What is the CMMC?

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CMMC, short for the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification, is one of the newer certifications under the ISO wing. It’s something that involves contractors and companies engaging with the Department of Defense (DoD).

It’s the initiation point of transforming a particular vendor or contractor’s cybersecurity culture. The CMMC will improve, develop, and enhance certain capabilities of cybersecurity and a defense contractor.

What is the Purpose of the CMMC?

As far as security and safety are concerned, the CMMC’s primary objective is to keep CUIs or Controlled Unclassified Information safe and protected. There are thousands of cybercriminals lurking around, so the DoD would need the assistance of vendors and contractors.

So long as the data is within the governance of the vendors of the Defense Industrial Base (DIB), it shall be kept protected and secured.

CUI is defined by the DoD as governmental information that can be anything, from financial, legal, intelligence, export controls, data; any information that the government creates or possesses.

Levels of CMMC Compliance

Unlike other regular certifications, the CMMC is broken down into five (5) different levels. These levels range from basic cybersecurity hygiene to advanced and highly classified security.

Contractors and vendors wouldn’t be able to reach a level without going through the first one before it. The CMMC compliance levels are:

1. Basic Cybersecurity Hygiene
   1. Practices are performed
   2. Achievable and attainable by small businesses and companies
2. Intermediate Cyber Hygiene
   1. Practices are recorded and documented
   2. Minor resistance against malicious actions and data theft
3. Good Cyber Hygiene
   1. All processes are followed and maintained
   2. Some practices exceed the usual scope of CUI protection
4. Proactive
   1. All processes are changed up and reviewed – improved over time
   2. Advanced cybersecurity practices
   3. Comprehensive knowledge of cyber assets
5. Advanced and Progressive
   1. Enterprise cybersecurity continuous improvement
   2. Most critical and crucial systems
   3. All defensive responses are at computer sped
   4. Highly advanced cybersecurity practices

These are the five (5) levels of the CMMC that you need to get if you want to work with and for the DoD.

Cost of CMMC Certification

If you’re a contractor or a company and you’re looking to work for the DoD, you would need this certification any time soon. How much is it to get this certification? – It depends.

Several factors should be taken into consideration such as the level of the CMMC you wish to attain, market influence and forces, and many more.

3-Year Renewal

Akin to all other ISO certifications, CMMC certificates are only valid for a period of three (3) full years. It wouldn’t be valid on the first day after its third year.

After too few data infiltration and theft, the CMMC is the answer of the DoD to all cybercriminals who might be lurking for some governmental data. By having this certification, all contractors and vendors that would be seen and shown as a certified body would have this defense information to counter and to prepare for whatever leak might happen.