DoD Specifies Implementation Requirements For NIST 800-171 Cyber Standard

The Department of Defense (DoD) has released a memorandum establishing the DoD Organization-Defined Parameters (ODPs) for use in National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-171 Revision (Rev) 3. Currently, DoD's cybersecurity regimes require government contractors to comply with NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2. However, the release of this memorandum may indicate DoD's intention to soon incorporate Rev. 3 into DFARS 252.204-7012, Safeguarding Covered Defense Information and Cyber Incident Reporting (DFARS 7012) as well as the forthcoming Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC).

NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3 was released in May 2024. Rev. 3 introduced new controls and control families, increased specificity for certain security requirements, and introduced Organization-Defined Parameters into 800-171. ODPs are "fill-in-the-blanks" to be filled by federal agencies to create tailored requirements for each agency's specific needs.