The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program is officially here. As such, any companies that contract with the Department of Defense (DoD) need to understand the security requirements at hand and establish a plan to become CMMC compliant.
Any organization that works on DoD contracts in any capacity will be subject to CMMC compliance. While security teams will have some time to bring their protocols up to the CMMC standard before these requirements are actively written into contracts and enforced, the assessment process alone can take 18-24 months. This makes it crucial for organizations to start now.
By getting ahead of the CMMC requirements for DoD contracts, your organization will have an easier time achieving certification, be able to cement your position as a security-first contractor, and take comfort knowing your company, client, and employee data are all protected.
CMMC Requirements Overview
The CMMC program categorizes companies by the sophistication of their security between three distinct levels. The first is the most basic and just includes the 17 fundamental security protocols outlined by NIST. The second level, which most organizations seeking CMMC will fall into, includes the full suite of 110 controls that make up NIST 800-171.
Level three compliance is rarely necessary but deals with another 30+ security controls as outlined by NIST 800-172.
Fill out the form below for a more in-depth look at what each CMMC level entails and how you can get your organization on a path to compliance.
At its core, the CMMC 2.0 model is designed to help the DoD ensure that the contractors and third-party vendors they rely on meet a security standard that suits the sensitive nature of government data. This goes beyond data protection and also prevents threat actors from gaining access to government systems by infiltrating a third-party vendor and moving laterally.
Despite being announced in 2019, CMMC requirements haven’t been enforceable. That’s all about to change, though, as the cybersecurity model is now official. As such, once these regulations have made it through the necessary government bodies, they’ll start appearing in contracts as soon as Q2 2025.
For organizations looking to start their CMMC journey, this breakdown explains its significance, defines the three levels of compliance in detail, and gives organizations an overview of the controls required for CMMC 2.0 compliance.
