CMMC compliance and general cybersecurity, like most things in life, should never be approached without a plan. When it comes to protecting business assets or sensitive government data, one slip up can be catastrophic for a small-medium sized business. Fortunately, there are tools that empowers SMBs to adequately prepare for CMMC compliance while simultaneously bolstering their security posture. Utilizing the CIS Controls, organizations can feel a greater sense of security when pursuing CMMC compliance.
What is CMMC?
The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is a compliance model that applies to every defense contractor working across the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) developed this model to better protect the controlled unclassified information (CUI) that contractors are entrusted with by the federal government. In its current version, CMMC 2.0, there are three maturity levels that build upon one another. Founded in the controls of NIST 800-171, every defense contractor must comply with one of these three levels.
What are The CIS Controls?
The CIS Controls are a set of actionable best practices that organizations can use, regardless of their size or technology, to better secure their business. The 18 Controls contain various safeguards and protocols that work together to contribute to a greater security posture. Further divided into risk-based size groups called "Implementation Groups", the Controls build upon each other to create an additive security solution. The CIS Controls were also designed to align with most other regulatory frameworks. This means that The Controls can be used to help achieve and maintain CMMC compliance. You can learn more about CIS with CorpInfoTech’s whitepaper: The CIS Controls: A Standardized Framework Alongside a Trusted Partner
How Are They Related?
Inventory and Control of Enterprise Assets
Controls 1-3 are intended to help organizations take stock of the hardware, software, and other technologies that need to be secured against threat actors. This also includes knowing what kind of data is created, stored, or transmitted throughout the network. This directly relates to CMMC, as contractors must make protecting CUI their number one security priority. Understanding the assets that they are responsible for protecting is a key factor in CMMC compliance. Controls 1-3 help ensure this organization.
Secure Configuration of Enterprise Assets and Software
It's one thing to have a comprehensive inventory of your business assets, it's another thing to correctly configure and secure them. Control 4, secure configuration of enterprise assets and software, is important to CMMC as it outlines the safeguards for how you are to protect and configure the technology that holds CUI.
Account Management
Managing who has access to your organizations CUI is integral to ensuring CMMC compliance. Control 5 of the CIS Controls outlines safeguards for creating, assigning, managing, and revoking access credentials for business assets. Not every user requires the same level of privileges as an administrator. Protecting CUI must include some form of account management, and the CIS Controls provides many resources to do so effectively.
Incident Response Management
What does your organization do in the event a data breach occurs? Unfortunately, every business has to plan for this outcome by creating, implementing, and testing their incident response plan. Control 17, incident response management, ensures that organizations establish a comprehensive response plan that includes policies, plans, and procedures for how they are to restore functionality, recoup data loss, and remove the attackers from their systems. In the event that CUI is accessed, every contractor will need to have a plan for how they will response and remediate the situation.
Conclusion
CMMC compliance is a requirement for every DoD contractor, but implementation and maintaining compliance can be difficult. The CIS Controls offer a framework that operationalizes security gives practical solutions to complex problems. However, even with the aid of the Controls, compliance can be hard.
CorpInfoTech is a managed service provider (MSP) that offers IT and security solutions to SMBs, especially for defense contractors looking to achieve CMMC compliance. As early adopters of the Controls, in addition to being the first CIS accredited organization, we are uniquely situated to help organizations implement the controls as it pertains to CMMC. We are also a certified RPO under the CyberAB, meaning we are able to offer our services to DoD contractors and are fully committed to CMMC level 2.
CorpInfoTech can be your partner in making sure you are achieving and maintaining CMMC compliance through the CIS Controls!
Update 10/15: The final CMMC 2.0 rule is here The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification has been officially published into the federal register as a final rule on October 15th. What does this mean for your organization? With this final rule, contractors must take immediate action to protect CUI and align with regulatory requirements! If your business needs guidance on navigating the complexities of CMMC 2.0, CorpInfoTech is here to help.
