Navigating CMMC Compliance for Your Business
Doing business with the Department of Defense (DoD)? While you used to be able to self-certify compliance through NIST 800-171 cybersecurity framework, now Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is the law of the land. CMMC ensures a strong defense against cyber risk by verifying that contractors have robust practices regarding controlled unclassified information (CUI). Third-party validation ensures that companies comply according to their level of risk.
With this new third-party assessment of contracted companies, you must select one of five maturity levels for your operation and processes.
- Level 1 — Safeguard Federal Contract Information (FCI)
- Level 2 — Serve as a transition step in cybersecurity maturity progression to protect Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI)
- Level 3 — Protect Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI)
- Levels 4 & 5 — Protect CUI and reduce risk of Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)
We can help you meet the military security standards of CMMC.
“Ensuring your company falls into the right maturity level is one of the most challenging parts of CMMC compliance.
If you choose too low a level, you won't be in compliance.
Choose too high a level and you are spending more money than you need to.”
— BRIAN RODGERS, CEO, AEKO TECHNOLOGIES
CMMC: The Time Is Now
The switch to CMMC, with its goal of deterring breaches, disruptions and IP theft in the supply chain of defense contractors, is ongoing. As part of CMMC, contractors will be audited to ensure compliance with one of five regulatory levels. CMMC also measures the extent to which contractors have institutionalized cybersecurity practices and processes.
If you contract work with the Department of Defense and need help meeting CMMC regulations, choosing the right compliance level to target or preparing for an audit, contact us. We will work with your IT department or complete it for you as a managed service provider (MSP).
Our AEKO Technologies Compliance Processes
To maintain compliance, you must continue to monitor and review activities. When you ask our team to work with you on CMMC or other compliance issues, we:
- Assess your current systems and interview stakeholders.
- Complete a gap analysis that compares what you are currently doing to compliance requirements.
- Develop controls to both meet CMMC requirements and operate your business efficiently.
- Provide ongoing reviews to ensure the controls continue to work from a business-first perspective.
In-house or Outsourced CMMC Compliance?
Your organization can work to meet CMMC compliance alone. With the right in-house resources and IT staff, you can meet the appropriate CMMC cyber security level. In-house teams will find valuable direction on the Under Secretary of Defense CMMC webpage.
DoD contractors are ultimately responsible for making sure their companies meet cybersecurity requirements. However, many contractors don’t have the resources or IT staff available to ensure compliance. In these cases, they outsource the task to a managed service provider (MSP) like Aeko Technologies.
The First Step in CMMC
Whether you choose to align your company using in-house resources or outsourced, it helps to know the gap between the requirements and where you are today. The best way to do this is to have a third party (such as Aeko Technologies) perform a gap assessment to uncover systems and processes that don’t meet the required controls.