Beginning in 2020, DoD introduced the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), which has attracted a lot of interest since then. The US Department of Defense (DoD) launched the CMMC program to enhance security by mandating certification of external contractors, of which there are more than 300,000. This initiative is essential and a question of national security because cyberwarfare is a persistent danger to the defense industrial base (DIB).

The recently announced CMMC 2.0 has significantly altered the framework while keeping the CMMC’s goal the same. Thus, if you are planning to achieve CMMC compliance, you should hire DFARS consultant Virginia Beach. 

Here are a few significant changes:

There are only 3 stages of maturity. The framework only includes three cybersecurity maturity levels, down from five:

Level 1 is Foundational – this is the level that every contractor engaging with Federal Contract Information (FCI) will be required to accomplish. Another significant distinction is that businesses will be allowed to conduct annual self-evaluations.

Level 2 is Advanced; it’s comparable to the previous Level 3 of “Good Cyber Hygiene,” and any company that handles Controlled Unclassified Information must meet its requirements (CUI). Most of these evaluations (with minimal exceptions) will call for certification by a third-party (C3PAO) examination.

Expert is Level 3, which is still being developed. The government will conduct the evaluations for this level, depending on a segment of NIST SP 800-172.

The acceptance of Plans of Action and Milestones (POAMs). Since the CMMC architecture was designed to be 100% confirming, POAMs were first not allowed because doing so would have hurt those who took the time and money to be secure. Organizations can only develop POAMs under certain circumstances under CMMC 2.0 to obtain certification. However, the contractors must finish these within 180 days.

Although CMMC 2.0 is still being examined, we continue to advocate that it is best to start preparing right away. 

Those vendors will be required to comply as immediately as CMMC 2.0 is put into operation for DoD contracts. 

Don’t be fooled by the fact that there are fewer stages; the criteria are still challenging and will take effort, resources, and knowledge. Perform an assessment of your environment to determine where you are now, where you need to go, and whether you should pursue certification.

Key Points to remember before becoming CMMC compliant

If a contractor lacks the CMMC necessary level by a DoD contract, they will not be able to keep that contract.

DoD contracts will include CMMC certification as an allowed cost, which entitles contractors to pay for certification-related expenses.

CMMC offers five increasingly more stringent degrees of data security. The CMMC level needed for each contract will be specified, enabling contractors to execute only the security protocols defined in the contract. Whether or not they manage CUI, DoD contractors’ security procedures will be evaluated on a scale of 1 to 5.

The CMMC level of security for the data systems of DoD vendors will be certified by a third-party auditor. This criterion primarily addresses the recurring issue of vendors self-certifying their safety compliance without actually putting the required security measures in place or even comprehending them.

The DoD will create a platform to let certifiers gather metrics while conducting audits. To ensure contractors handle CUI properly, the DoD will also evaluate their compliance with DFARS cybersecurity and NIST.

For all DoD contracts, CMMC establishes a uniform standard for computer security.

The multi-tiered DIB distribution network in the US is where CMMC hopes to improve all contractors’ security posture. To safeguard CUI on their infrastructures and those of their collaborators and subcontractors, it will be confirmed that contractors exercise the proper degree of supervision over their security procedures. Contracting officers will utilize the same method to define the maturity level for their agreements after auditors evaluate subcontractors and award them a CMMC maturity level. The US government will initially use the CMMC model in DoD contracts, but over time it will likely be used by other agencies. Analysts believe that CMMC is a well-considered option for upholding DFARS criteria while continuing to support small firms as federal contractors.