The final Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) rule has finally arrived. If your business handles FCI or CUI and you're expecting the DFARS 7012 clause, you may wonder, “How do I get CMMC Certified, and what’s the best way to do it?”
Don’t risk losing important revenue wasting time trying to figure out what you need to do or preparing your CMMC documentation. At Paramify, we’ve helped businesses of all sizes prepare accurate compliance documentation fast.
Here we’ll share the steps you need to get CMMC Certified and how automated compliance documentation can speed up the process to put your company at the front of the line for CMMC assessment and certification.
CMMC 2.0 has three levels with different requirements:
Review contracts you have, or are working toward, with the Department of Defense (DoD) and identify the type of information your organization handles to determine whether you need CMMC level 1, 2, or 3.
Your business will need to identify gaps in processes, documentation, and security mechanisms.
You can do this with a self-assessment by comparing your cybersecurity practices with the required controls in NIST SP 800-171A. Or, by using the CMMC Assessment Guides as a checklist.
We recommend starting with a gap assessment.
This way you start with excellent strategy and avoid wasting time on unnecessary mistakes.
A gap assessment generally costs between $10k and $30k. We feel so strongly about starting this way, that we offer ours for just $2,000. Your accurate assessment can be ready in under an hour.
→ Get Your Gap Assessment with Paramify
You’ll need to address the gaps you found by implementing controls required for the CMMC level you're targeting.
Example controls:
At Level 2 and above you need to ensure that your technical configurations and policies align with NIST 800-171.
If you need help knowing what your technical configurations and policies should be, our team can help make sure you don’t waste time on the wrong things.
Once you have your roadmap, a company like Summit 7 can help you implement all the controls you need.
Create a POA&M for areas where your organization falls short. Include action items with deadlines to address gaps.
Example: If multi-factor authentication (MFA) is missing or implemented incorrectly, your POA&M would document steps to implement it.
You’ll need documentation that shows basic cyber hygiene and compliance with the 17 specific controls that align with FAR 52.204-21 (Basic Safeguarding of Covered Contractor Information Systems).
These controls focus on protecting Federal Contract Information (FCI).
Your org will do a yearly self-assessment instead of a C3PAO assessment at Level 1.
Level 2 or 3 CMMC documentation will need to be assessed by a C3PAO certified by the CMMC Accreditation Body (CMMC-AB) every 3 years.
You need to provide:
Manually writing your SSP means spending many frustrating months using CMMC SSP templates to create documentation that’s full of unavoidable human errors.
Inaccurate docs will cost you time in audit and cause more headache when it’s time to adjust or update them.
You can automate CMMC compliance documentation with Paramify to:
With your CMMC documentation on the fast-track you’ll also beat the rush to assessment and certification.
→ Sign up for a free demo of Paramify to see if we’re the right fit for your goals.
Some organizations hire consultants or Registered Practitioner (RP) services for a pre-audit assessment to ensure compliance and readiness.
For Level 2 or 3 assessments you’ll need to engage a C3PAO like Schellman, Fortreum or Prescient Security.
The C3PAO will conduct interviews, check documentation, and validate security practices on-site or remotely.
You can find a vetted C3PAO in the CMMCAB.org directory. Find more tips from Summit 7 to find the right C3PAO.
Using software to automate your documentation allows your org to move through assessment faster, since you won’t need to correct as many errors as you would with manually written documentation.
→ Schedule a free demo to see documentation automation in action
Once all issues are resolved, the C3PAO submits the assessment results to the CMMC-AB.
Certification lasts for 3 years, but you’ll need to maintain security practices to remain compliant.
Annual self-assessments ensure all employees stay trained on security practices.
No need to stress over assessments – Paramify helps you maintain your documentation so that yearly self-assessments and your 3-year assessments are simple and easy.
If applicable, register your self-assessment score and status with the SPRS system as part of contract requirements.
Your score will be automatically calculated for you as you build your security plan with Paramify. This way you can track your progress toward reaching your target SRPS score.
Now that you know how to get CMMC certification and how automating your compliance documentation can speed up the process, it’s time to get started.
Making mistakes in the world of compliance can be expensive. When it comes to creating your documentation you need to make the best decision for your business.
→ Reach out to ask our team any questions you have about Paramify and automated documentation or check out our pricing.
→ Schedule your Gap Assessment if you’d like to start building your strategy ASAP.
Interested in seeing how automated documentation works first? Schedule a demo or request your self-guided video walkthrough below:
Learn More:
→ What is FedRAMP Equivalent and Who Needs It?
→ The Benefits and Shortcomings of OSCAL Digital ATO Packages
