Are You Ready for CMMC?
The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (“CMMC”) is a unified cybersecurity standard for Department of Defense (“DoD”) acquisitions, aimed at securing the Defense Industrial Base (“DIB”) supply chain. This standard was updated in November of 2021 and is now considered “CMMC 2.0”.
The CMMC framework consists of three levels and can require an independent third-party certification by an accredited organization:
- CMMC Level 1 – Basic safeguarding of Federal Contract Information (FCI)
- CMMC Level 2 – (previous CMMC 1.0 Level 3) Protecting CUI
- CMMC Level 3 – (previous CMMC 1.0 Level 4 and 5) Protecting CUI and reducing risk of advanced Persistent Threats (APT)
CMMC 2.0 encompasses the following:
Certification Timeline
Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (“DFARS”) Clause 252.204.7021, or the “CMMC Clause” is currently under review. Completion of the Federal rulemaking is expected in 2023.
Cherry Bekaert CMMC Third-Party Assessment Organization Authorization
Cherry Bekaert is authorized by the CMMC Accreditation Body, Inc. (The Cyber AB) as a CMMC Third-Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO). As an authorized C3PAO, Cherry Bekaert assists Department of Defense (DoD) contractors seeking a CMMC assessment with CMMC readiness and Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Assessment Center (“DIBCAC”) Joint Surveillance Voluntary Level 2 assessments in partnership with the DIBCAC.
Having undergone Level 2 assessment as a Firm, Cherry Bekaert has a deep understanding of the assessment process to guide DoD contractors seeking a CMMC assessment.
Our services include:
- Certification Level Identification & Consultation
- System Boundary Determination
- Assessment Approach Considerations (Entity-Level vs Enclave vs Hybrid)
- Control Definition & Design
- Documentation Development & Review
- Mapping to Existing Frameworks such as NIST 800-53/171 (FedRAMP, FISMA, DFARS 7012), ISO 27001/2, SOC 2, PCI, HITRUST and Others
- Gap Analysis
- Remediation Design & Verification
- DIBCAC Joint Surveillance Voluntary Level 2 Assessments in Partnership with DIBCAC
Readiness
Our CMMC Readiness Assessments are designed to identify gaps and prescribe pragmatic solutions to remediate, in order to help you achieve the appropriate CMMC Level.
Certifications & Attestations
Our CMMC assessments are streamlined from Planning & Testing though Reporting & Submission to the CMMC-AB to ensure an efficient assessment from beginning to end.
In addition, Cherry Bekaert offers organizations the ability to undergo an attestation to the CMMC Level 1 and Level 2 Standard, NIST 800-171, for those looking for further assurance beyond just a self-assessment. These engagements can be performed individually or in conjunction with an existing SOC 2 audit, e.g., SOC 2+ NIST 800-171.
