Lawyers say acquisition rule will drive cybersecurity beyond vendor community

Leading industry lawyers on data privacy and security requirements say an upcoming federal acquisition rule will affect industries beyond contractors by extending strict controls currently used by the Defense Department to all federal agencies.

“Cybersecurity concerns are an increasingly common and integral aspect of corporate existence,” writes Evan Wolff of the law firm Crowell & Moring. “The application of defense-quality requirements to all government contractors will likely have a trickle-down effect on the private sector.”

Wolff, who has served as...