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Michael G. Gruden, CIPP/G

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Michael G. Gruden is a counsel in Crowell & Moring's Washington, D.C. office, where he is a member of the firm’s Government Contracts and Privacy and Cybersecurity groups. He possesses real-world experience in the areas of federal procurement and data security, having worked as a Contracting Officer at both the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the Information Technology, Research & Development, and Security sectors for nearly 15 years. Michael is a Certified Information Privacy Professional with a U.S. government concentration (CIPP/G). He is also a Registered Practitioner under the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) framework. Michael serves as vice-chair for the ABA Science & Technology Section's Homeland Security Committee.

Michael’s legal practice covers a wide range of counseling and litigation engagements at the intersection of government contracts and cybersecurity. His government contracts endeavors include supply chain security counseling, contract disputes with federal entities, suspension and debarment proceedings, mandatory disclosures to the government, prime-subcontractor disputes, and False Claims Act investigations. His privacy and cybersecurity practice includes cybersecurity compliance reviews, risk assessments, data breaches, incident response, and regulatory investigations.

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Responding to the rise of interconnected technology, the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) has recently issued an introductory document in a planned series of cybersecurity publications addressing Internet of Things (IoT) privacy risks.  Open for comment through October 24, 2018, the Draft NISTIR 8228, Considerations for Managing Internet of Things (IoT) Cybersecurity and…

The federal government has kept busy this summer by issuing multiple regulations impacting government contractors’ cybersecurity.  First, the Department of Defense released the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which included notable cybersecurity provisions involving foreign ownership and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), among others.  Second, Congress passed the NIST Small Business Cybersecurity Act requiring the…

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) is hosting a cybersecurity workshop on the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation System (“DFARS”) Safeguarding Clause and related regulations on Thursday, October 18, 2018.  The workshop, in coordination with the Department of Defense (“DoD”) and the National Archives and Records Administration (“NARA”), will provide an overview of Controlled…

The Colorado legislature recently passed a new data privacy law, House Bill 18-1128, which heightens requirements for corporate and public entities handling personal information of Colorado residents.  Effective September 1, 2018, the law aims to strengthen consumer data privacy by 1) shortening the time frame required to notify affected Colorado residents and the Attorney…

Security ratings firm BitSight recently released a report citing a gap in cybersecurity performance between the U.S. Government and contractors. 

The report was the result of a comparative security assessment between 1,212 randomly selected government contractors and 122 federal agencies. The assessment found that federal agencies were at least 15 points better than the mean …

The Information Security Oversight Office (“ISOO”) within the National Archives and Records Administration (“NARA”) recently issued guidance for all non-executive branch entities  (such as elements of the legislative or judicial branches of the Federal Government; state, tribal or local government elements; and private organizations including contractors) concerning controlled unclassified information (“CUI”).  Specifically, the ISOO  issued CUI Notice 2018-01, which provides CUI guidance regarding information sharing agreements with non-executive branch entities (herein “IS agreements”) that are not governed by the forthcoming CUI Federal Acquisition Regulation (“FAR”) Clause.  Examples of applicable IS agreements include certain contracts, grants, licenses, memoranda of understanding, and information-sharing arrangements.  The ISOO guidance provides both mandatory and recommended language for inclusion in IS agreements:
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Continue Reading National Archives Issues New, But Limited, CUI Contract Guidance

The United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre (“NCSC”) recently announced guidance whereby industries could be fined up to $24 million (£17 million) for not having effective cybersecurity measures in place.  The penalties apply to critical infrastructure sectors including energy, transportation, water and healthcare.  While the U.K. government stated that these penalties will be “a last …

The European Commission has recently released a new website providing guidance on the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) implementation requirements.  The website provides a plethora of resources both to industry looking to become compliant with GDPR standards as well as to citizens looking to understand their data protection rights.  Highlights of the website include a …

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) recently proposed that the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (“NERC”), which is responsible for promulgating and enforcing FERC-approved mandatory electric reliability standards, revise its Critical Infrastructure Protection (“CIP”) standards to require additional circumstances under which reporting of cybersecurity incidents is mandatory.   FERC’s goal is to enhance the awareness of…