Ooey Cooey

This episode is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.  In this episode, I break down why building a trusted ecosystem of vendors, consultants, peers, and industry voices is essential to managing both cost and risk in today’s regulatory environment. I walk through how to properly vet each component of that ecosystem and what to look for, what to avoid, and where orga...

In this special edition of Ooey Cooey , Leslie Weinstein—a recent graduate of the University of Baltimore School of Law—shares her firsthand experience taking the February 2026 Maryland UBE while it is still fresh. This episode is dedicated to her UBalt Law friends preparing for their own exam and is designed to reduce anxiety through practical insight and perspective  Bar Exam Episode Leslie walk...

If you are considering entering the Department of Defense market—or you are already in it but hoping CMMC might quietly go away—this episode is for you. In this foundational discussion, I break down: What CMMC actually is (and what it is not) How CMMC relates to DFARS 252.204-7012 and NIST SP 800-171 When CMMC applies—and when it does not Why there is no universal CMMC deadline What “condition pre...

Are you a defense contractor being told that everything is CUI—or that your contract contains CUI—without anything actually being marked? Or unsure whether you handle CUI at all, and therefore whether CMMC Level 1 or Level 2 applies to you? That confusion is exactly why Ooey Cooey exists. This re-introduction episode explains what this podcast is about, why it’s coming back now, and who it’s for....

32 CFR says that authorized holders must take reasonable precautions to guard against unauthorized disclosure of CUI. They must include the following measures among the reasonable precautions: (1) Establish controlled environments in which to protect CUI from unauthorized access or disclosure and make use of those controlled environments. (2) Reasonably ensure that unauthorized individuals cannot...

Have you ever wondered where NIST 800-171 came from or why it was written?  In August 2020 I had the opportunity to interview a representative from the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) on my YouTube channel DIB Tech Talk ( https://www.youtube.com/c/DIBTechTalk ).  This interview goes into the origins of NIST 800-171 with someone who was there when it happened. He walks us through some...

At minimum, CUI markings for unclassified DoD documents will include the acronym “CUI” in the banner and footer of the document. If portion markings are selected, then all document subjects and titles, as well as individual sections, parts, paragraphs, or similar portions of a CUI document known to contain CUI, will be portion marked with “(CUI).” Use of the unclassified marking “(U)” as a portion...

The authorized holder of a document or material is responsible for determining, at the time of creation, whether information in a document or material falls into a CUI category. If so, the authorized holder is responsible for applying CUI markings and dissemination instructions accordingly.   But how? Tune in to find out.

Established by Executive Order 13556 in 2010, the Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) program standardizes the way the entire Executive branch handles unclassified information that requires safeguarding or dissemination controls pursuant to and consistent with law, regulations, and Government-wide policies.  The Department of Defense (DOD) is an agency within the Executive branch of the U.S....