How CMMC Exemplifies the Cybersecurity of the Future
Cybersecurity is something that’s a constant worry for many businesses due to the rising number and sophistication of cyber attacks. As such, the US Department of Defense has rolled out strict standards to move the department’s cybersecurity in a more standardized, stringent direction, and to ensure all businesses with a connection to the DoD are protected against the dangers that cyber attacks present today.
The CMMC’s strict guidelines set an example for other regulated industries that very well may become the standard of the future.
The Standards of CMMC Cybersecurity
The CMMC model uses five levels of increasing maturity that organizations handling DoD contracts must reach, depending on the nature of the contracts they take on and the information they handle. This security upgrade has come at an essential time, especially with the disastrous event of the SolarWinds attack serving as a reminder that third-party suppliers should also come into consideration when it comes to cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities.
CMMC provides a minimum level for a company’s cybersecurity in order to prevent attacks from succeeding. These strict and regulated measures are in place to help ensure security not just internally, but also for all external elements of the business, including all those in the supply chain.
Whether those parties are vendors, suppliers, or other partners, they’re all responsible for maintaining secure practices to protect themselves and their partners, customers, and suppliers.
Due to the highly regulated nature of CMMC (and the fact that it’s still in the process of being implemented), many DoD contractors and subcontractors choose to seek organizations offering specific cybersecurity services for DoD contractors to help them navigate CMMC compliance and its many changes.
How CMMC Sets the Bar for Cybersecurity
It’s no surprise that security threats are becoming ever more apparent, especially as the hackers hone their skills and become more effective in successfully hacking or spreading malicious software.
As the internet and technology develop, so too should a business’s strategy and solutions towards cybersecurity. To help continue protecting the DoD, customer information, and the business’s own intellectual property, the milestones that CMMC offers helps continue in keeping the awareness of cybersecurity apparent for all involved in the business itself.
CMMC raises the bar for cybersecurity in the future by implementing a standardized methodology for tracking and assessing compliance that could be used in other industries in the future, as well as by emphasizing supply chain security.
Meeting the standards set out by the CMMC are challenging and that in itself can prove quite difficult for a lot of companies to attain. However, such strict standards mean that once you’ve met them, the business as a whole and all those down the supply chain are going to be better protected as a result.
The Importance of Using CMMC
It’s essential for any business that has a presence online and uses technology to ensure its data is kept secure. The more partnerships, vendors, or suppliers that you work with, the more risk that builds up as a result. By getting an audit and working to meet CMMC’s certification standards, it’s likely going to help prevent major cyber-attacks from happening in the future.
Many businesses fail to bounce back after a data breach or breach in their security, so it’s necessary for every business to take the security measures to prevent attacks before they can have devastating consequences.