The Trump administration has allowed Congress to access classified documents in an effort to improve oversight on offensive and defensive cyber activities outside the U.S., Fifth Domain reported Saturday.

Lawmakers can now review National Security Presidential Memorandum 13, which covers presidential approval procedures on U.S. offensive and defensive cyber operations conducted beyond the nation’s networks. The documentation mainly covers Department of Defense operations, although it encompasses all agencies and departments, according to the report.

Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I., aid in a statement that the move will help Congress ensure that U.S. cyber operations "do not inadvertently undermine that stability and reflect our commitments to responsible state behavior in this new domain.”

“Having reviewed the relevant National Security Presidential Memorandum, I am now more confident that the necessary checks are in place to ensure that our actions in cyberspace contribute to stability of the domain rather than undermining it,” he added.

The Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation is committing $1 million to aid COVID-19 relief efforts across the United States. The funds will support national organizations, such as the American Red Cross, as well as address local needs.

“The health and well-being of customers and employees is Dominion Energy’s top priority. We are helping customers and communities we serve during this difficult time by maintaining reliable service and providing support and relief to those affected,” said Dominion Energy Chairman, President and CEO Thomas F. Farrell, II. “Our contributions to these organizations will help provide the means to lessen the impact of this outbreak.”

In January, the U.S. Department of Defense released Version 1.0 of its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification framework (CMMC). By 2026, DoD plans to require CMMC certification for all defense contracts. Contractors in the defense industry supply chain will be required to develop, assess, and augment cybersecurity practices, earning different maturity levels. 

The CMMC framework consists of five, cumulative levels of cybersecurity maturity.  Within each maturity level are two types of benchmarks a company must meet to demonstrate achievement at that level, including practices and processes. 

Under practices, the companies must be able to implement cybersecurity measures for each level; for processes, the company must demonstrate that required practices are integrated into each level, which the DoD has labeled institutionalization.

Practices and Processes measure proficiency across a set of domains, such as access control, incident response, and risk management.  DoD has scaled the Practices and Processes to each maturity level based on factors such as the type and sensitivity of information needing protection and the range of threats posed.

As the information sensitivity and adversarial threats involved in a contract increase, the DoD is to require a higher maturity level from bidding contractors.  Level 1 is the most basic level of maturity, where a company may only perform certain security practices on an ad hoc basis. Level 2 is a transitional level of maturity and requires a company to have documented practices.

Level 3 focuses on the protection of CUI and incorporates all NIST SP 800-171 standards, among other practices.  Levels 4 and 5 require greater cybersecurity sophistication, including the ability to proactively measure and assess cybersecurity practices and take corrective action when necessary.  

Katie Arrington, chief information security officer at the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and a 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, will serve as a keynote speaker at the CMMC Forum 2020. She will address the CMMC’s timeline, how the certification process could change and will provide a memorandum of understanding with a newly established CMMC accrediting body.

A full expert panel will include Ty Schieber, senior director of executive education and CMMC-AB chairman of the University of Virginia and Richard Naylor of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency among other members of the federal sector and industry.

Register here to join Potomac Officers Club for its CMMC Forum 2020 on April 2 to learn about the impact DoD’s CMMC will have on cybersecurity practices, supply chain security and other aspects of the federal market.