Non-traditional defense contractor sounds like a start-up that has decided to sell its cutting-edge tech to the Department of Defense when it has never before done so. That is not the case. In fact, some very traditional defense contractors are actually “non-traditional defense contractors.” That statement seems to make no sense. Let me explain. The term “non-traditional defense contractor” is actually a legal definition straight from the Defense Federal Acquisition...
The Path to Software Attestation Contractors will soon have to attest to the government that any software they provide to the Government is secure, based on the Government’s definition of secure. The path to software attestation requirements for contractors started in May 2021 when the White House issued Executive Order 14028, Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity. That executive order, among other things, required Government agencies to develop requirements to assure any...
Recently I was in a meeting with ten other people and we were trying to resolve a risky business situation that had legal and financial implications for the company. Discussing risky business situations with this group of folks was nothing new. In fact, we were having the same conversation over the same situation without any resolution that we had on previous occasions. We were going in circles with no resolution....
For small federal government contractors like SBIR, Small Business Innovation Research, contract holders often the goal is to grow so the business will be purchased by another company. When these contractors are in this growth phase, the founders are doing everything: drafting code, drafting engineering specs, developing business, identifying subcontractors, hiring employees, answering the phone, building an IT infrastructure for the company, looking for office space, negotiating contracts – all...
U.S. technology and products are ending up in North Korean missiles which are ending up in Russia which Russia then uses in its war against the Ukraine. One does not need to be a knowledgeable on U.S. export control laws to reach the conclusion that this fact demonstrates that U.S. companies with export-controlled items and technology need to do a better a job of complying with export regulations. What Is...
