Madison Genthry 
Are threats against your company alarming?
As partners of the Department of Defense, businesses are required to adhere to stringent security standards as mandated through the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). Failure to comply with these standards will result in the loss of the contract, and sensitive data will be compromised.
Additionally, over 300,000 defense contractors must comply with CMMC, but the security framework is complicated and scares many. Then, how can your organization ensure it meets these standards without getting overwhelmed? Understanding the required tasks helps you achieve compliance with ease.
This guide offers the necessary steps to become CMMC compliant. You will learn how to prepare for the audits, implement security protocols, and train staff adequately. With these steps, you can protect confidential data, pass audits, and show effort in cybersecurity.
1. Prepare for Third-Party Assessments
Preparation for the external auditors is an essential component of CMMC requirements. You want to know what these auditors will look for when they visit, and preparation will save you time, money, and stress.
As a first step, get all your security documentation into one place. You should put in place your procedures, your policy, and your records of security activities. When the assessors arrive, they will seek proof that you comply with the standards. Thus, you can provide them with screenshots, records, and logs of security activities. You can have a folder on your computer with all these items for easier access.
You must also identify one member of your staff who will accompany the assessors during their visit. The accompanying staff must know your security precautions from top to bottom, answer questions directly, and walk the assessors through your systems.
2. Understand the CMMC Framework and Levels
The CMMC model contains different levels that define how strong your security needs to be. Knowing the levels tells you exactly where you need to be with your company, helping prevent you from doing too little or too much.
Level 1 is the most basic level with the least amount of protection. You must protect Federal Contract Information by implementing 17 different security controls. You’ll need to use passwords, patch software, and check who is allowed into your systems. Therefore, this could be your goal level if this is your first time contracting with the government.
In addition, Level 2 builds upon Level 1 with further protection for Controlled Unclassified Information. You are required to follow 110 security practices here. These include further sophisticated measures such as network monitoring, data encryption, and contingency planning.
Level 3 offers further protection with 130 practices overall. The higher the level, the better the protection, but the more work your staff will have to do. Hence, check with your government contacts and see which level you must comply with.
3. Develop and Document Cybersecurity Policies and Procedures
The most crucial factor in CMMC’s success is having good, definitive security rules for your business. You require written records describing how you safeguard the information as the documentation guides security processes.
Begin by drafting basic security policies that all users must adhere to. You can mention passwords, internet use, and dealing with sensitive information. Furthermore, you need to keep the policies easy for all users to adhere to by making them as simple as possible as to what the users need to do and not do. For instance, state how frequently passwords must be changed and how secure they must be.
Additionally, step-by-step instructions for security actions should be established. These need to detail how data backup or reporting a security event is done. You can do this using plain language and adding graphics where appropriate.
4. Implement Required Security Controls
Security control implementation is where planning meets reality. To protect your data, you must practice technical and organizational control measures, as it is the hands-on side of CMMC compliance.
Begin with the basics, like firewalls and antivirus protection. For example, you can install software on every computer and device and program it to automatically update with the latest protection.
Furthermore, you should employ strong passwords and two-factor authentication. This adds a second level of protection beyond passwords. After doing all these, you should also control the access to confidential data based on job requirements.
5. Conduct Regular Self-Assessments and Audits
Regularly assessing your security helps you detect and resolve problems before they become critical. Self-assessments are practices that prepare you for official CMMC assessments as they keep you compliant all year round.
In addition, you should conduct two-month self-audits based on official CMMC evaluation guidelines. Check each requirement and honestly evaluate how well you are fulfilling it. Use a simple rating scale like “fully implemented,” “partially implemented,” or “not implemented.” This helps you recognize improvement with time. After this, you should pay close attention to where your practice does not comply with the requirements.
6. Provide Cybersecurity Training and Awareness
Training your team on security is also an essential task on this list. Even with the best technical controls, people can become security liabilities. Therefore, your team must learn how to protect information daily.
Moreover, you can develop a course on the basics of security. Topics include phishing email identification, password policy, and sensitive data handling. Use real-world examples of your company’s operations and make the course interactive with quizzes and hands-on practice. This helps the team remember what is learned.
Conclusion
With these six critical tasks completed, you’ll be better positioned for CMMC compliance. Remember that cybersecurity is a continuous process, not a one-time project. Therefore, you must stay alert and informed and evolve as threats evolve. Your efforts to protect information protect your organization and national security interests. Thus, what you do today will lay the groundwork for your future security success.
