A curated directory of agencies, organizations, frameworks, and references that govern compliance for DoD contractors, federal agencies, SLED organizations, and the broader regulated economy. Each entry includes a description of the organization's role, the compliance frameworks it touches, and a direct path to engage Cleared Systems for tailored support.
Authoritative DoD agencies, programs, and accreditation bodies relevant to defense contractors and the Defense Industrial Base (DIB).
The principal staff assistant and senior advisor to the Secretary of Defense for information management, information technology, cybersecurity, and information assurance. The DoD CIO publishes the policies and standards that DoD contractors must implement, including the foundational guidance documents that became DFARS 252.204-7012 and the CMMC program. For contractors handling Controlled Unclassified Information, the DoD CIO is the ultimate source of compliance direction.
The sole authorized accreditation body for the CMMC ecosystem. Cyber-AB accredits the C3PAOs (Certified Third-Party Assessment Organizations) that conduct CMMC Level 2 assessments, certifies CMMC Assessors and Instructors, and maintains the marketplace of approved CMMC service providers. Defense contractors pursuing CMMC certification engage assessors through this body, and the marketplace is the authoritative source for verified CMMC professionals.
The DoD security agency responsible for industrial security oversight under the National Industrial Security Program (NISP), personnel security clearance investigations, and counterintelligence support. DCSA administers the NISPOM (National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual) requirements that cleared defense contractors must follow, conducts facility security audits, and operates the Defense Information System for Security (DISS).
Within the State Department, DDTC administers the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) — the controls on defense articles, defense services, and related technical data on the U.S. Munitions List. DDTC handles ITAR registration, licensing, commodity jurisdiction determinations, and enforcement. Any organization that manufactures, exports, brokers, or temporarily imports defense articles must register with DDTC.
Within the Commerce Department, BIS administers the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) governing dual-use goods, software, and technology on the Commerce Control List. BIS issues export licenses, maintains the Entity List of restricted parties, and enforces deemed export rules. Contractors handling commercial technology with potential military application or working with foreign nationals must understand BIS classifications and licensing.
The DoD agency responsible for ensuring contract performance, including pre-award surveys, post-award contract administration, and quality assurance for defense contracts. DCMA conducts the DIBCAC (Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Assessment Center) high assessments that score contractors against NIST 800-171 controls and post results to the Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS).
A federal cyber center that supports DoD criminal and counterintelligence investigations, document and media exploitation, and cyber technical training. DC3 operates the DoD Defense Industrial Base Collaborative Information Sharing Environment (DCISE) — the gateway through which cleared defense contractors voluntarily share cyber threat indicators with DoD and receive curated threat intelligence in return.
The combat support agency that provides command and control capabilities and a globally accessible enterprise information infrastructure for DoD. DISA publishes the Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) and Security Requirements Guides (SRGs) that define configuration baselines for systems and applications used in DoD environments. STIG compliance is frequently a contractual requirement on defense IT contracts.
The corporate university for the DoD acquisition workforce, offering training and reference materials covering acquisition policy, contracting, cost estimating, program management, and cybersecurity acquisition requirements. DAU resources are useful for defense contractors who need to understand how the government buys what they sell — including the cybersecurity clauses that appear in DoD contract solicitations.
The official DoD-sponsored portal supporting acquisition professionals and industry partners on cybersecurity contract requirements, including the NIST 800-171 self-assessment methodology, SPRS scoring guidance, and System Security Plan templates. The Procurement Toolbox is the practical day-to-day reference for contractors working through DFARS 7012 implementation.
Federal agencies and programs that establish cybersecurity, privacy, and compliance requirements for federal contractors and information systems.
The hub for NIST cybersecurity publications, including the Special Publication (SP) 800-series that defines the federal information security baseline. NIST SP 800-171 governs protection of CUI in nonfederal systems; SP 800-53 provides the control catalog for federal systems; and the Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) provides voluntary risk management guidance. Every U.S. compliance program traces back to NIST publications.
The operational lead for federal cybersecurity and the national coordinator for critical infrastructure security. CISA publishes binding operational directives, vulnerability disclosure guidance, the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, and incident response resources. Federal contractors and critical infrastructure operators rely on CISA alerts, secure-by-design guidance, and the StopRansomware.gov resource hub.
