity,” issued by President Biden on May 12, 2021 (the “Cyber EO”). The first blog summarized the Cyber EO’s key provisions and timelines, and the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth blogs described the actions taken by various government agencies to implement the EO from June through December 2021, respectively.
This blog summarizes key actions taken to implement the Cyber EO during January 2022. As with steps taken during prior months, the actions described below reflect the implementation of the EO within Government. However, these activities portend further actions in February 2022 that are likely to impact government contractors, particularly those who provide software products or services to government agencies.
Continue Reading January 2022 Developments Under President Biden’s Cybersecurity Executive Order