MOTS is an acronym for Modified (or military) Off-The-Shelf.

MOTS products are COTS products that can be modified for a program’s specific needs.

COTS is an acronym for commercial off-the-shelf.

A COTS product can be used without modification for defense applications, without the need for change.

The use of COTS products by the Department of Defense permits engineers to take advantage of technological advances, cost savings, and rapid procurement from the commercial marketplace. The use of COTS products can minimize or eliminate the need for costly, time-consuming government research and development.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a non-regulatory federal agency that is tasked with establishing operational guidelines, in this case, for Cybersecurity.

It is relatively new, dating back to 2010, beginning its life through President Obama’s Executive Order #13556, which directed all federal agencies to safeguard Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) using a unified policy.

NIST 800-171 standardizes how all federal agencies define Controlled Unclassified Information; this is ‘sensitive’ data but not ‘classified’ as directed under federal law. NIST SP 800-171 controls apply to federal government contractors and sub-contractors.

If you or another company you work with has a contract with a federal agency, you must be compliant with this policy. Federal agencies may include specific requirements in their contracts.

The following are some of the federal agencies and organizations that must comply with NIST 800-171:

• Department of Defense’s contractors/sub-contractors
• Manufacturing companies supplying goods to federal agencies
• General Services Administration’s contractors/sub-contractors
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s contractors/sub-contractors

Learn more information about NIST SP 800-171

ITAR is an acronym for The International Traffic in Arms Regulations, a set of federal regulations and policies related to prohibited exports, imports, and sales to or from specific countries.

All manufacturers, exporters, and brokers of defense equipment/materials as defined on the United States Munitions List must register. Once registration is complete, each organization will receive a registrant code. This code is valid for 12 months from the date of issuance.

For more information, visit the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls website

It is a specification that defines the requirement for electromagnetic compatibility in equipment, including power supplies used by the United States Department of Defense (DoD).

MIL-STD-461 comprises four groups of electromagnetic interference (EMI) test procedures designed to guide manufacturers and users of electrical equipment to be used in DoD applications; those groups are:

• radiated emissions
• conducted emissions
• radiated susceptibility
• conducted susceptibility

For more information, download the MIL-STD-461 specification