CMMC for Government Construction Contractors
If you want to know more about CMMC certification and how it affects your construction business, our team at Juern Technology is here to help!
CMMC 2.0 is a U.S. Department of Defence (DoD) program that sets a unifying standard and assessment criteria for how contractors handle sensitive information.
If your business is hoping to work on a DoD contract, then the chances are you’ll need a CMMC certification. Let’s look and see exactly what steps you need to take and how our CMMC certification team can help get you certified.
5 Steps to Achieve CMMC Compliance
Construction businesses working on DoD contracts will have access to controlled unclassified information (CUI) that needs to be protected. To ensure you have the right systems in place, you’ll have to provide evidence of CMMC compliance.
Step 1: Identify The Certification Level Your Business Need
The first step is to identify your CMMC requirements.
The DoD sets out 5 different CMMC levels (largely focused on the NIST framework), based on the sensitivity of the information you will have access to. When you apply for a DoD contract, this will be set out in the Requests for Information and Requests for Proposals section.
Each level requires different standards and you must meet the cybersecurity requirements for each of the lower levels before you can move on to a higher level.
Step 2: Assess Your Existing Security Environment
Once you know what level of CMMC compliance certification you need, then you can start to form a plan of action.
Depending on the level of certification you need, you may require a complete overhaul of your cybersecurity practices, or you may just need a few tweaks. The best way to find out is to work with experienced security experts to perform a risk assessment.
Your risk assessment will show you all the areas you need to improve on to get a construction contractors’ CMMC.
Step 3: Create an Action Plan
DoD contractors and subcontractors have to have a CMMC certification to work on all projects, so you need to create an action plan.
A good risk assessment should give you a solid picture of what needs to be done, but that’s just the start. You’ve then have to put together a timeline and take actionable steps to ensure you improve your cybersecurity to the required level.
Again, this is where it pays to work with experts with plenty of experience with the CMMC certification process. No one can do it alone, work with a CMMC consultant who will help you identify risks, spot every gap in your compliance, and will walk you through every step of the process with a proven action plan.
Step 4: Work with a Certified Assessor
CMMC assessments have to be carried out by a certified assessor.
This is an important part of the CMMC program because it ensures unified standards that keep sensitive information safer. Your assessor will judge your company’s security protocols against the CMMC framework and decide whether you should be CMMC certified.
Step 5: Keep Up With CMMC Certifications
Cybersecurity is constantly evolving and CMMC requirements will continue to do so as well.
The CMMC program is still being developed and perfected, so requirements can and probably will change with time. Each DoD contract (and perhaps other government contracts as well) will require that you have an up-to-date CMMC certification, so you need to make sure you’re keeping up with developments.
Work with an Experienced Cyber Security Partner to Earn CMMC Certification
The last thing you want when you’re applying for a big construction contract is to be worrying about cybersecurity.
CMMC certification is an important development in how sensitive information is handled, but it can also be a huge problem for many businesses. The best way to make sure you’re compliant without the added stress and hassle is to work with an experienced cybersecurity provider like Juern Tech.
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Book a FREE 15-Minute Consult or give us a call at (210) 245-6900 to learn how we can support your business!