How to Meet NIST SP 800-171 Compliance with Confidence:
The author will be writing a monthly article throughout 2019 on Cybersecurity across various market segments. Be sure to watch for it to see how your business may benefit from this important information. Good reading and see you next month.
Cyber security, defined as protecting information and systems from major cyber threats, has emerged as an essential need for all companies across all sectors of industry, regardless of size, who choose to do business with the government. NIST SP 800-171, a key component of cyber security, is explicitly designed to protect unclassified information outside the government.
Whether you are a new or an established business, the playing field for government contracts has changed. Companies not in compliance with NIST SP 800-171 can lose existing contracts and the prospect of new contracts. Compliance is not optional; it is a requirement that must be satisfied to work with the government.
For many businesses, meeting NIST SP 800-171 can seem out of reach. The cost of hiring IT experts to overhaul or implement an IT structure within a company can be overwhelming. Additionally, considerable time must be spent establishing and executing compliance polices; adding even more cost for the company in lost time and manpower.
So, where does one begin? Hawk Technologies, LLC (Hawk), a woman-owned business located in Houghton, MI, delivers a sensible, cost-effective solution, providing the experience and the resources necessary to assist companies in satisfying the government requisite. Hawk addresses these concerns by assessing the size and complexity of the compliance project, utilizing the company’s existing procedures, and building the solution from there.
Dorothy Ruohonen, owner and President, commented on why Hawk, a 30-year mechanical CAD services and R&D company, decided to specifically offer this compliance service. “Hawk needed to comply with this regulation in order to satisfy customer requirements. We were fortunate to find a local professional who could assess the scope of the project and offer guidance on how to proceed. Once we completed the requirement, we realized that there is a market for this service. Many upper Midwest companies quietly perform government contract work. For them, non-compliance poses a real threat to their current and future business plans. Offering this service provides businesses with a tangible solution from a local company that they know and trust.”
Hawk has acquired the professional who fulfilled their NIST SP 800-171 requirement to run their new compliance division. Because Hawk had the vision to provide this essential service, NIST SP 800-171 compliance is within reach for any upper Midwest business doing government work, regardless of their size and their role within the supply chain.
A. Elisabeth Tolsdorf is author of this article and the Director of NIST SP 800-171 Compliance for Hawk Technologies, a woman-owned firm located in Houghton, Michigan. Hawk is the Upper Midwest’s primary source for NIST SP 800-171 Compliance services. Additional information about NIST SP 800-171 and Hawk’s CAD services capabilities can be found at www.hawktechinc.com.