Blog

Organizations seeking to work with the US government today must navigate a growing array of compliance requirements. Among the most prominent security frameworks are the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) and Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), each playing a critical role in securing federal information and systems.

Looking back, 2024 was a significant year for the Department of Defense (DoD). Not only did they release the 32 CFR Part 170 – Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Final Rule, but the DoD also published a pivotal memorandum titled Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) Moderate Equivalency for Cloud Service Provider’s (CSP) Cloud Service Offerings (CSOs).

Looking back, 2024 was a big year for the Department of Defense (DoD), as they released both a memorandum titled Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) Moderate Equivalency for Cloud Service Provider’s Cloud Service Offerings, and the 32 CFR Part 170 - Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Rule.

In the latest revision of documents pertinent to the ongoing CMMC countdown, NIST SP 800-171 R3 has been released. Though there were only a handful of changes in this new version, there were some significant ones regarding the assessment practices and their presentation that those monitoring the progress of CMMC should know.

With the introduction of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program, contractors working with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) will be required to meet a certain level of cybersecurity maturity ensuring the protection of the involved sensitive information and data, specifically controlled unclassified information (CUI) and federal contract information (FCI).

Back in August 2022—while rulemaking for the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) was ongoing (as it still is)—the Joint Surveillance Program (JSP) was sanctioned by the DoD and CyberAB as an interim step in the CMMC program that allowed organizations to pursue a formal DIBCAC High (NIST 800-171) assessment.

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is a new framework that aims to better secure 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).

Published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), NIST SP 800-171 is a standard created to help organizations protect Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) from unauthorized access or disclosure.