Information Technology Navigator

On October 15, 2024, the final rule for the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program was officially published. This rule, codified as 32 CFR, becomes effective on December 16, 2024. The CMMC journey began in 2019 with DFARS Case 2019-D041, and after four years of development, the rule is now finalized. Let’s take a look at the history of the CMMC timeline, what's to come, and how organizations can prepare for what is next.

CMMC Rulemaking Timeline

The rulemaking process illustrated in the graphic below shows a high-level workflow from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

Figure 1: GAO Federal Rulemaking

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Protecting sensitive and classified information when working for the Federal Government requires constant vigilance. When the government issues a contract, it must specify to the performing contractor when covered defense information (CDI) or controlled unclassified information (CDI) will be generated under the contract. Many prime contractors “flowdown” every FAR and DFARS clause to subcontractors and vendors without considering if that subcontractor or vendor will be processing, storing, or transmitting CDI. Anticipating where CDI may reside once awarded a contract can be a challenge. Here is guidance on ways CDI can flowdown to subcontractors and the defense industrial base (DIB), and steps those organizations should take before signing an agreement.

An Introduction to DFARS

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Many companies are currently evaluating how they might fund initiatives necessary to move their businesses towards compliance with the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). There are a few ways to fund these initiatives, but many key items have the potential to impact the amount of funding needed to prepare your organization for certification. So, where do you start to appropriately scope the project, and how do you know how much it will actually cost?

Whether your company plans to meet the CMMC objectives or to stop doing business with the Federal Government, keep in mind that cybersecurity is an important part of maintaining your business health and ensuring resiliency in the future. When businesses suffer a cyberattack and cannot afford the cost to recover, they often go bankrupt. In addition to the new federal regulations being pushed out by the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations (DFARS), many states have laws requiring levels of protection for different types of information. Other federal governments have also enacted cybersecurity protection measures for their citizens (such as GDPR). Not doing so can also leave you open to lawsuits in the event of a breach or incident.

5 Phases for Cybersecurity Compliance

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Government organizations today face an unprecedented need for innovation and efficiency. From delivering public services to safeguarding national security, the challenges are immense, and the stakes are high. This is where Microsoft's Azure for US government (Azure Government), a proven and trusted cloud for US government agencies, in conjunction with Azure OpenAI, can step in as a transformative force. In this blog post, I’ll explore why government agencies and organizations that support the government should be taking note of the capabilities and benefits of Azure Government with Azure OpenAI.

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The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) 2.0 is the DoD framework designed to enhance cybersecurity and protect against compromise of sensitive defense information on contractors’ systems. Some defense industrial base organizations (DIB) have mistakenly taken a “wait and see” attitude about preparing for CMMC compliance, believing that they will wait until the government finalizes 2.0 requirements. While holding off on the time, resources and budget to prepare for CMMC may seem prudent (and frankly easier to delay), the risks of waiting could have a significantly negative impact on contractors’ revenue. Here’s why: 

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If your organization has been working towards NIST 800-171 and is now on the journey to achieve CMMC 2.0 (the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) it can be difficult to understand what you’ve already achieved and what’s left to do. Both standards are intended to reduce threats and strengthen cybersecurity for sensitive government data. Here’s some details on how they relate to each other and what’s involved to take the next steps toward CMMC compliance.

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Microsoft’s Azure Government has become a trusted cloud for US government agencies, contractors and the Defense Industrial Based (DIB), providing unified security to protect the nation's data, and solutions for secure remote collaboration. Microsoft’s Azure Government uses the same underlying technologies as Azure, which includes the core components of Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). The increased security is achieved because it is a physically isolated sovereign cloud environment dedicated to US federal, state, local, and tribal governments, and their partners. It provides an extra layer of protection to mission-critical workloads through contractual commitments regarding storage of customer data that is subject to various US government regulations such as Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and International Traffic in Arms (ITAR). Azure Government offers additional security by relying on screened US personnel.

Azure Government and CMMC

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The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Framework is used by the DoD to verify that sensitive data being handled by defense industrial base (DIB) contractors is properly protected on the contractors’ systems to avoid risk of a compromise from a cybersecurity attack. CMMC uses third-party assessment organizations to verify contractors’ safeguarding of controlled unclassified information (CUI) including International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) data, federal contract information (FCI), and compliance with certain mandatory practices, procedures and capabilities that can adapt to evolving cyber threats.

What’s New in CMMC 2.0

In November 2021, the DoD announced CMMC 2.0. It’s important to understand key changes and timelines associated with CMMC 2.0, how it compares to CMMC 1.0, and what you need to do to prepare. 

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Microsoft 365 GCC vs. GCC High

How do you know which level of GCC is right for you? Here’s key criteria to help you distinguish GCC and GCC High so that your organization makes the move to the right cloud.

Government Community Cloud (GCC)

You can think of GCC as a government version of the Microsoft 365 commercial environment. It resides on the Azure Commercial infrastructure and has many of the same features, but servers must be located in the continental United States (CONUS) as mandated by FedRAMP Moderate. Although the servers are only in CONUS, access to data is available on a global basis. In general, non-defense-related government agencies and contractors can deploy GCC. 

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The CMMC 2.0 model consists of 14 domains that assess the previously established NIST 800-171 controls. Here’s what each one is and what it covers.

Access Control: This domain requires your organization to establish who has access to your systems and what their requirements are to operate effectively. As well as who has remote access, internal system access, and the limitations of their roles in system.

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