How to Prepare for CMMC 2.0
In 2020 the Department of Defense (DoD) launched the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) to enforce the protection of sensitive unclassified information that’s shared with DoD contractors and subcontractors. However, in 2021 DoD reviewed the CMMC framework and overhauled it after input from industry leaders. After completing the overhaul, CMMC 2.0 was announced and is the current version of CMMC that will apply to all contractors and subcontractors of the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) that handle sensitive unclassified information in their work for the DoD once the rulemaking phase is complete.
When people talk about CMMC, they’re usually referring to the Level 2 certification that requires an assessment by a Certified Third Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO). CMMC Level 2 is based on NIST SP 800-171, which encapsulates the basic security requirements of FAR 52.204-21 that make up Level 1 and provides its own security controls derived from those basic security requirements. CMMC Level 3 is based on NIST SP 800-172 but is out of scope for most organizations and is not a subject for discussion in this article. CMMC Level 2 has 110 practices that an organization must implement. While that can sound like a heavy lift, current DoD contractors may already be legally required to implement these practices even before CMMC. CMMC is an enforcement mechanism for security practices already required under federal law. Many DoD contracts already require the implementation of NIST SP 800-171 under DFARS 252.204-7012. CMMC attempts to verify that these practices are being implemented through third party assessments. If you are a DoD contractor with contracts subject to DFARS 7012, 7019, or 7020 you should be implementing these CMMC practices already. If you’re not already implementing the 110 practices outlined by NIST SP 800-171, the time to implement them isn’t when CMMC begins to show up in solicitations– its now, whether to prepare for the inevitable rollout of CMMC or to bring your organization in line with the commitments its made under DFARS 7012.
As you prepare for CMMC, it is important to determine what Level certification you will likely require and what information is in scope of CMMC. CMMC Level 1 revolves around Federal Contract Information (FCI), while CMMC Level 2 revolves around Controlled Unclassified Information. The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) has a good FAQ discussing FCI and CUI and how they differ from one another. In short, FCI is “information not intended for public release. FCI is provided by or generated for the Federal Government under a contract to develop or deliver a product or service.” And CUI is unclassified information that may still require “safeguarding and may also be subject to dissemination controls.” Once you’ve determined what information you currently process and what information you’re likely to process in future contracts, you can prepare for the correct level of CMMC. To begin, you’ll want to map what information is within the scope of CUI and FCI and where within your organization that information is stored and processed. CMMC does not require that all controls apply to the entire organization, just the enclave in which CUI and FCI are stored or processed. For smaller organizations this is likely irrelevant as it will be negligible to implement the appropriate CMMC practices across the entire organization versus the subset within the scope of CMMC, but for larger organizations making sure the in-scope information is only found within the necessary enclave can significantly reduce the burden of CMMC.
Once you’ve assessed where CUI and FCI are stored or processed and potentially contained within an enclave in your organization, you should begin a gap assessment to determine what controls to implement in order to satisfy the appropriate practices for your organization’s Level of CMMC. Level 1 maps to FAR 52.204-21, while Level 2 maps to NIST SP 800-171 rev 2. Both are publicly available, but DoD has provided a CMMC Assessment Guide for each Level. Each CMMC Assessment Guide gives additional discussion and considerations that are useful when considering your current controls and when implementing new controls to meet the required CMMC practices. If you are a contractor currently subject to DFARS 7019, you are required to conduct self assessments against NIST SP 800-171 and submit your score to the Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS). In this case, you may not need to conduct an additional gap assessment as you should already understand where your organization’s shortcomings are if you’ve taken these statutory and contractual requirements seriously.
When conducting an SPRS self-assessment, you start with a score of 110 and can go down to -203 as you subtract points for missing or insufficient controls. Each practice is worth either 1, 3, or 5 points, and there is no partial credit except for two of the 5-point practices. While we are still in the final rulemaking phase of CMMC 2.0, and some minor details could change, it’s important to note that it’s currently being discussed that to receive your CMMC certification, you’ll need to have met 80% of the practices and have met all of the 5 points SPRS practices. If you fail to meet 80% of those practices along with all the 5-point SPRS practices for your CMMC Level, you will not be able to achieve your certification even with the appropriate POAMs (Plan of Action and Milestones). Once you have completed a gap or self-assessment, you should begin working on completing the Security System Plan (SSP) and a Plan of Action and Milestones. Having those documents prepared and continuously updating them as you implement more controls to meet the practices required by the Level of certification you want or need to achieve will ensure your organization is not scrambling when CMMC requirements begin to appear in DoD contracts after the final rulemaking phase has ended.
Curious if CMMC is the right path for your business? Or could you use some assistance preparing for your CMMC Certification? Either way, CyberData Pros provides you with the guidance to prepare and achieve certification. We maintain a 100% audit success rate! Contact us now for a free consultation and to learn more about our services.