Risk Management for CMMC
CMMC Frequently asked questions:
How is the challenge transitioned from how do you find something to how do you find only what you need?
To identify security and technical requirements and business challenges look for consultants who think outside the box and seek to provide creative and efficient approaches to todays toughest challenges in Cyber and provide expert level engineering and guidance to the general challenge of secure endpoint management. This requires a thorough understanding of the industry and organization business processes, goals, and strategy in order to provide sound analysis and interpretation of IT risks and technology challenges.
Which incident handling activities are coordinated with contingency planning activities?
Manage policy compliance, governance and incident response programs via investing in patching systems, limited incident response, firewall reports, Access Control Lists (ACLs), and running vulnerability software. It helps having staff with Certified Ethical Hacker (CET) certification with experience performing pen testing, threat hunting, or similar activities. As security certification requirements emerge, you will need to support stakeholders on planning for and carrying out security certification activities, which can include hands-on or automated testing, results analysis and remediation. While the software security architect is the leader of the security program, they must also be able to coordinate disparate drivers, constraints and personalities, while maintaining objectivity and a strong understanding that security is just one of the business's activities. Perform proactive network monitoring to identify and/or prevent cybersecurity/network incidents and incident triage to determine scope, urgency, and potential impact; identify the vulnerability and make recommendations for swift remediation. Manage cybersecurity trend analysis and reporting, ensure compliance with current cyber security policies, concepts, and measures, optimize internal network design to promote a strong network security posture, develop and maintain the company System Security Plan (SSP) and Plan of Action and Milestones and construct relevant technology policies to ensure compliance with NIST 800-171, CUI, CMMC and RMF.
Is it your responsibility to replicate data across regions, if your organizations needs require that?
Experience working with large datastore technologies is needed (Hadoop stack / HDFS / Impala) for leading the product and application security function, including planning and development of your organizations security strategy in support of the strategic business plan. Lead subject matter expertise in managing the companys application security program to reduce the organizations financial, legal, compliance, and privacy risk by identifying and eliminating vulnerabilities. Oversee creating security and architectural strategy spanning enterprise organizations including web-scale environments, applications, and systems such as: ecommerce, online marketing, online advertising, digital media, content management systems, content publishing systems, etc. You need capabilities in understanding business needs and translating them into architectural standards/diagrams; that are able to translate complex data and architectural concepts and principles into easily-understanding information by LOBs.
Does your organization utilize a consistent process for incident reporting and handling?
Managing the requirements to include Cyber Incident Reporting, the CISO position requires a visionary leader with sound knowledge of organizational management and a working knowledge of security technologies to be able to lead your organization and contractor organizations with the development of certification and accreditation (c and a) efforts. Oversee the change management program, ensuring that all changes comply with security and regulatory standards and appropriately identify risk and impact to your organization. Analyze business processes and match them with appropriate technology solutions for automation and for improving process efficiency that supports Development and Production environments.
Are only those changes that continue to meet compliance requirements approved and implemented?
Compliance assessment and gap analysis are to be performed by a manager cybersecurity cloud compliance with skills in documenting risk and compliance activities, who must be able to present NIST/CMMC requirements to business owners and security managers. Lead management to design and implement strategic business plan for Cybersecurity and Governance Practice areas including budget, staffing requirements, and growth targets. Develop a security plan for IT security systems that anticipate, identify, evaluate, mitigate, and minimize risks associated with IT systems vulnerabilities; ensuring procedural development and implementation are in compliance with security and organizational requirements; document hardware and software system security implementations; and develop best practices, operating procedures, and configurations guidance for the technologies used.
With respect to security, what level of maturity is your organization operating at?
To continually increase the maturity of the information security program, and review it with stakeholders at the executive level you have to identify and assess alternative approaches to risk mitigation and advise the business and Technology leadership with respect to trade offs. This requires a thorough understanding of common network protocols, network security devices and operating systems, hands on computer intrusion analysis, detection and incident response experience, security audits, compliance and risk assessment practices, insight in windows local/group security policy and the windows registry, OS hardening and applicable Security Technical Implementation Guides, Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) technologies, management of antivirus and advanced endpoint protection to mature through the NIST 800-171 compliance requirements and CMMC level 3 and above.