The government-wide program that standardizes security assessment and authorization for cloud products and services used by federal agencies. FedRAMP defines Low, Moderate, and High baselines (derived from NIST SP 800-53), maintains the FedRAMP Marketplace of authorized cloud offerings, and operates the Joint Authorization Board. Cloud service providers selling to federal agencies must obtain FedRAMP authorization.
The Executive Agent for the Controlled Unclassified Information program. The CUI Registry maintained by NARA defines every category and subcategory of CUI across the federal government, the laws and policies that authorize each category, and the marking and handling requirements. Any organization processing CUI must understand the categories that apply to their data.
GSA establishes acquisition policy and operates the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) including the Multiple Award Schedules. GSA also publishes IT acquisition guidance, leads the FedRAMP program management office, and maintains SAM.gov where contractors register and bid on federal opportunities. Many compliance requirements first appear as solicitation clauses on GSA-administered vehicles.
OMB issues federal cybersecurity policy through Memoranda (M-22-09 zero trust, M-21-31 logging, M-22-18 software supply chain) that flow down to federal agencies and their contractors. OMB Circular A-130 governs federal information resource management. Compliance programs serving federal agencies must track OMB memoranda — they often introduce new requirements years before NIST publishes implementation guidance.
OCR enforces the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules that govern how healthcare providers, health plans, and their business associates protect electronic protected health information (ePHI). OCR publishes guidance, audit protocols, and breach reports. Federal contractors supporting healthcare-adjacent agencies (VA, IHS, CMS) must understand HIPAA in addition to federal cybersecurity baselines.
The FBI portal for reporting cyber incidents and crimes. IC3 publishes the annual Internet Crime Report with trends in business email compromise, ransomware, investment fraud, and data breaches affecting federal contractors and the broader economy. Federal contractors with reportable cyber incidents under DFARS 7012 should also coordinate with FBI through IC3 or local field offices.
The FCC regulates communications infrastructure including telecommunications, wireless, broadcasting, and emerging technologies. FCC cybersecurity rules cover Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement (CALEA), supply-chain security (Covered List banning specified foreign equipment), and emerging requirements for cyber labeling of consumer IoT devices. Federal contractors selling communications technology face FCC equipment authorization and security requirements.
The official source for the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS). DFARS 252.204-7012 (Safeguarding Covered Defense Information), 252.204-7019/7020 (NIST SP 800-171 DoD Assessment), and 252.204-7021 (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) are the operative cybersecurity clauses for DoD contractors and are the legal basis for CMMC enforcement.
Organizations and programs serving state CIOs/CISOs, local governments, K-12 districts, and higher education institutions.
Operated by the Center for Internet Security under cooperative agreement with CISA, MS-ISAC is the focal point for cyber threat prevention, protection, response, and recovery for U.S. State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) governments. MS-ISAC provides 24/7 SOC services, malicious-code analysis, the Albert sensor network, and NCSR (Nationwide Cybersecurity Review) self-assessment tool used by thousands of SLTT organizations.
A nonprofit standards body that brings the FedRAMP-style assessment-and-authorization model to state and local government cloud procurement. StateRAMP defines security baselines tied to NIST SP 800-53, operates a Product Authorization Management process, and maintains an authorized vendor marketplace. Cloud providers selling to state and local agencies are increasingly required to obtain StateRAMP authorization.
The premier association representing state CIOs, with cybersecurity policy as its top member priority for over a decade. NASCIO publishes the annual State CIO Survey, the Deloitte-NASCIO Cybersecurity Study, and policy positions on issues such as whole-of-state cybersecurity and federal grant alignment. Vendors selling to state governments use NASCIO research to understand state CIO priorities.
The higher education IT association, with active cybersecurity working groups, the annual EDUCAUSE Top 10 IT Issues, and the Higher Education Information Security Council (HEISC). EDUCAUSE resources address the unique compliance landscape of higher education: FERPA, GLBA Safeguards Rule, research security (NSPM-33), HIPAA for academic medical centers, and CMMC for university research programs.
The threat intelligence sharing organization for higher education and research. REN-ISAC operates a 24/7 watch desk, peer-reviewed indicator feeds, and coordinates incident response across the research and education community. Universities subject to research security requirements (NSPM-33, CMMC for DoD-funded research) frequently engage REN-ISAC as a primary threat intelligence source.
The FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division operates national crime databases (NCIC, IAFIS, NICS) and publishes the CJIS Security Policy that governs handling of Criminal Justice Information by state, local, and tribal law enforcement and their service providers. The CJIS Security Policy mandates specific encryption, personnel screening, advanced authentication, and physical security requirements for any system touching CJI.
The Department of Education resource for K-12 and higher education on student privacy, particularly the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA). PTAC publishes guidance on data sharing agreements, online educational services, transparency, and security practices for student information systems.
The national organization representing county governments. NACo publishes the County Cyber Action Toolkit, advocates for federal cybersecurity grant funding for counties (including the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program), and coordinates cyber-incident response peer support. Vendors and consultants serving county governments use NACo resources to understand the unique cyber-resource constraints facing the 3,000+ U.S. counties.
The prioritized set of cybersecurity actions, currently in version 8.1, developed by the Center for Internet Security. The CIS Controls map to NIST CSF, NIST 800-53, ISO 27001, and PCI DSS, providing a practical implementation path for organizations starting from scratch. The CIS Controls are commonly required by state cyber programs and appear as a baseline expectation in many SLED RFPs.
A $1 billion federal grant program (FY22-FY25) administered jointly by FEMA and CISA, providing funding to state and local governments to address cybersecurity risks and threats to information systems. The program requires states to develop Cybersecurity Plans and pass through 80% of funding to local governments. SLED vendors should understand SLCGP eligible activities and reporting requirements when responding to grant-funded RFPs.
Professional associations, certification bodies, and standards organizations that shape compliance practice across industries.
The professional association for IT audit, governance, risk, and security professionals. ISACA publishes COBIT (the leading IT governance framework) and credentials a global workforce through CISA, CISM, CRISC, and CGEIT certifications. ISACA frameworks are widely referenced in compliance assessments and provide a vocabulary for IT control objectives that auditors recognize across industries and regulatory regimes.
The professional body that credentials cybersecurity practitioners through CISSP, CCSP, CSSLP, and other certifications. (ISC)² certifications are commonly required by federal cybersecurity job postings (per DoD 8570.01-M and the successor 8140 manual) and frequently appear as personnel qualifications in compliance contracts. The (ISC)² Common Body of Knowledge defines the practitioner skill set across cybersecurity domains.
The technology trade association whose certifications (Security+, CySA+, CASP+, PenTest+) are mapped to U.S. Department of Defense personnel qualification requirements under DoD 8140 and to NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework roles. CompTIA also operates the CompTIA Cybersecurity Trustmark and is active in advocacy on cybersecurity workforce policy.
The international standards body that publishes ISO/IEC 27001 (information security management systems), ISO/IEC 27017 and 27018 (cloud security and privacy), ISO/IEC 27701 (privacy information management), and ISO 9001 (quality management). ISO 27001 certification is increasingly required by enterprise customers and is a common alternative or complement to SOC 2 for organizations selling into multinational markets.
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, which publishes the SSAE 18 / SOC 2 framework that defines how independent CPA firms attest to a service organization controls relevant to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. SOC 2 reports are commonly required by enterprise customers, particularly for cloud and SaaS vendors, as evidence of security program effectiveness.
A research and education organization in information security, operating the GIAC certification family (GSEC, GCIH, GPEN, GCIA, GREM, etc.) widely accepted in DoD 8140 personnel qualification matrices. SANS publishes the Internet Storm Center, threat intelligence, and a substantial body of free reference materials on incident response, secure development, and detection engineering used by compliance and security teams.
A nonprofit organization that publishes the Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM), the Consensus Assessments Initiative Questionnaire (CAIQ), and the STAR Registry of cloud provider security disclosures. CSA frameworks are used in cloud procurement assessments and are referenced in StateRAMP, FedRAMP, and many enterprise cloud risk programs as a recognized control mapping for cloud security.
The Open Worldwide Application Security Project, publisher of the OWASP Top 10 (the de facto industry list of the most critical web application security risks), the Application Security Verification Standard (ASVS), and many open-source security tools. OWASP references are frequently embedded in software supply chain attestation requirements (NIST SSDF, OMB M-22-18) and secure coding training mandates.
