01
Requirements scoping
Read your contract clauses with you, identify where federal contract information and CUI live, and shrink the scope that has to be protected.
Government Contracting
Win and keep government work with security that holds up to scrutiny.
Federal, defense, and state and local contracts come with cybersecurity requirements written into the contract. Missing them can cost you an award, a renewal, or worse. Nexus Security Advisors, a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)-certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), helps small and mid-sized contractors understand what applies, close the gaps, and prove it.
Who It's For
Built for small and mid-sized government contractors.
Defense suppliers and subcontractors
Manufacturers, engineering firms, and service providers handling federal contract information or controlled unclassified information for the Department of Defense (DoD), now also called the Department of War, or its prime contractors.
Federal civilian contractors
Businesses supporting civilian agencies that must protect government data and answer security questionnaires.
State and local government vendors
Software and service providers selling to states, cities, school districts, and public utilities.
Cloud and software companies
Software-as-a-service (SaaS) providers exploring federal or state authorizations for their cloud products.
The Rules in Plain English
What government customers expect from you.
| Requirement | What it means | Who it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.204-21 | Fifteen basic safeguards for federal contract information, such as access control, passwords, and malware protection. | Most federal contractors that handle non-public contract information |
| Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 252.204-7012 | Protect controlled unclassified information (CUI) using NIST SP 800-171 and report cyber incidents to the DoD within 72 hours. | Defense contractors and subcontractors handling CUI |
| NIST SP 800-171 | The National Institute of Standards and Technology's 110 security requirements (Rev. 2) for protecting CUI. You score yourself and submit the score to the Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS). | Defense contractors handling CUI |
| Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) | The DoD program that verifies contractors actually follow these requirements, through self-assessments or third-party assessments depending on the level. Phase 2 is currently paused; see Regulatory Watch for the latest. | Defense contractors and subcontractors |
| FedRAMP and GovRAMP | Security authorizations for cloud services sold to federal agencies (FedRAMP) or state and local governments (GovRAMP). | Cloud and SaaS providers |
General information, not legal advice. Your contract clauses control what applies to you.
How We Help
Government contracting services.
02
CMMC and NIST SP 800-171 readiness
Gap assessment, a realistic SPRS score, and a prioritized plan with owners and dates.
03
System Security Plan and action plan
Write or update your System Security Plan (SSP) and Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) in language assessors and your team both understand.
04
Incident reporting readiness
Prepare for 72-hour DoD reporting: the right certificate, contacts, evidence preservation, and a rehearsal using our defense supplier tabletop scenario.
05
Policies, training, and flow-down
Plain-English policies, staff training, and help passing requirements down to your own subcontractors and vendors.
06
Fractional security leadership
A named virtual chief information security officer (vCISO) who answers prime-contractor questionnaires, supports proposals, and keeps you assessment-ready.
Nexus prepares you for assessment. Certifications are issued only by authorized third-party assessors and government bodies.
Teaming With Nexus
A service-disabled veteran-owned partner for primes and agencies.
Nexus Security Advisors is SBA-certified as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, which can help agencies and prime contractors meet small-business goals. We welcome teaming and subcontracting conversations for cybersecurity, compliance, incident readiness, and artificial intelligence (AI) governance work. Contact [email protected] to request our capability statement.
Free Government Resources
Free help for government contractors.
These official and government-funded resources cost nothing to use.
SAM.govThe System for Award Management: register your business, find contract opportunities, and get a Unique Entity ID (UEI). Registration is free.Visit ↗
APEX AcceleratorsFree, government-funded counseling to help small businesses win and perform government contracts.Visit ↗
SBA Veteran Contracting ProgramsU.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) VetCert program for veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.Visit ↗
DoD Office of Small Business ProgramsHow small businesses can work with the Department of Defense (DoD).Visit ↗
Project SpectrumFree cybersecurity tools, training, and readiness checks for defense suppliers.Visit ↗
DoD CIO: CMMCOfficial Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program information from the DoD chief information officer.Visit ↗
The Cyber ABThe CMMC accreditation body; its marketplace lists authorized assessors.Visit ↗
NIST SP 800-171The National Institute of Standards and Technology requirements for protecting controlled unclassified information (CUI).Visit ↗
FedRAMPThe Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program for cloud services sold to federal agencies.Visit ↗
GovRAMPCloud security verification for state and local government vendors (formerly StateRAMP).Visit ↗
SBIR.govSmall Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer funding for research and development.Visit ↗
Acquisition.govThe official home of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and agency supplements such as the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS).Visit ↗