Are passwords unique to your organizations systems and not re used on external information systems?
Investing in the information security field requires a thorough understanding of information technology management practices and security frameworks to lead the information security function across the company to ensure consistent and high-quality information security management in support of the business goals. And it's not only user passwords, you will need a high level working knowledge of Software development (Agile/Scrum), Systems integration, and test processes to support activities across the program life cycle. And, taking it a step further, lead a Supply Chain Information Security Assurance Program to ensure your organization delivers on customer requirements, reduces risk and ensures mission success.
Restrict access to your organizations data to a limited set of the providers personnel only?
Lead current state assessments and application access assessments that help the Identity and access governance team with knowledge of your organizations core business/mission processes through netflow data analysis; malware analysis and reverse engineering of Cybersecurity of industrial control systems (ics)/supervisory control and data acquisition (scada)/operational technology (ot). Lead with the coordination of external IT audits that impact IT operations, end-user services, cybersecurity and applications including the coordinating entrance / exit conferences and interviews, facilitating data / information requests, assessing audit conclusions / reports for accuracy and completeness, review and response to audit findings, and timely status updates.
Are there guidelines instructing contracting officers how to assign CMMC levels to the solicitations?
They will need familiarity with NIST 800 53, NIST 800 171, apart from CMMC security guidelines. and be adept at creating security and privacy related policies, standards, guidelines, and procedures and have experience with Federal Compliance programs, as FedRAMP, CMMC, and DoD Impact Levels.
Is this the same information you would report for someone with a security clearance?
When your organization's security staff conducts research on information security best practices, solutions, strategies, etc. they interpret and develop security operating procedures to protect networks, and other sensitive information. To include leadership and management experience of diverse teams and team members several years overall of directly related Information Technology/Information Assurance experience is needed to work with clients in a broad array of industries including information technology, financial services, retail and consumer products, pharmaceuticals, electronics, manufacturing, media, and government contracting etc.
For commercial companies there is a consideration on commercial item pricing, what are the impacts on higher CMMC levels, do costs open up audits?
Maintain detailed project management and records of CMMC audits and assess new policies and regulatory requirements for impacts and process updates, and work with vendors, staff, management and end users at all knowledge levels. Work with the Security team to prepare and liaison with external compliance audits, including SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, CMMC and others and be responsible for gathering, organizing and submitting documents, evidence, technical information as requested by internal Audit team as part of active audits. Apply your knowledge of Cybersecurity, IT audit, Sarbanes-Oxley, SOC 1 and SOC 2 audits, and Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) readiness and assessment engagements.
Has your organization implemented the controls necessary to employ the principle of least privilege, including for specific security functions and privileged accounts?
Cybersecurity governance risk and compliance also needs to own the overall supply chain security assurance program and subordinate processes, therefore organize external parties security awareness training. Architect or participate in the planning of IT projects involving or requiring information security and be responsible for working with division, group and corporate resources to implement best practice Infrastructure and security processes and technology. With this, manage federal information security management act (FISMA) national institute of standards and technology (NIST) defense federal acquisition regulation supplement (DFARS) department of defense cybersecurity maturity model certification (DoD CMMC), authority to operate (ATO), and other contract-specific requirements.
Were security purchases or sales authorized by appropriate vestry (or committee) action and recorded in the minutes?
Your security risk and compliance senior analyst with a recognized IT security certification defines how many security controls are required to be implemented to be compliant with CMMC v1. Then, monitor the security controls for FedRAMP, DoD Impact Levels, and cybersecurity Maturity Model (CMMC) and develop and administer budgets and plans for technology development, information security controls, and deployment to manage quality assurance metrics and contribute to the corporate CMMC quality management processes.
Getting DFARS and or CMMC certification, and then what?