A nonprofit association of information security professionals, with local chapters and special interest groups across financial services, healthcare, women in security, and other communities. ISSA publishes the ISSA Journal and operates the ISSA Cyber Security Career Lifecycle (CSCL) framework. ISSA chapter events are often a useful local pulse on regional cybersecurity hiring and compliance trends.
The standards body that maintains the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), which governs how organizations that store, process, or transmit cardholder data must protect that information. PCI DSS v4.0 is the current standard. While not a federal regulation, PCI DSS compliance is contractually required by every major card brand and intersects with many federal contractors who handle credit card payments.
Direct references to the foundational frameworks, regulations, and publication sources that govern compliance programs.
The federal standard for protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in nonfederal systems and organizations. NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3 defines 110+ security requirements across 17 control families. Compliance with 800-171 is the foundation of DFARS 252.204-7012 and CMMC Level 2; it is also referenced by federal civilian agencies and increasingly by state governments for protecting sensitive contractor information.
The control catalog used to protect federal information systems and the basis for FedRAMP, StateRAMP, and many state cybersecurity programs. NIST 800-53 Rev. 5 contains over 1,000 controls across 20 control families, with control selection driven by FIPS 199 categorization and tailoring guidance in NIST 800-53B baselines.
The voluntary framework for managing cybersecurity risk, organized around six functions: Govern, Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. CSF 2.0 (released 2024) added the Govern function and expanded applicability beyond critical infrastructure to all organizations. CSF profiles map to NIST 800-53, CIS Controls, ISO 27001, and other frameworks, making it useful for organizations bridging multiple compliance regimes.
The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program for DoD contractors. The CMMC 2.0 final rule (32 CFR Part 170) establishes three certification levels: Level 1 (Federal Contract Information) based on FAR 52.204-21, Level 2 (Controlled Unclassified Information) based on NIST 800-171, and Level 3 (advanced threats) based on selected NIST 800-172 controls. CMMC will be phased into DoD contracts on a rolling basis.
Title 22 CFR Parts 120-130, the regulations administered by the State Department DDTC controlling defense articles, defense services, and related technical data on the U.S. Munitions List. ITAR establishes registration requirements for manufacturers and exporters, license requirements for exports and reexports, brokering rules, and criminal penalties for violations. ITAR compliance programs intersect with cybersecurity through technical data protection and deemed export rules.
Title 15 CFR Parts 730-774, the regulations administered by Commerce BIS controlling dual-use commercial goods, software, and technology on the Commerce Control List. The EAR governs exports, reexports, and transfers (in-country) including release of technology to foreign nationals (deemed exports). EAR controls are increasingly relevant to commercial technology companies whose products have potential military or proliferation applications.
The DoD contract clause that requires contractors processing Covered Defense Information (a category of CUI) to implement NIST SP 800-171, report cyber incidents within 72 hours through the DIBNet portal, preserve forensic evidence, and flow the clause to subcontractors. DFARS 7012 is the legal basis for cybersecurity requirements on every covered DoD contract and the foundation of DoD CIO Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification.
The international standard for information security management systems (ISMS). ISO 27001:2022 specifies requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an ISMS, with 93 controls organized in Annex A across organizational, people, physical, and technological themes. ISO 27001 certification is widely recognized internationally and frequently required by enterprise procurement.
The FedRAMP-tailored versions of NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5, defining the specific control selection and parameters required at Low, Moderate, and High impact levels for cloud services authorized for federal use. FedRAMP baselines extend beyond raw 800-53 with implementation guidance, parameter values, and continuous monitoring requirements that cloud service providers must satisfy to maintain authorization.
Title 45 CFR Part 164 Subpart C, the regulation governing protection of electronic protected health information by covered entities and business associates. The HIPAA Security Rule defines administrative, physical, and technical safeguards, with required and addressable implementation specifications. HIPAA crosswalks to NIST 800-66 implementation guidance and NIST 800-53 controls used by federal healthcare contractors.
Cleared Systems delivers compliance services across CMMC, NIST 800-171, DFARS, ITAR, CUI, FedRAMP, and HIPAA frameworks for DoD contractors, federal agencies, and SLED organizations.
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