CMMC stakeholders expect less talk, more action to shore up contractor security

Perhaps no initiative exemplified this dynamic more than the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program, part of an ambitious push by the Department of Defense to reset the way it measures cybersecurity compliance from its industrial base.

Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification preparation begins for contractors

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program, a Department of Defense initiative announced in January 2020, is in the early stages of the implementation process.

The latest DoD attempt at improving contractor cybersecurity runs into a buzz saw

Industry has launched a pretty strong objection to the latest version of the cybersecurity maturity model certification program, known as CMMC.

Cyber Pros’ Knowledge Gaps Lead to Errors

Three in four successful cyber breaches (74%) have human error in common, according to the 2023 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report. Human errors can contribute to privilege misuse, use of stolen credentials or social engineering tricks.

CMMC's 'father' warn not to wait for final rule

“The smart move is to protect yourself. Now. Not because you have to comply but because you want your enterprise to stay in business,” says Robert Metzger, the "father" of CMMC. COURTESY OF ROGERS JOSEPH O’DONNELL

CMMC ecosystem leader Travis sees opportunities to continue prep for certification program as rulemaking timeline shifts

Matthew Travis, CEO of the accreditation body behind the CMMC program, says he is encouraged by the Pentagon’s “commitment” to move forward with establishing a cyber certification initiative for defense contractors, despite a potential shift in the rulemaking timeline.

Accreditation Body The Cyber AB Advocates for National Cybersecurity Strategy; Matthew Travis Quoted

Accreditation group The Cyber AB expressed its support for the new National Cybersecurity Strategy released by the Biden administration on Thursday.

CMMC leaders push for using NIST controlled unclassified information standard across federal government

The Defense Department’s CMMC leader Stacy Bostjanick and accreditation body CEO Matthew Travis are pushing for the entire federal government to adopt NIST Special Publication 800-171, the Pentagon’s foundational standard for handling sensitive federal data for its cyber certification program, to ensure consistency between defense and civilian requirements.

Security standard revisions should not delay CMMC prep work

Companies should be ready to comply before the eventual release of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification for all firms in the defense industrial base.

Organizations becoming CMMC certified involves several steps:

Becoming CMMC certified involves several steps