The Rea Report | Fall 2021 | Page 8

ARE YOU

CERTIFIED ?

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification designation and your business

Currently , over 300,000 companies conduct business with the U . S . Department of Defense ( DoD ). If yours is one of them , or you ’ re interested in working with the DoD in the future , you need to know about the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification ( CMMC ) and what it means for your business .
CMMC And Me : What It Is And Why You Need It
Introduced in 2020 , CMMC is a certification that businesses are now required to obtain in order to begin or continue business with the DoD . CMMC is comprised of five levels of certifications that ensure the maturity and reliability of your business ’ s cybersecurity capabilities , to better protect sensitive data stored within your systems . These five levels build upon each of the previous levels ’ requirements and work together to establish a secure cybersecurity baseline across your business . Levels range in requirements from “ basic cyber hygiene ” to more sophisticated processes that allow for continued updates and improvements of your business ’ s cybersecurity plan . The goal is to help ensure your business has the capability to not only detect potential threats , but to prevent new threats as they develop .
This requirement comes as part of a larger effort within the DoD to respond to recent cyberattacks and prevent sensitive information from being extracted from contractors ’ information systems . Working alongside top researchers , the DoD designed CMMC as a way to ensure that all contractors they work with have unified cybersecurity protocols in place to better prevent against threats and attacks . In this new system , businesses must attain the certification to prove they can adequately protect sensitive information . Businesses that do not comply with CMMC will be unable to conduct business with the DoD or apply for future contracts until CMMC compliance is met .
Overview : What You Need to Know About CMMC Compliance
The first step to becoming CMMC-compliant is recognizing that your business needs a plan to become certified sooner rather than later . Here ’ s what you need to know :
• GETTING AHEAD WILL ONLY BENEFIT YOU . Preparing for CMMC early can help streamline the process and help make the certification easier to obtain .
• TAKE STOCK OF YOUR BUSINESS ’ S CYBERSECURITY IN- FRASTRUCTURE . Note current practices that may already comply with CMMC and identify potential areas of weakness that will need to be addressed .
• REGISTER WITH A CMMC THIRD-PARTY ASSESSOR ORGANIZATION ( C3PAO ). To ensure a greater level of accuracy and unbiased assessment , authorized C3PAOs are responsible for issuing CMMC certificates to businesses – not the DoD directly . As of June 2021 , Rea & Associates earned recognition as a CMMC-RP and is on the way to becoming a C3PAO .