March 19, 2024

Enterprise JM

Do the Business

What Does CMMC Mean For Contractors

Cyber-attacks have become a daily occurrence in the digital world. Companies of all sizes are continuously targeted by hackers, who want to access their financial data, trading secrets, or sensitive information. This constant threat is what drives businesses to implement standardized cyber-security protocols to ensure they are protecting all digital assets. Contractors are being tasked with implementing these new security measures, but they don’t know where to begin. Many contracting companies are turning to the CMMC certification as the end-point for assessing a contracting firm’s cyber-security maturity level. The CMMC is an internationally-recognized standard that lists the skills, processes, and practices a contractor must have in order to implement cyber security. What is the CMMC? And, how will it help you implement cyber security as a contractor? Let’s take a closer look. 

What is the CMMC? 

The CMMC is a standard used by security auditing firms to evaluate a company’s cyber-security maturity. It was created by the Cyber Security Organization, a non-profit that seeks to ensure that organizations are equipped with the right cyber-security skills. The CMMC is a risk-based standard that focuses on four key areas of cyber security:  

  • Risk Analysis  
  • Threat Assessment  
  • Incident Response  
  • Threat Intelligence   

The CMMC will help contractors assess the cyber-security maturity of their business through a self-assessment questionnaire. The questionnaire will help determine a company’s cyber-security skills level, which will determine how much a company will have to invest in cyber-security training. The CMMC will provide a complete evaluation of a company’s cyber-security infrastructure, which will help contractors improve their cyber-security skills and implement better cyber-security practices for their customers. 

How the CMMC Helps Contractors Implement Cyber Security 

The CMMC will help contractors assess the cyber-security maturity of their business through a self-assessment questionnaire. The questionnaire will help determine a company’s cyber-security skills level, which will determine how much a company will have to invest in cyber-security training. The CMMC will provide a complete evaluation of a company’s cyber-security infrastructure, which will help contractors improve their cyber-security skills and implement better cyber-security practices for their customers. The CMMC will help contractors assess the cyber-security maturity of their business through a self-assessment questionnaire. The questionnaire will help determine a company’s cyber-security skills level, which will determine how much a company will have to invest in cyber-security training. The CMMC will provide a complete evaluation of a company’s cyber-security infrastructure, which will help contractors improve their cyber-security skills and implement better cyber-security practices for their customers. 

How to Become CMMC Certified 

First, it’s important to note that the CMMC certification is a requirement for many government contracts. The U.S. Army, for example, requires that vendors have CMMC certification. The certification can be earned through the vendor-neutral CyberSecurityTraining.org (CTT) training platform or by earning the credentials of an authorized training provider. To become certified, you’ll need to pass two exams: The CTT Syllabus exam will test your knowledge of cyber-security topics, while the CTT Practical exam will test your ability to implement the learning from the Syllabus exam. Passing these exams will allow you to apply for vendor authorization to become certified by an authorized training provider. Once authorized, you can then use that authorization to register for training courses through CTT. You can also self-study, but remember that the CMMC certification is only valid for three years. So, it’s important to keep up with cyber-security training to ensure your firm is prepared for potential threats. 

Key Takeaway 

As a contractor, you can benefit greatly from the CMMC certification. It’s a way to measure your cyber-security maturity level and help you implement better cyber-security practices for your customers. Keep up with training to stay certified and ready for any threat that may come your way.