Why Did The DoD Create CMMC?
Why did the DoD create CMMC? SSE shares insights and information into why the DoD create CMMC and how your organization can become compliant.
Request A CMMC Readiness AssessmentLearn More About CMMC and NIST Compliance
Check out some of our technology and DOD cybersecurity articles.
Contact us
About SSE
SSE is a certified Women-Owned Small Business with over 30 years of experience in both the technology and training industries, serving commercial and government markets.
CMMC: Why Did The US Department of Defence Create These Critical Security Guidelines
From 2017, the US Department of Defence (DoD) subcontractors had to complete a System Security Plan (SSP) and a Plan of Actions & Milestones (POA&M) for assessment of their cybersecurity stance according to the NIST 800-171 standard. This standard comprises 110 controls and requires analysis of a subcontractor’s response to cybersecurity needs and implementation outcomes.
However, by 2019, the Department realized that neither government acquisition officers nor those working for prime contractors, or subcontractors responded adequately to the regulations. For this reason, with Congressional approval, the DoD commissioned updated regulations and standards known as the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), which are mandatory for all DoD contracts from September 2020.
Previously DoD contractors had the responsibility for the implementation, monitoring, and certification of the integrity of their IT systems and the sensitive DoD information that these systems generated, stored, or transmitted.
Although contractors are still responsible for ensuring the implementation of essential cybersecurity measures, the CMMC alters this paradigm. It requires a third-party assessment of compliance with procedures, capabilities, and specific mandatory requirements to help them adapt to new cyber threats from adversaries of the US.
What is CMMC?
CMMC is a unified cybersecurity standard implemented across the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) sector, which has more than 300,000 companies in the DoD’s supply chain. This standard is the Department’s response to recent significant compromises of defense-related information housed on its contractors’ IT systems.
The Department of Defense released version 1 of the CMMC standard on January 31, 2020. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers and University Affiliated Research Centers offered significant input in drafting the rule.
CMMC specifies five certification levels, which reflect how mature and reliable a company’s cybersecurity infrastructure is. These levels are tiered, and each builds upon the previous level’s technical requirements. Higher levels require a contractor to comply with the requirements of lower levels fully and institutionalize the processes needed for specific cybersecurity practices.
Reasons for the Introduction of CMMC Regulations
Although various past regulations have had cybersecurity components, the new certification standard comes into force to address digital security issues like:
According to a recent Defense Science Board Task Force report, the US military electronics supply chain is particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks, making an overhaul necessary to protect weapons systems from their initial design to the end of their field life.
What Impact Is CMMC Expected To Have?
As the trust and self-attestation model used in the past results in information loss, the DoD has acted to enact the CMMC standard to reduce unauthorized exfiltration of Federal Contract Information (FCI) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). Defense contractors can expect an increase in cybersecurity prequalification requirements, severe penalties for non-compliance, and supply chain enforcement.
Compliance officers, corporate legal departments, and senior executives will be responsible for interpreting and enforcing the laws, compliance standards, and regulatory requirements of CMMC within their organizations and ensure mitigation of current and potential business risks.
Several other US government civilian federal contracts have adopted the CMMC standard. CMMC is likely to be chosen as a new cybersecurity standard in future commercial and government contracts. CMMC certification, once granted, remains valid for three years.
Industry-leading Cybersecurity Consulting for DOD Subcontractors
Cybersecurity is essential for the success of any modern business. Additionally, the DoD also identifies data security as a vital aspect of national security. If you are involved in the defense industry and want to work with the DoD while maintaining your competitive edge, you should make CMMC certification a priority.
A crucial part of the certification is a third-party assessment of your cybersecurity posture. SSE Inc is an ISO certified IT services solutions provider and cybersecurity consultancy working in corporate governance, cybersecurity space, and compliance with clients in finance, banking, and DoD contracting.
SSE will carry out a gap assessment of your internal network against the requirements of CMMC, to give your company report on its findings and recommend remediation measures of issues identified in the evaluation.
Visit SSE Inc today and Schedule a CMMC consultation with experienced compliance professionals.