Ensure someone serves as business unit CUI compliance point of contact for compliance escalations, ensuring CMMC and other control frameworks are implemented and met, their specific duties include: Manage cloud-based resources on AWS and GCP; optimize IT resources (including for machine learning) as part of company strategy; develop and manage a secure CMMC level three compliant environment; mentor; educate; and provide troubleshooting for developers and other staff; create open source and proprietary DevSecOps pipelines; develop and maintain disaster recovery plans; setup and execute remote management of on-site resources; create and implement strategies to ensure availability; define contractual service level agreements and ensure they are met and serve as the IT point of contact for partners and customers.
Will ISO release any updated reference publications or guidance that aligns with CMMC?
NIST 800 series, NIST CSF, ISO 20001, CIS Top 20, CMMC align towards a common goal; to develop and enhance an up to date information security management framework. Ensure this is managed by an advisor on technical and policy matters involving the security of unclassified information systems who helps your organization understand the requirements of CMMC and the relevant DFARS regulations, and help them achieve compliance and certification, they will need experience implementing and assessing the following industry standards: NIST SP 800-53, FedRAMP, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, NIST SP 800-171, Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), Cloud Security Alliance, HIPAA, HITRUST, PCI-DSS, and ISO 27000 series.
Where do you invest additional cybersecurity resources to get the biggest bang for your buck?
In cybersecurity maturity model certification (CMMC) v0 - to communicate cybersecurity risk and awareness training to your supply base and monitor the security controls for FedRAMP, DoD Impact Levels, and cybersecurity Maturity Model (CMMC). Your organization will need knowledge of standards as NIST and CMMC, as well as solid cybersecurity experience within the industry. Invest in the creation and maintenance of organizational procedures and guidance on cybersecurity and information assurance matters as they relate to information systems.
Do you provide a status of the DoD and DISA implementation of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program; timelines, when is the projected implementation of the CMMC?
Experience with classified information systems and cybersecurity certifications is needed in working with vendor, carriers, and technical staff on network implementation, optimization and management. Assisting clients with the ensuring implementation of security controls should meet the spirit of the requirements. Your organization needs in depth understanding of cybersecurity policy, tools, threat mitigation, network topologies, and secured networks to manage client expectations around timelines, deliverables, and scope of work with sophistication to set up both clients and internal teams for success. Only then, the certified assessor(CA) will perform assessment duties on behalf of department of defense contractors under the newly established cybersecurity maturity model certification (CMMC) process.
Are only approved portable storage devices under asset management used to store CUI data?
Enterprise asset management monitors data management procedures and compliance and analyzes log data to identify risks to the operating environment and business. Investing in the protection of research data and intellectual property, implementing NIST 171 controls and/or familiarity with CMMC is needed to improve the operational systems, processes, and policies in support of the clients business through the management and guidance of multiple work streams, teams, and clients.
How you can comply with the new CMMC certifications?
Investing in ISO 27001, ISO 9001, GDPR, CMMC, 21 CFR part 11, annex 11, etc. helps to build and review end user and professional end user reports to integrate CMMC elements into existing self assessment programs to ensure continued compliance to CMMC/DFARS. Ensure engagement reporting observations and recommendations are based on a complete understanding of the process, circumstances, and risk and strive to become a 'CMMC center of excellence'.
Have site security and storage requirements been identified and included in engineer plans?
Your cybersecurity maturity model certification (CMMC) assessor pushes to operationalize defining your organizations maturity levels for specific security objectives, with an eye on Cmmc, nist cybersecurity framework, nist 800 115, nist 800 171, nist 800 53 fisma, fedramp, etc. covering network databases, information security, application security, endpoint security, and IT audit risk management to align your organizations cybersecurity program with regulatory and industry compliance requirements and best practices.
How do you get a target number for how many initial RFIs will be rolled out with CMMC?
