Mandatory CMMC Certification by 2025 for Defense Contractors: the 60 Day Comment Period is Currently Open

Your CMMC Blueprint: Expert Assistance from OST and the Consortium

CMMC Certification Made Clear: How OST and the Consortium Guide Defense Contractors

The U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) proposed new rule, CMMC 2.0, will require Defense Industrial Base (DIB) contractors and subcontractors to obtain their Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). We’re currently in a 60-day public comment period on this new requirement, which is expected to go into effect FY2025. Attaining this certification, designed to enhance and enforce cybersecurity standards within the DIB, can be a complex and challenging process.

Who’s Affected?

This rule affects defense contractors and subcontractors dealing with Federal Contract Information (FCI) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). It applies to DoD solicitations exceeding the micro-purchase threshold, currently set at $10,000. This excludes contracts for commercially available off-the-shelf items or certain Government-operated information systems.

OST’s Strategic Partnership with the CMMC Consortium

To ensure our clients are fully supported in this transition, OST Global Solutions has partnered with the CMMC Consortium. This consortium consists of Certified Third-Party Assessment Organizations (C3PAOs) and Registered Practitioner Organizations (RPOs), accredited by the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Accreditation Body (Cyber AB). The “collective approach” provides essential knowledge in cybersecurity, leverage their experiences and unique technologies (AI/ML) to create efficiencies and reduce labor costs. Their approach translates complex cybersecurity requirements into clear terms, aiding understanding and compliance and supporting companies (RPO duties) through their journey and through the assessment (C3PAO duties). This is especially advantageous for small and medium-sized businesses, obtaining informative content in lay terms, practical solutions, and access to subject matter experts/resources.

Experience + Disruptive Tech = Game Changer in Compliance Management

Tracking compliance, especially for large businesses with extensive supply chains, can be tough. That’s why OST and the CMMC Consortium are excited to offer, a unique tool developed by the constituents of the Consortium specifically designed to streamline compliance tracking, making it simpler for large contractors to monitor and manage their subcontractors’ cybersecurity standards across their entire supply chain. This tool is vital for our large and mid-size clients as it provides a clear, consolidated view of compliance status, significantly reducing the risk of non-compliance and enhancing overall cybersecurity posture. With this innovative technology, managing compliance becomes more efficient, transparent, and reliable.

Start your certification now as it can take anywhere between 6 and 18 months and ensure there are no disruptions to your DoD contracts.

As we approach the public comment deadline for the CMMC rule (February 26, 2024), OST, in partnership with the CMMC Consortium, is ready to guide you through every step. For detailed assistance on CMMC compliance, contact us at OST Global Solutions. Together, we can make your transition to CMMC smooth and successful.

Schedule a brief consultation/appointment for more information

https://calendly.com/catapultbd/cmmc-conversation-ost-global

There are three major obstacles to overcome by 2025 that CMMC Consortium helps with:

1. Cost of Implementation and Maintenance: Achieving and maintaining CMMC compliance can be financially demanding for small and medium-sized contractors. The initial costs can include upgrading existing IT infrastructure and implementing advanced cybersecurity measures.  Once achieved, maintaining compliance is an ongoing expense requiring constant vigilance, updates to keep pace with evolving security threats and regulations, and periodic recertifications. CMMC Consortium uses novel AI/ML technology to reduce labor costs and increase quality.
2. Complexity of Compliance Requirements: CMMC is not a straightforward checklist. The framework’s comprehensive nature means that a detailed understanding of the necessary controls and processes is needed for implementations that will successfully meet the requirements for the appropriate certification level (1,2 or 3) for your organization. CMMC Consortium brings an intimate understanding of the framework and highly experienced experts to translate the requirements into lay terms, which makes initial and ongoing compliance much easier.
3. Scarcity of Qualified Personnel and Resources: The scarcity of cybersecurity professionals with specific training and expertise in CMMC leads to a competitive market where finding and retaining talent is challenging and costly. Small and medium-sized contractors often lack the in-house expertise and resources to implement and manage CMMC compliance. CMMC Consortium brings the PROs and C3PAOs needed to complete your certification and audit in a timely manner.

Schedule an appointment for more information:

https://calendly.com/catapultbd/cmmc-conversation-ost-global

About CMMC Consortium

The CMMC Consortium includes half a dozen companies to support the increasing demand on the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) with the implementation of CMMC, which include: Penacity (C3PAO), Summit Business Technologies (RPO), Captiva Solutions (RPO), Technology Business Solutions (RPO), Ronathan (Tech Co.), Compass (Tech Co.), Atsign (Tech Co.), and Catapult BD. We are accredited professionals, subject matter experts, and thought leaders in the cybersecurity world, and we bring with significant DoD Expertise. Our RPO‘s & C3PAO’s are accredited by the Cyber AB and many are part of the Maryland Cybersecurity Sellers program that can help qualify for the tax credit.

In 2023 our Consortium expanded to include strategic partners like Americas SBDC’s, Economic Development Authorities, MBDA’s, APEX’s, Large Primes and others across the country.  We are based in the Washington DC Metro region but service across the U.S. to Hawaii and as far as Guam.

OST Global Solutions is a professional business development consulting firm. We have extensive experience in winning large, strategic bids like VICCS. We can provide capture and proposal teams to develop a complete, winning proposal. Or we can provide consultants on a case-by-case basis to fill gaps on your business development team. Our services related to VICCS consist of capture management, strategic planning, competitive assessment, teaming and partnership development, and RFI response and interaction.

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