Experts can help your business achieve CMMC readiness
By Corinne Minard
If you’re considering becoming a Department of Defense (DoD) contractor, you’ve probably seen that Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) readiness is now a requirement.
“It involves understanding your current cybersecurity posture, identifying gaps against the required CMMC level and preparing your systems, processes and documentation to meet those standards. True readiness goes beyond documentation and includes having controls properly implemented, aligned and supported by evidence,” says Carly Devlin, shareholder, IT Risk & Cybersecurity, at Clark Schaefer Consulting.
While there are checklists businesses can use to see if they’re CMMC compliant, experts advise against this. “Policies may be drafted, forms filled out and a few security controls implemented, but real readiness requires evidence that controls are implemented and functioning across your organization,” sats Devlin. “Auditors require proof that processes are executed consistently. Evidence can include system logs, access records, user activity and other documentation demonstrating control effectiveness. A policy sitting on a shelf will not satisfy CMMC requirements.”
A CMMC expert can help a business ensure they meet all the requirements when needed, avoiding a possible contract award delay and extra costs needed to remediate deficiencies.
“Working with a CMMC expert early helps organizations accurately understand requirements and avoid common mistakes such as mis-scoping the environment, overlooking control gaps or relying on incomplete assumptions about compliance. An expert can help identify gaps, prioritize remediation, and ensure policies, procedures and technical controls are properly aligned and documented. This reduces the risk of delays and failed assessments,” says Devlin.
One way this can be done is through a CMMC readiness and gap assessment.
Says Devlin, “A readiness and gap assessment is a structured evaluation of an organization’s current cybersecurity posture against the requirements of a target CMMC level. It helps determine how prepared an organization is for certification while identifying where gaps exist. The assessment reviews existing policies, processes and technical controls, then maps them to CMMC requirements to highlight areas that are already in place and those that need improvement. The result is a clear understanding of current readiness along with a prioritized roadmap for remediation, often supported by documentation such as a System Security Plan (SSP) and Plan of Action & Milestones (POA&M). In practice, the ‘gap’ portion identifies what’s missing, while the ‘readiness’ aspect reflects how prepared the organization is to move forward toward certification.”
Clark Schefer Consulting is one such organization that offers this service. It also offers additional help to companies seeking CMMC readiness, including remediation support, POA&M development, mock assessments, assessment preparation and ongoing compliance monitoring.
“This helps organizations move from initial evaluation through certification and maintain compliance over time with confidence,” says Devlin.
To learn more about Clark Schaefer Consulting and CMMC readiness visit their website.
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