Defense Department Releases Companion CMMC Public Comment

Defense Department Releases Companion Video for CMMC Public Comment Period

Feb. 15, 2024 | By C. Todd Lopez, DOD News

In a bid to demystify the intricacies and significance of the recently published proposed rule for its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program, the Defense Department has unveiled an informative video resource.

Tailored to enlighten members of the defense industrial base and other stakeholders, the video elucidates the nuances of the proposed rule for the CMMC program. Its primary objective is to assist stakeholders in comprehending the intricacies of the program and to facilitate their preparation of comments and feedback for the upcoming review process, shaping the finalization of the CMMC program proposed rule.

A 60-day public comment period on the proposed rule commenced on Dec. 26, 2023, and will conclude on Feb. 26 at 11:59 p.m. The feedback received during this period will be meticulously reviewed and will play a pivotal role in informing the final rule.

At its core, the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program serves as a mechanism for the Defense Department to ascertain the preparedness of defense contractors, regardless of size, in managing controlled unclassified information and federal contract information in compliance with federal regulations.

Central to the program's execution are the authorized CMMC "third-party assessment organizations" (C3PAOs), tasked with conducting CMMC Level 2 certification assessments for interested companies. The Department will oversee CMMC Level 3 assessments.

Although the Department does not remunerate C3PAOs, it does establish the requirements governing their operations. Gurpreet Bhatia, the DOD Chief Information Officer's principal director for cybersecurity, underscores the program's significance in safeguarding crucial DOD information from adversarial incursions.

Bhatia emphasizes that the CMMC program is pivotal in bolstering defense contractors' compliance with cybersecurity regulations while enabling the DOD to monitor compliance status effectively.

He underscores the Department's unwavering commitment to implementing the CMMC Program, underscoring its pivotal role in fortifying the protection of DOD's sensitive information. Bhatia urges stakeholders to seize the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed CMMC rule, underscoring the importance of collaborative efforts in enhancing cybersecurity and safeguarding DOD information assets.

The Majority Of US Defense Contractors Fails To Meet Basic Cybersecurity Standards.

 According to the study, this could have severe consequences for defense contractors, with nearly half losing up to 60% of their revenue if DoD contracts are lost.

"CMMC is a set of commercially reasonable standards to protect data," said CyberSecOp CISO. Organizations must address it as a part of doing business or risk losing the contract. “Nearly nine in ten (90%) of US defense contractors need to meet basic cybersecurity regulatory requirements.

According to the survey, defense contractors still need to implement basic standards. A sampling:

·        35% have security information and event management (SIEM)

·        39% have an endpoint detection response solution (EDR)

·        18% have a vulnerability management solution

·        28% have multi-factor authentication (MFA)

Defense contractors are being targeted by state hackers.

Defense contractors are a popular target for nation-state groups due to the sensitive information they possess about the US military. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an advisory in October 2022 highlighting advanced persistent threat (APT) activity detected on a defense organization's enterprise network.

CyberSecOp CISO is concerned that four out of five defense contractors reported a cyber-related incident, with nearly three out of five reporting business loss due to a cyber-related event.

CyberSecOp is a CMMC-AB REGISTERED PROVIDER ORGANIZATION (RPO)

DOD has made an effort to simplify CMMC, but it is undoubtedly still complicated. CMMC is based on several other standards, including DFARS, 800-171, and ISO 27001. Utilizing all the above information security standards make it very challenging for most DOD contractors to copy with CMMC. Get compliant with CyberSecOp CMMC Assessment, Security Program & Advisory Services.

CyberSecOp Becomes A CMMC Register Provider Organization

CyberSecOp is a leading Cybersecurity Services Provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) advisory services and cyber security solutions.  

CyberSecOp is an CMMC Registered Provider Organization (RPO) listed on the CMMC-AB Marketplace. Our organization staff have passed the RP Exam, Background Check and signed the RPO agreement, indicating our commitment to comply with the CMMC-AB Code of Professional Conduct. CyberSecOp is also an ISO 27001-certified organization.

 What are CMMC-AB, CMMC, and the Responsibility of the RPO Designation?

 CMMC-AB authorizes RPOs to provide CMMC consulting services in support of government contractors, supply chain/DoD suppliers, and organizations seeking certification within the Defense Industrial Base (DIB).

The CMMC-AB is an independent accreditation body that manages the CMMC on behalf of the DoD. The CMMC framework is a set of mandatory cybersecurity requirements that all contractors within the DoD supply chain will be required to implement and, beginning this year, to have verified by an independent CMMC Third Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO). CMMC was created to address the ongoing theft of and unauthorized access to Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) by foreign adversaries through the enforcement of good cyber hygiene and best practices. 

It initially launched in June 2020 and formally announced in August 2020 that it was accepting applications for five types of credentialed roles within the CMMC ecosystem. These include the following:

·         C3PAOs

·         Certified Assessors (CAs)

·         Certified Professionals (CPs)

·         Licensed Partner Publishers (LPPs)

·         Registered Practitioners (RPs)

·         Registered Provider Organizations (RPOs)

The CMMC framework establishes five certification levels with a defined security posture or maturity level an organization must achieve, determined by the sensitivity of the information they handle. These are outlined below:

How can CyberSecOp help your organization with CMMC?

CyberSecOp has created a suite of advisory services to help organizations effectively plan and prepare for an official CMMC assessment: CMMC Consulting, CMMC Readiness, Assessments, CMMC-RPO, CMMC Gap Analysis, DFARS, ITAR, VCISO, MSSP, NIST 800 53, and NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), NIST 800-171, Security Services.

 CMMC Scoping Workshop – determine the type of data and the required CMMC maturity level needed. Identify how data is received, stored, shared and handled on all information systems.

CMMC Gap Analysis – identify discrepancies between current state and CMMC maturity levels as determined in the scoping workshop. The CMMC Gap Analysis will provide areas of weakness that need to be targeted to reach the desired maturity level.

 CMMC Remediation Strategy –assist the organization with remediation efforts, including resolving discrepancies identified in the CMMC Gap Analysis and creating a strategic plan for remediation. This process may include security control testing, polices, procedures and plan creation to close all known gaps related to the desired maturity level. 

VCISO (Virtual Chief Information Security Officer) – CyberSecOp provides a board-level security expert backed by a team of professionals to ensure continuous compliance and maintain the maturity level as threats, infrastructure and business objectives evolve. Services include the following.

•  Compliance Advisory Consulting Services

• CMMC Readiness

• Vulnerability and Penetration Testing Assessment

• Ransomware Response

• Forensic Analysis

• 24/7/365 Security Operations Center (SOC)

• Cyber Security Consulting

• CMMC Cybersecurity RP, RPO

• Incident Response & Incident Management

• Security Assessments

• Security Awareness

• Data Loss Prevention 

About CyberSecOp

 Cyber Security Operations Consulting (CyberSecOp) is an innovative cybersecurity firm, providing consultants and managed security services to empower businesses since 2001. Our IT & cybersecurity consulting services protect you from cyber criminals in myriad ways. From implementing individualized Cyber Security Programs, which include written Information Security Programs, Incident Response Policies and Plans, and Cybersecurity Assessments, to offering the best-in-class cybersecurity consulting, tools, and IT security solutions, we do it all.

CyberSecOp is an CMMC-AB RPO & ISO 27001 Certified Organization - join thousands of businesses by putting your security in our hands. For more information about CyberSecOp and CMMC, contact us at 866-973-2677, Sales@CyberSecOp.com or visit: www.CyberSecOp.com.