Preparing for the CMMC
The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is a mandate from the Department of Defense (DoD) for all vendors to meet specific security requirements in order to continue their contracts or obtain new ones. The CMMC aims to ensure that contractors are implementing cybersecurity best practices to help the DoD reduce additional risk that comes from heavily relying on the defense industrial base. While the previous DFARS requirement was self-assessed, the CMMC requires a formal assessment by a Certified Third-Party Organization (C3PAO). Furthermore, compliance with CMMC will become a hard requirement to continue work on, or be issued a new DoD contract.
Initial assessments will begin this summer, and the CMMC will be required of all contractors later within the year. If you’re a current DoD contractor or are looking to obtain a contract in the near future, you likely already know how important this CMMC is to your business prospects. The requirements are quickly approaching, so we’ve outlined several things suppliers like you can do to prepare for the CMMC.
How to prepare for CMMC:
- Determine your desired CMMC level and needs.
Review the CMMC documentation and make an initial assessment to decide what level you will need to meet. Along with reviewing the control requirements for that level, determine what else is needed to ensure compliance with those requirements. - Keep up with relevant stakeholders.
The Accreditation Body is crucial to the CMMC process. This group is still in the process of forming, but it is imperative to the CMMC program and overall timeline. The CMMC AB website is an excellent resource for you to stay up to date on the latest news. - Consider working with a cybersecurity services firm.
A services business that is staying on top of the changes to the CMMC program will be a great partner as you begin preparations. Your cybersecurity partner should complete a formal CMMC gap analysis and deliver specific recommendations on how best to meet your CMMC compliance requirements.
Take a deeper look into your cybersecurity posture
Because your organization needs the CMMC to continue DoD contracts, some level of CMMC will ultimately be a hard requirement… but it’s also never a bad time to take another look at your organization-wide cybersecurity posture. As a Certified FedRAMP 3PAO, we know what it takes to work with the different stakeholders for specific compliance stands like the CMMC. The requirements to become a C3PAO for CMMC have not been released quite yet, but we are monitoring the program very closely to ensure that we can provide this service once permitted.
Thanks to our years of experience working with some of the most targeted organizations on the planet, we know the compliance landscape better than anyone. We can help your organization identify and close security gaps and develop and implement a process to reach your program goals.
Our best advice? Don't procrastinate—the requirements for the CMMC are quickly approaching, and you need to make sure you have the resources you need to ensure compliance.
To learn more, check out our full overview of the CMMC.