Generate a compliance roadmap and create frequent status reports to develop new, and mature existing information security and risk policies, then craft and own Human Resources and operations needs as your organization grows and integrate CMMC elements into existing self assessment programs to ensure continued RFI compliance to CMMC/DFARS. This requires experience in several common enterprise solutions like, AWS, Vmware, Veam, Sentinel SIEM, Aruba, Backup and DR solutions, and more.
Are the data used to develop the indirect cost pool estimates accurate, complete, and current?
Ensure that organization data is securely backed up for analyzing, interpreting, and summarizing data, policies, and procedures for effective performance of audit work and design and implement enterprise level components for storage and retrieval of multimedia data so you can consult with management, staff, and clients, to help define a need or problem and help to offer solutions and analyze any data to give advice and recommendations. The compliance team helps build and manages programs designed to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability (CIA) of sensitive data.
What is the approximate timeline to has set for developing & implementing the CMMC?
You will need to lead assessments from start to finish, effectively communicate with peers and customers, and produce high quality deliverables while adhering to project timelines and work with the teams to create, manage and coordinate existing plans, timelines and development status with the team responsible under budget, plan and quality guidelines.
What are dfars, nist, cui/cdi, and cmmc, and how do they apply to your organization?
They are frameworks for improving critical infrastructure cybersecurity covering endless opportunities to contribute with deep knowledge and understanding about industry compliance and security standards like: CMMC, DFARS, DoD SRG, FedRAMP, NIST 800-53 Appendix J. A senior director quality and process management systems will be expected to understand and evolve your organizations core competencies and develop new competencies as solutions mature. They will conduct security risk assessments and compliance audits and make recommendations regarding levels of risk tolerance using standard frameworks such as ISO 27001, NIST CSF, NIST 800-53, NIST 800-171, CMMC and work with multiple constituents and leaders across the company to help determine gaps or opportunities for continuous improvement in regard to the organizations participation in various security frameworks, including CMMC, SOC2, PCI DSS, NIST 800-171, ISO 27001.
Cybersecurity maturity model certification (CMMC): are you making progress?
Invest in cybersecurity defense and incident response to demonstrate understanding of client challenges with meeting cybersecurity regulatory requirements. Develop required cybersecurity documentation including system security plans, privacy impact assessments, security categorization, and incident response plans. Work directly with customers, refine cybersecurity audit and assessment methodologies, perform audit and assessments, and coach junior team members to perform complex, senior-level auditing and advisory work to develop a new audit program and processes for SOC2 and Department of Defense (DOD) Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) / FedRAMP. With this, help your organization prepare for CMMC L3 certification including; scoping, risk assessment, maturity assessment of current controls, risk/gap remediation plan development, remediation plan execution, System Security Plan Development, etc.
Have you ever considered the security aspect of what may be sent via an non secure text message between your employees?
An IT specialist network administration and security will need intermediate level knowledge of cybersecurity, cybersecurity compliance, and cloud services to monitor the security controls for FedRAMP, DoD Impact Levels, and cybersecurity Maturity Model (CMMC). And to be able to provide responses to and maintain reference material for customer inquiries and due diligence procedures that involve technology compliance, particularly for CMMC, to participate in discussions for security and compliance assessments.
Do you have any sensors in place for data collection?
Analyze operational requirements and technical data for contract and third party assessments related to data protection and privacy, then plan, coordinate, and schedule investigations, feasibility studies and surveys, including economic evaluation of proposed and existing automatic data processing and machine applications. Invest in implementing and effectively developing help desk and IT operations best practices, including expert knowledge of security, storage, data protection and disaster recovery protocols.
Do you know the assets that you consider important or are within the scope of the CMMC assessment?
Lead the way within the scope of governance, risk, and compliance. Manage and support network firewalls, network intrusion prevention systems (IPS), Virtual Private Networks (VPN), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, etc. Perform risk assessments, risk management, and information security program advisory services to ensure that the clients information assets and associated technology, applications, systems, infrastructure and processes are adequately protected. Typical systems that will be within the scope include Proposal and Award Systems, Contract and Legal Workflow systemS, Conflict Disclosure systemS, Zoom BAA, Teams for Research, ServiceNow (forms/workflows and ticketing),O365, and other platforms and systems identified in collaboration with other dedicated Application Support staff embedded across the ITS organization.
