Our businesses and our information are not as safe as we think. On their own, things will not improve, especially as cybersecurity threats continue to multiply and evolve. Supply chain attacks have far-reaching consequences, and DOD contractors are being targeted, making cybersecurity even more critical for the defense industrial base (DIB).
Each company is realizing that at some point they are part of another entity’s supply chain. Individuals, companies, and governments now understand that a failure to protect and maintain these systems is going to have serious short-term, long-term, and strategic consequences for the country.
These conditions put the federal government in a unique position to help drive change by virtue of what it requires from its vendors. With a Cybersecurity Maturity Model Compliance (CMMC) mandate, the federal government is promoting meaningful and potentially impactful regulation to promote private sector investment in cybersecurity across these supply chains.
Enforcement of mandatory cybersecurity minimums
Security is only as strong as its weakest link. And indeed, there have been many serious breaches of federal government systems and access to federal government data that started with incidents at contractors. Just recently it was reported in 2021 through the beginning of this year, multiple advanced persistent threats compromised the DIB sector organization’s enterprise network. This long-term access allowed threat actors to steal sensitive data.
It’s clear that organizations need to be on guard and measure their cybersecurity posture. A CMMC mandate would drive home the point that the government wants to work with companies who can demonstrate that they have progressed beyond the average in their security maturity development. A framework matters because it provides for measurable and demonstrable progress from one level of security maturity to the next.
A Mandate drives forced curiosity
“Security maturity models are useful in that they’re fairly flexible in some regards, and they force organizations to start measuring how they’re doing on cybersecurity,” says investigative journalist Brian Krebs at CMMC CON 2022. “That forced curiosity alone is enough to move things to the next level of security maturity for these organizations.”
The government has an important role in this regard—and they should be setting the standard. A lot of good can come out of that forced curiosity as companies potentially mature beyond the heroics of an overworked staff, or other issues pertaining to lack of resources or skill.
Start taking the steps to mitigate dangers. In an environment of forced curiosity and mandatory security minimums, there is a desire to paint a picture that there are actions small businesses can easily take at no cost to them. While there are many useful free government resources, they typically require a dedicated full-time professional to figure out how to effectively leverage them—and that person requires a network for support, and all of that requires funding.
If you are looking for a path forward as your company works to meet the requirements of the CMMC, CyberSheath can help. Our skilled team partners with you to help you achieve your cybersecurity goals—allowing you to stay focused on your business. Contact us to get started.