PSC Comments on Department of Defense Draft Cybersecurity Framework

Arlington, Va. (Sept. 30, 2019) — The Professional Services Council (PSC) provided its initial feedback to the Department of Defense (DoD) on issues and concerns for the contractor community with regard to the DoD draft Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) framework. 

“PSC supports DoD’s efforts to create a unified cybersecurity standard based on ‘best practices’ to secure the industrial base. However, PSC has some concerns, recommendations, and questions regarding CMMC and the implementation process,” said PSC Executive Vice President and Counsel Alan Chvotkin in the Sept. 25 letter. “Our initial review of the CMMC framework raises eight key issues and themes that we believe DoD needs to address prior to implementation to ensure clarity, fairness and competition in the standard.”

A draft of the CMMC framework was released by DoD on Sept. 5. When finalized, the framework will require all companies doing business with DoD to obtain third-party certification that their company and their supply chains meet certain DoD-established cybersecurity standards. This new policy is expected to impact roughly 300,000 companies who provide goods and services to the Department, and the certifications are expected to be required for responses to DoD solicitations by the end of the 2020 federal fiscal year. 

“PSC and our member companies welcome DoD’s high level of engagement and coordination with industry on the model, and we hope this collaboration will continue as the Department implements this,” said PSC President and CEO David Berteau. “This is a very big undertaking, so DoD and industry must continue to work together to get this right.”

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Media Contact: 
Ashlei Stevens
Director, Media Relations
703.875.8974|stevens@pscouncil.org 
About PSC: PSC is the voice of the government technology and professional services industry. PSC’s more than 400 member companies represent small, medium and large businesses that provide federal agencies with services of all kinds, including information technology, engineering, logistics, facilities management, operations and maintenance, consulting, international development, scientific, social, environmental services, and more. Together, the trade association’s members employ hundreds of thousands of Americans in all 50 states. Follow PSC on Twitter @PSCSpeaks. To learn more, visit www.pscouncil.org.