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Government contractor cybersecurity, explained clearly and implemented practically.

Plain-language guidance on the cybersecurity requirements that attach to federal contracts — FAR 52.204-21, DFARS 252.204-7012, CMMC, CUI, NIST SP 800-171, FedRAMP, incident reporting, and the clauses that turn cybersecurity into procurement risk.

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Federal Requirements Cybersecurity Frameworks Protected Information State & Local Enforcement Research Library

Start Here: The Baseline You Already Owe

Before any FAR or DFARS clause applies, federal and state law already requires your business to secure data and report breaches — the FTC Act, all-50-state breach laws, and rules like GLBA and HIPAA. The contractor requirements build on top of that legal baseline. Make sure you meet it first.

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Recent Developments

August 2026Case Law

Penn State's $1.25M Settlement: When the POA&M Dates You Promised Become the Fraud You Pay For

Penn State agreed to pay $1.25 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations across fifteen DoD and NASA contracts — but the core theory was not a false cybersecurity score. It was allegedly false POA&M milestone dates: promising when gaps would be fixed and then not doing the work. Here is why an unworked plan of action, and an unvetted cloud, are each independent FCA exposure.

August 2026Case Law

A Machine Shop, a $421K Settlement, and Proof That Cyber Rules Reach the Supply Chain's Bottom Rung

A precision machine shop that never held a direct DoD contract paid $421,234 to resolve cyber-fraud allegations over technical drawings it supplied to defense primes. The Swiss Automation settlement is the clearest recent proof that NIST 800-171 cybersecurity flowdown reaches the bottom of the supply chain.

August 2026Case Law

The Georgia Tech Case Ends at $875K: How a 'Fictitious' Network Resolved a Landmark Cyber-Fraud Fight

Georgia Tech Research Corporation will pay $875,000 to resolve one of the few litigated Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative cases — built on missing anti-malware, no system security plan, and a false campus-wide score of 98 premised on a "fictitious" network. Here's how the landmark fight ended and what it means for contractor self-assessments.

July 2026Analysis

Selling Cyber Services You're Not Cleared to Sell: The GSA Schedule Scope Trap

Most cyber-fraud enforcement is a failed-NIST-800-171 story. There is a second False Claims Act vector: billing the government for cybersecurity services you were never qualified or authorized to sell. The $14.75M Hill ASC settlement shows how GSA Schedule scope becomes a compliance control.

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Not Sure Where to Start?

GovConCyber is a free legal reference — not a law firm. We cover the federal cybersecurity rules that apply to government contractors: what they require, who they apply to, and what you need to do. Start here if you're new to the site.

Find My Requirements

Answer a few questions about your contract type and data to get a plain-language summary of your obligations.

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New to Cyber Compliance?

Start with the fundamentals: what the key frameworks are, why they exist, and how they affect your contracts.

Read the basics →

Look Up a Term

Plain-language definitions for CUI, CMMC, DFARS, FedRAMP, and many other key terms.

Browse the glossary →

Research

Original, source-anchored analysis on the harder questions — where requirements, contracts, data-handling, and enforcement intersect.

Cybersecurity Requirements Beyond CMMC

The obligations that reach contractors outside the CMMC conversation — the FAR baseline, civilian-agency clauses, cloud, incident reporting, and enforcement.

Protected Information in Practice

How to identify, mark, handle, and flow down the categories of information federal contracts protect — CUI and beyond.

The Requirements Map →CMMC Phase-In Tracker →CIRCIA Watch →All Research →

Browse the Reference Library

Federal Requirements

FAR, DFARS, frameworks, and agency-specific rules

State Requirements

State-level cyber laws affecting government contractors

Industries

Sector-specific obligations: defense, healthcare, finance, and more

Compliance Resources

Requirement triage, roadmaps, educational self-checks, and reference aids for planning compliance work.

Research

Original analysis — beyond CMMC, protected information, maps and trackers

Enforcement

Actions, penalties, and False Claims Act case law

Learn

Cybersecurity 101 and a plain-language glossary

Work with GovConCyber

Bring the analysis to your team or audience

GovConCyber is a free reference first. When you need that analysis applied — explained to a room, or mapped to your actual contracts — these are the ways to go further.

Speaking

Plain-language sessions on CMMC, CUI, and the requirements beyond CMMC — for conferences, bar associations, APEX Accelerator programs, and internal briefings.

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Advisory

The Compliance Roadmap Assessment™ — a structured readiness review that maps which requirements apply to your contracts and what to prioritize. Not a CMMC assessment or legal advice.

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