DFARS 252.204-7021: CMMC Compliance

Fulfill the requirement for all defense contractors to secure data handling and record-keeping of federal contract information – FCI and controlled unclassified information – CUI. Achieve compliance with true experts through CyNtell (a licensed RPO by the CyberAB).

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Relationship between DFARS, CMMC, and NIST SP 800-171

DFARS 252.204-7021 is one of the three clauses in the DFARS 70 series. DFARS 7021 is a guiding requirement for use in solicitations and contracts. The DFARS 7021 clause of CMMC requires DoD contractors to maintain their appropriate CMMC level with respect to each contract, while also ensuring any subcontractors are in compliance with the same CMMC level; this will be required for the duration of the contract and must be reassessed every 3 years.

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is a framework with the objective of securing federal contract information (FCI) and controlled unclassified information (CUI) that is stored, processed, or transmitted by defense contractors and the entire defense industrial base (DIB). CMMC builds on the existing NIST SP 800-171 requirements.

At a minimum, every DoD contractor must meet DFARS 7020 which requires the entity to enter a current assessment score into the Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS). The SPRS score must be reported annually and is the result of a NIST SP 800-171 gap assessment.

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification 2.0 (CMMC 2.0) requirements are now introduced into the federal regulatory framework with the addition of DFARS 7021.

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Compliance with DFARS 252.204-7021: Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification

If your organization handles Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), then becoming CMMC 2.0 Level 2+ compliant is essential and inevitable. You must ensure that your organization, as well as all subcontractors, are CMMC compliant to the level that your contract requires at the time of contract award. The Federal Register asserts that in order to achieve a specific CMMC level, a Defense Industrial Base (DIB) company must demonstrate both process institutionalization or maturity and the implementation of practices commensurate with that level.

At a minimum, in order to prepare for DFARS 7021:CMMC, your organization’s information systems and organizational processes need to be configured or aligned to the 110 NIST SP 800-171 controls. Achieving this level of compliance requires a deep analysis and assessment of procedures and security protocols and, more often than not, requires assessment by a CMMC third-party assessor organization (RPO) like CyNtell.

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Advantages of Having a Compliant Environment

Protection of Vital Assets

CMMC is a cybersecurity framework that attests to the security of an organization’s data processing and storage systems. As information leaks are unpredictable and often unavoidable, being compliant with these standards makes certain that an organization has protocols in place to protect federal contract information and controlled unclassified information with secure data handling and record-keeping.

Reducing Downtime

Being DFARS 252.204-7021: CMMC compliant will ensure that a DIB company has proper procedures in place to effectively avoid data leaks. Quick detection and response time will minimize the overall impact of such data breaches and save a company the detriment of any potential downtime.

Avoiding Loss of Customers

Over 30 percent of the consumers surveyed have stated that they are willing to discontinue their relationship with an organization after it has been breached. Also, more than 60 percent of them reported a loss of trust in these organizations.

Maintaining Reputation

Breaches can have severe negative impacts and can damage the hard-earned reputation of a company. According to a survey, the share values of publicly traded organizations that had experienced a data breach dropped by more than 5% three months after the breach as compared to the percentage of shares held one month before the breach.

Avoiding Legal and Financial Repercussions

If a company suffers a breach and is found to NOT be in compliance, affected parties can seek to recover damages through various litigation activities and the company can be held liable. If any government data is compromised in a breach as a result of non-compliance, then the agency can pursue legal action and the company can face sizable fines.

What We Offer?

CyNtell is a Cyber-AB Registered Practitioner Organization (RPO), eligible to perform CMMC assessments so that your company can get accredited by the Cyber AB as a CMMC Certified Organization. We employ experts and provide the following to ensure your organization gets certified and meets compliance without breaking the bank.

  • Registered Practitioner (RP) & Registered Practitioner Advanced (RPA) – A professional who provides CMMC implementation consultative services.
  • Certified CMMC Assessor (CCA) – A professional who has successfully completed all certification program requirements as outlined by the CAICO for becoming a Level 2 CMMC Assessor.
  • Certified CMMC Instructor (CCI) – A professional who has successfully completed all certification program requirements as outlined by the CAICO for becoming a CMMC Instructor.
  • CMMC Quality Assurance Professional (CQAP) – A Cyber AB trained professional that is responsible for ensuring assessment documentation completeness and accuracy.

After an assessment, we provide a remediation action plan which we can support with our services and tools.

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We Manage Your Security (MSSP)

Fundamental to good security is the ability to monitor your enterprise for threats, vulnerabilities, and active attacks, and then take appropriate action when detected. CyNtell can share that burden with you by:

  • Threat Intelligence
  • Threat Hunting
  • Continuous Vulnerability Scanning, Assessing, and Management
  • Patch Management
  • Incident Response
  • Breach Management
  • Forensic Analysis

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