Department of Defense mandates phased cybersecurity certification for contractors by 2028

2025-09-10

The Vigil of Resilience and Remembrance by DALL-E 3

Department of Defense mandates phased cybersecurity certification for contractors by 2028

Bread and Circus: The Complete Record of American Governance

Today’s newsletter covers official U.S. government happenings from the executive, legislative, and judicial branches yesterday, as well as key economic indicators. Below, you’ll find concise summaries of each document, with links to the original sources for further reading.

What Happened Yesterday:

🦅 Executive Branch: 4 documents (1 Presidential Action, 3 Rules)
🏛️ Legislative Branch: No activity
⚖️ Judicial Branch: No activity
📊 Economic Indicators: 2 documents (1 Bureau of Labor Statistics press release, 1 Pew Research report)
Total words condensed: 22,197 into 1,212

The Big Picture

The federal government is showing respect and caution in several areas this week. The President has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff from September 10 to 14 to honor Charlie Kirk, signaling a formal gesture of national mourning. Meanwhile, the Department of Energy has delayed a planned rollback of loan support for minority-owned businesses until December 9, allowing these businesses more time to prepare and continue receiving assistance. On the national security front, the Department of Defense is introducing a new cybersecurity rule requiring defense contractors to prove strong protections against cyber threats, with a phased implementation starting November 10, 2025, and full compliance expected by November 10, 2028.

These developments matter because they reflect how the government balances symbolic acts, economic equity, and national security. The flag order is a traditional but important way to publicly honor individuals, while the DOE’s delay shows sensitivity to minority business needs amid regulatory changes. The new cybersecurity rule marks a significant tightening of standards for companies handling sensitive defense information, aiming to reduce risks from cyberattacks. Additionally, a minor but important correction to military export rules clarifies compliance requirements, underscoring ongoing attention to safeguarding sensitive technology. Together, these actions show a government focused on respect, inclusion, and security with clear timelines for implementation.

Pattern to Watch

A clear pattern emerging is the government’s increasing emphasis on security and regulatory precision, especially in defense and technology sectors. The Department of Defense’s new cybersecurity certification requirement for contractors, combined with the State Department’s correction to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, highlights a tightening of controls to protect sensitive information and technology. This trend suggests a growing concern about cyber threats and the need for clearer, enforceable rules. If future announcements include more cybersecurity mandates or further refinements to export controls, it would signal an escalation of this security-focused regulatory approach, potentially affecting how companies operate and compete for government contracts. This could also influence broader economic conditions by raising compliance costs and shifting industry standards.

🦅 Executive Branch

White House

The President issued a formal proclamation ordering that the American flag be flown at half-staff, which means lowered halfway down the flagpole, as a sign of respect for Charlie Kirk. This order applies to the White House, all public buildings, military bases, naval ships, and U.S. government offices both inside the country and at U.S. embassies and military sites abroad. The flag is to be flown this way from September 10 until sunset on September 14, 2025. This action uses the President’s constitutional and legal authority to honor individuals, and it affects government agencies and military installations by requiring them to follow this flag protocol during the specified time. It matters because flying the flag at half-staff is a traditional way the government shows respect for someone who has died. Read full document →

Federal Register

The Department of Energy planned to cancel rules that helped minority-owned businesses get loans when trying to work with the DOE. But instead of making this change happen on September 12, 2025, they decided to wait longer and now will not make the change until December 9, 2025. This means that for now, the old rules stay in place, so minority businesses can still get loan help when seeking DOE contracts. This matters because it gives these businesses more time to prepare and keeps support available while the government reviews the decision carefully. Read full document →
The U.S. Department of State fixed a small mistake in a rule about military electronics that was published on August 27, 2025. This rule is part of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, which control how certain weapons and military technology can be shared or sold. The correction adds a missing symbol (*) in a specific part of the rule to make it clear and accurate. Companies and people who work with military electronics must follow this corrected rule starting September 15, 2025. This matters because clear rules help keep sensitive military technology safe and make sure everyone understands what is allowed, helping protect national security. Read full document →
The Department of Defense has made a new rule that requires companies working on defense contracts to prove they have good cybersecurity protections before they can get or keep these contracts. Starting November 10, 2025, companies must show they meet certain cybersecurity levels by posting their certification results in a government system and keep these protections up to date for the whole contract. This rule applies to companies that handle sensitive but unclassified government information, like Federal Contract Information or Controlled Unclassified Information, except for contracts only buying commercial off-the-shelf items. The rule helps protect important defense information from hackers and cyberattacks, which is important for national security and keeping the country safe. The rule will be phased in over three years, and by November 10, 2028, it will apply to all such contracts. This means companies must be ready to meet these cybersecurity standards to work with the Department of Defense. Read full document →

🏛️ Legislative Branch

No activity today.

⚖️ Judicial Branch

No activity today.

📊 Economic Indicators

Bureau of Labor Statistics

In August 2025, the prices that U.S. producers receive for their goods and services, called the Producer Price Index, went down slightly by 0.1%. This small drop happened because prices for services, like store and wholesale trade, fell by 0.2%, while prices for goods, like tobacco and beef, went up a little by 0.1%. Over the past year, prices for these goods and services have risen about 2.6% to 2.8%, showing that costs are still increasing but more slowly than before. This matters because when producers pay more for materials and services, they might raise prices for customers or change hiring plans, which can affect jobs and how much people pay for things. So, this small dip suggests some easing in price pressures but overall steady increases that can influence everyday costs and the economy. Read full document →

Pew Research

This report looked at what Americans think about whether God had anything to do with who won the last two presidential elections, especially the 2024 win by Donald Trump and the 2020 win by Joe Biden. It found that most people—about 63%—say God either doesn’t get involved in elections (49%) or they don’t believe in God (14%). About one-third think the election results were part of God’s plan but don’t believe God approves of the winners’ policies, and very few (4% for Trump, 2% for Biden) say God chose the winner because God liked their policies. White evangelical Protestants are more likely than others to say the election was part of God’s plan, but even they rarely say God approved the winner’s policies. Most Christians, no matter their group, agree that good Christians can have different opinions about Trump. The report also shows that religion matters more to people’s morals and how they treat others than to how they vote. These findings matter because they show that most Americans don’t see elections as decided by God, which helps us understand how religion influences politics and society today. Read full document →

Sources Covered Today

White House: Honoring the Memory of Charlie Kirk
Federal Register: Rescinding Regulations for Loans for Minority Business Enterprises Seeking DOE Contracts and Assistance
Federal Register: International Traffic in Arms Regulations: U.S. Munitions List Targeted Revisions; Correction
Federal Register: Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Assessing Contractor Implementation of Cybersecurity Requirements (DFARS Case 2019-D041)
BLS: Producer Price Index
Pew Research: Most Americans Don’t Believe God Played a Role in Recent Presidential Election Outcomes

All U.S. Government Activity Yesterday:

Presidential actions issued: 1
Regulations: 3
Bills presented to president: 0
Bills that became law: 0
Supreme Court opinions issued: 0
Supreme Court oral arguments: 0

This is your daily record of history unfolding — no spin, just facts. For 342,460,115 people in the United States, this was yesterday.

← Previous: Trump directs clearer, stricter oversight of prescription drug advertising