Is there a requirement to account for the rationale behind why a security provider or tool is selected?
To perform a cybersecurity evaluation of your organizations posture follow and apply configuration and security standards and policies, and work closely with Information Systems Security Managers to ensure FedRAMP and CMMC compliance to evaluate customer requirements, collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to disposition business risk and enable program capture and execution teams.
Which suppliers within the Supply Chain need to comply with NIST 800 171 and CMMC?
Vendors that fall under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) need to have familiarity with security frameworks as Cmmc, nist cybersecurity framework, nist 800 115, nist 800 171, nist 800 53 fisma, fedramp, etc. to develop security recommendations following NIST and Cloud Security Alliance guidance and security best practices. They will also need to have demonstrated knowledge of various security and regulatory compliance standards, such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), NIST 800-171 and NIST 800-53.
Where is your risk?
To perform internal and third party risk assessments you need to define how many security controls are required to be implemented to be compliant with CMMC v1, NIST and Risk Management Framework (RMF), including NIST SP800 53 and NIST 800 171. This needs a SOC Analyst, Systems Administrator, IT Manager or Software Developer with operational experience in information security who also represents the mission and interest of the Information Security Office on behalf of the CISO, and can provide reports to senior management.
What security and privacy concerns would you have with employees using wearable technology in your organization?
To ensure the design and implementation of integrated hardware and software computer and information systems meets organizational requirements, have the following in place: Network scanning, Mobile device security management, Independent Verification and Validation (IV and V), understanding Privacy Impact Analyses, Cybersecurity strategy and governance assessments, Cybersecurity risk assessments, Cyber best practices and benchmarking, Vulnerability management, Disaster recovery and contingency planning, Compliance testing with regulatory requirements and industry frameworks, Security Test and Evaluation (ST and E).
Has your organization developed and implemented privacy and security notices with applicable CUI rules?
Get a hold of your specific operational impacts of cybersecurity lapses and think strategically about risks and tie those risks to tactical organizational activities so that you deliver business value by connecting business insight with technical expertise and innovation and collaborate with departments and administration to establish goals and priorities for solutions of protecting sensitive data and systems to meet organizational needs. This requires a thorough understanding of CMMC, to deliver an organization-wide program that provides a standardized approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services.
What role could CMMC have in your organization?
It provides specific detailed guidance for hardware and software selection, implementation techniques and tools for the most efficient solution to meet business needs, including present and future capacity requirements to leverage your technology risk management and relationship management to support the continual growth in security and privacy compliance certifications and programs, including work towards new standards and certifications. This individual can design, develop, configure, and implement solutions to resolve complex technical and business issues related to information security, group policy management, identity management, user access authentication, authorization, user provisioning, and role-based access control.
What do you recommend removing or de-prioritizing to simplify the model and why?
The department of defense cybersecurity maturity model certification (CMMC) framework will work across multiple projects within your organization and become an integral part of providing resolution of an Authorization to Operate (ATO), and continuous Ongoing Authorization (OA), Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), and Risk Management Framework (RMF) for a system that utilizes hybrid cloud solutions to accomplish the task(s) defined by your organization.
Does the system security plan explicitly define the authorization boundary for the system?
To stay proficient with security protocols, knowledge of cybersecurity risk management processes needs constant investigation, documentation and reporting on information security issues and emerging trends to maximize alignment of the cybersecurity program with regulatory and industry compliance requirements and best practices, such as FARS/DFARS, NIST 800-171, CMMC, FedRAMP, and CCPA. Defining the authorization boundary requires experience implementing, assessing or auditing security controls compliant with the following industry standards: Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), NIST SP 800-53, FedRAMP, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, NIST SP 800-171, Cloud Security Alliance, HIPAA, HITRUST, PCI-DSS, ISO 27001.