The new CMMC model, which was officially released by the Department of Defense (DoD) in January of this year, ensures DoD contractors have adequate cybersecurity measures in place to protect federal controlled information (FCI) and controlled unclassified information (CUI).
DoD contractors have likely been preparing for months for the CMMC rollout, but perhaps have not had access to the right tools or resources to ensure adequate compliance and prepare for an official audit.
To better prepare for CMMC compliance and get ready for an audit, below are four excellent cybersecurity tools contractors should use:
1. CMMC Guide from CMMC Consultant SysArc
The professional CMMC consultant SysArc has a free CMMC comprehensive guide on its website explaining the Department of Defenses’ intentions with the CMMC. The guide includes an introduction about the models created before CMMC, such as the NIST SP 800-171 cybersecurity framework. Furthermore, the guide interprets the CMMC model, which defines the different levels of cybersecurity hygiene from basic to advanced.
Additionally, you can find important CMMC news, dates, and other items related to the rollout of the CMMC as issued by the CMMC Accreditation body.
It’s also important to note that many DoD contractors hire specialized CMMC consultants such as SysArc to get their business CMMC compliant and ready for an audit. In doing so, DoD contractors can learn their position in relation to their current systems and their compliance needs, helping them bridge the gaps and become compliant.
2. IT Risk Assessment
The second tool a DoD contracting business can use to ensure they’re prepared for a CMMC audit is an IT risk assessment. Whether conducted in-house or outsourced, an IT risk assessment provides companies with a greater understanding of their existing cyber security’s hygiene levels and weaknesses they need to patch to become compliant
By evaluating a company’s IT processes, companies can better assess what controls are not being met in the applicable level of cyber hygiene and how to prioritize issues. This is a big step in becoming totally compliant with the CMMC guidelines.
3. Data Consolidation Services to Eliminate Siloed Data
Siloed data is one of the biggest security weaknesses for any company, often leading to inconsistencies in data among departments over time or even data breaches. If the issue isn’t rectified fast, the problem becomes increasingly worse. Data silos prevent data organization and disables companies from building accurate data reports and insights.
Moreover, one of the main goals of the CMMC is to eliminate siloed data to increase security and make it easier for the organization to function at maximum efficiency. That said, data consolidation is essential to prepare for an audit. Getting data consolidation services from a professional can ensure all your FCI and CUI is adequately organized and protected.
4. PreVeil Solution as an Alternative to GCC High
PreVeil is a file sharing, email to email encryption company, and cloud service. They are dedicated to supporting the privacy of clients within the government sector, which includes encrypting all correspondence and transactions.
PreVeil is an excellent alternative to common tools such as GCC High, which is extremely expensive and difficult to implement, not to mention, it will not help contractors become 100% compliant. PreVeil is considered the gold standard when it comes to end-to-end encryption, and will help you achieve full compliance with an easier and more cost-effective setup.
With CMMC audits enforced by the DoD in motion, DoD contractors need to source efficient and cost-effective solutions to get their business CMMC-ready for an inevitable audit. These four tools above can facilitate the needs of DoD contractors who are approaching an audit while also helping them remain cost-effective, secure, and competitive.
