DoD Directive 8570.01What is Department of Defense Directive (DoDD) 8570.01?

Originally released in August 2004, the Department of Defense Directive 8570.01 (DoDD 8570.01) is titled Information Assurance Training, Certification, and Workforce Management.  DoDD 8570.01 establishes policy and assigns responsibilities that are in other DoD Directives and Instructions, such as DoDD 8500.01E, DoDI 8500.02, and DoDD O-8530.1.  DoDD 8570.01 is often confused with the DoD 8570.01M, which is the manual for DoDD 8570.01, which authorized the publication of the aforementioned manual.  DoD 8570.01M will be discussed further in a future post.

In short, DoDD 8570.01 provides guidance and policy regarding to the training, certification, and management of all government employees and contractors who have privileged access to DoD Information Systems and who conduct Information Assurance (IA) functions in their assigned duty positions.  Those privilege users and IA professionals are required to carry an approved certification baseline for their particular job or career.

Who does DoDD 8570.01 apply to?

DoDD 8570.01 applies to all DoD components, including Combatant Commands, Defense Agencies, DoD Field Activities, and all Military Departments, including the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.  DoDD 8570.01 also applies to all DoD contractors.

What do I need to do to be in compliance with DoDD 8570.01?

If you are not a privileged user or an IA professional within the DoD (active duty, civilian, or contractor), you have nothing to worry about.  If you are, check with your local or command IA officer to make sure you have the correct certifications.  DoDD 8570.01 states that all users of DoD Information Systems (IS) will receive initial IA awareness orientation, and must complete a yearly IA Awareness Refresher, so make sure you always completed your yearly training.  If you are a privileged user and/or an IA manager, you should be fully qualified, trained, and certified to DoD baseline requirements.  You must also make sure you are in DoD personnel databases.  DoD 8570.01 also states that all IA personnel should be tracked and managed to make sure all of those who are performing IA duties have the correct category and level as determined is necessary for that position.

For More Information About DoDD 8570.01: