On September 10, 2025, the final rule to implement the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (“CMMC”) program in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (“DFARS”) was published with an effective date of November 10, 2025 (i.e., 60 days after publication). This is the trigger for the new CMMC clause to start appearing in solicitations and contracts.Continue Reading Don’t Fall Behind: The CMMC Final Rule to Update the DFARS is Here!
The inexorable expansion of the False Claims Act (“FCA”) to cover virtually all types of cybersecurity breaches and violations – to include allegedly poor practices and failure to fully adhere to security controls – continues. At one time, an organization might have thought that it was unlikely to face a potential FCA investigation and litigation relating to its cybersecurity practices. That day is long past. Two recent FCA settlements illustrate the expansion: one is the first cybersecurity FCA settlement relating to healthcare Quality System Regulations (“QSR”) and the other involves the first settlement with a defense contractor that also pulls in its private equity owner.Continue Reading The Expanding Scope of FCA-Cybersecurity Liability
The U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) Data Security Program (“DSP”) 90-day enforcement grace period ended as of July 8, 2025. While the program became effective April 8, 2025, DOJ implemented a 90-day enforcement grace period until July 8, 2025 for good-faith efforts towards compliance (see our previous blog here). With the expiration of the grace period, the majority of the DSP is now effective and will be enforced.Continue Reading DOJ’s 90-Day Data Security Compliance Grace Period is Over: Are You Compliant?
On April 3, 2025, OMB released two new memorandums on artificial intelligence (“AI”) as directed by Executive Order 14179, Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence. (As a reminder, President Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 14179 on January 23, 2025 after rescinding President Biden’s AI Executive Order (EO 14110)).Continue Reading All American AI: New OMB Memos Set Priorities for Federal AI Use and Acquisition
The wait is finally over! After more than 14 years of anticipation, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (“FAR”) Proposed Rule on Controlled Unclassified Information (“CUI”) was released on January 15, 2025 and comes as part of the Government’s broader efforts to identify, detect, and respond to ever-evolving threats targeting Federal contractors.Continue Reading At Long Last – The FAR CUI Rule is Here!
With President Donald Trump commencing his second term, significant changes are anticipated across global industries. His series of sweeping executive actions have already sparked pushback and legal challenges.Continue Reading Tracking the New Administration’s Executive Actions Changes
To kick off the New Year (and as is now tradition, since we put out a similar Recap & Forecast last year), Sheppard Mullin’s Governmental Practice Cybersecurity & Data Protection Team has prepared a cybersecurity-focused 2024 Recap (highlighting major updates and including links to the resources we put out over the past year) and a 2025 Forecast (previewing what we expect to see in 2025). This Recap & Forecast covers the following six high-interest topic areas relating to cybersecurity and data protection:Continue Reading Governmental Practice Cybersecurity and Data Protection: 2024 Recap & 2025 Forecast Alert
On November 15, 2024, the Department of Defense (“DoD”) issued a long-awaited Proposed Rule to implement Section 1655 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019.Continue Reading DoD Issues Proposed Rule for New Disclosures on Foreign Review of Computer Code
On October 22, 2024, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced that Pennsylvania State University (“Penn State”) has agreed to pay $1,250,000 to settle a False Claims Act (“FCA”) case brought against the University approximately two years ago. The whistleblower in the case, former chief information officer of the Penn State Applied Research Laboratory, alleged that Penn State failed to comply with cybersecurity requirements in fifteen contracts and/or subcontracts with the Department of Defense (“DoD”) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (“NASA”) between 2018 and 2023.Continue Reading Update – Penn State to Pay Up for Cyber-Related FCA Case
On October 15, 2024, the Department of Defense (“DoD”) published the final version of its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (“CMMC”) rule in Title 32 of the Code of Federal Regulations (the “Final Rule”). (Reminder, there are two CMMC rulemakings going on in parallel. This Final Rule updates DoD national security regulations while the other rulemaking effort under Title 48 will update the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation (“DFARS”) and trigger requirements for DoD contractors.)Continue Reading Countdown to Compliance: DoD Finalizes the CMMC Program Rule