The four core areas of aerospace cybersecurity compliance
Aerospace suppliers handling government contract data must implement documented cybersecurity controls to protect Controlled Unclassified Information — or risk losing contract eligibility. Gaps in any one area create eligibility risk for the whole relationship.
1. NIST SP 800-171
NIST SP 800-171 is the foundational standard for any organization that handles CUI on a federal contract. It defines 110 requirements across 14 control families. Compliance is not optional for suppliers receiving CUI from primes or agencies.
- Access Control — who can access which systems and data
- Audit and Accountability — logging and reviewing activity
- Configuration Management — secure baselines
- Identification and Authentication — MFA
- Incident Response — detect, report, recover
- Maintenance, Media Protection, Personnel Security, Physical Protection
- Risk Assessment and Security Assessment
- System and Communications Protection — segmentation and encryption
- System and Information Integrity — malware protection and alerts
- System and Services Acquisition — third parties and supply chain
2. Technical controls
Policies alone do not satisfy the standard. Typical technical work for a 50-person supplier:
- Identity — MFA on every account with CUI access, least privilege, separated admin accounts
- Endpoint — EDR on workstations and servers, centralized management, automated patching
- Network — CUI systems isolated from general business systems, controlled boundaries, encrypted communications
- Encryption — CUI at rest and in transit; FIPS 140-2 modules where required
- Vulnerability management — scanning, prioritized remediation, documented patch compliance
3. Documentation
Technical controls without paperwork do not satisfy federal requirements. Primes frequently request these documents as part of subcontract awards:
- System Security Plan (SSP) — how each of the 110 controls is implemented
- Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) — open gaps, timelines, owners
- Incident Response Plan — including 72-hour reporting
- Security awareness training records
- Access control policy — grant, review, and revoke
4. Ongoing monitoring and logging
Compliance is not a one-time event. Systems handling CUI must generate and retain audit logs, review them, and reassess controls as the environment changes. 24/7 security monitoring is how a small supplier keeps visibility without building an in-house security team. When an alert fires, RRG responds.
- Centralized log management
- Retention — typically 90 days active, 1 year archived
- Continuous vulnerability scanning
- Annual control assessments for configuration drift
- Periodic user access reviews, including departed personnel
What is CUI?
Controlled Unclassified Information is sensitive but unclassified government data that must be protected under specific controls. If you receive, store, or transmit technical drawings, engineering specifications, manufacturing processes, defense system documentation, or contract-related data in support of a federal contract, you are handling CUI.
Common gaps we see
Unclear CUI scope
No inventory of which systems, mailboxes, laptops, and cloud sites actually hold CUI. You cannot apply controls to a boundary you have not defined.
No dedicated security expertise
NIST 800-171 needs identity, network architecture, log analysis, and incident response — specialists, not a part-time generalist.
Outdated systems
End-of-life operating systems cannot meet encryption, configuration, and patch requirements. Compliance often requires a refresh that was not in the original budget.
Missing documentation
Reasonable practices implemented informally still fail an audit without an SSP, IR plan, and access policy. The paperwork gap is often larger than the technical gap.
No monitoring
Without centralized logs and 24/7 security monitoring, incidents go undetected — and you have no evidence trail for the 72-hour reporting clock.
Third-party risk
Cloud platforms and subcontractors that touch CUI must be assessed. FedRAMP-authorized cloud and written flow-down to subs are commonly missing.
How RRG helps South Florida aerospace suppliers
RRG Networks implements the technical controls, documentation, and monitoring required by federal standards — without asking you to stand up an internal compliance team. Here since 2016. Real engineers. 97% stay.
- Gap assessment against all 110 NIST SP 800-171 controls, with CUI boundary identification and a prioritized remediation plan that feeds the SSP and POA&M.
- Control implementation — MFA, EDR, segmentation, encryption, patching, vulnerability scanning — documented for the SSP.
- Policy pack: SSP, POA&M, incident response with 72-hour reporting, annual awareness training.
- 24/7 security monitoring and log management. When an alert fires, RRG responds. Under 8 minutes.
- Ongoing maintenance: annual re-assessment, quarterly access reviews, continuous scanning, patch compliance reporting.
Related: Aerospace MRO industry page and managed compliance.