CMMC certification allows companies that work with DoD data to demonstrate their security measures. Such information could include technical drawings and specifications, contract details and personal identifiable data belonging to employees or subcontractors.

The CMMC framework comprises 14 domains and 110+ practices or controls. It applies to every company handling DoD information regardless of size or relationship to DoD contracts.

Assessing your readiness

As part of doing business with the Department of Defense, contractors seeking certification under CMMC is required. This framework establishes industry standards and cybersecurity best practices which help assessors evaluate your organization’s security posture.

Before undertaking a CMMC assessment, the first step should be conducting a Readiness Review. This assessment can help to gauge your preparedness for this assessment as well as create a remediation plan to address any areas of weakness.

Preparing for the CMMC requires understanding where your Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) resides; this can help define your scope and support any representations to government that CUI does not exist outside your environment.

Wipfli recognizes that undertaking a comprehensive CMMC assessment process requires considerable time and resources, which may make it unfeasible for companies with limited time or resources. As an alternative solution for businesses unable to commit fully, they can hire our certified managed security services provider (MSSP). Our team is certified at both levels 1 and 3, helping your meet compliance quickly and cost-effectively.

Self-assessment

Companies looking to partner with the Department of Defense and secure preferred status need CMMC certification in order to safeguard themselves and protect themselves against costly cyberattacks or data breaches that could compromise their reputations and cause lasting damage.

Starting off, it is essential to conduct a self-assessment of your cybersecurity maturity level and plan for its improvement. This requires auditing both software and hardware assets as well as the locations where CUI/FCI data are stored or transmitted – followed by conducting gap analyses on those locations.

Many businesses opt for outsourcing their CMMC assessment to a third-party firm to navigate the complexity of government regulations more cost effectively and more quickly, but this model also requires finding experienced, knowledgeable assessment talent within your team as well as maintaining an acceptable project timeline – something mid-sized companies with limited staff or technical resources may find difficult. Varonis provides solutions that can assist.

Third-party assessment

An external assessment is an integral component of CMMC Certification and involves having an accredited C3PAO perform a detailed examination of your systems, policies and procedures against 171 practices and processes.

When selecting a third-party assessment company, it’s essential that they possess knowledge of both the CMMC framework and its supporting regulatory bodies such as NIST SP 800-171 and DFARS. This will ensure your assessor understands its context as well as provide valuable feedback on ways to enhance cybersecurity controls within your environment.

Varonis can assist federal contractors with CMMC preparation by offering visibility and audit trails of files, sensitive data and servers across Microsoft and UNIX/Linux environments. Our solution leverages machine learning-based classification models for over 60 file types to accelerate compliance with CMMC regulations quickly. Get in touch with us now to discover more how Varonis can aid your journey and mitigate FCA risks!

Debriefing

Defense Department contractors must deal with confidential data. Furthermore, re-certification and monitoring processes need to take place regularly – particularly those working under pathfinder contracts.

Be wary of being Unprepared During CMMC Assessment: Make Sure That You Hire a Security Firm: To avoid being surprised during your CMMC assessment, prepare by hiring a security firm to conduct a gap analysis of your current information security infrastructure in relation to CMMC requirements.

The CMMC framework requires OSCs to have an in-depth knowledge of all of the controls they need to protect, including not just cybersecurity controls but also business processes and IT assets. Knowing who owns these assets allows your organization to prepare them for a CMMC assessment – though this process could take months or even years – ultimately helping your achieve your desired level.