Amira Armond from Kieri Solutions – Authorized C3PAO, and Bobby Guerra from Axiom.tech talk about CMMC scoping. Topics discussed: This podcast by Climbing Mount CMMC is oriented toward education for Managed Services Providers who support clients in the Defense Industrial Read More
Category: CMMC Technical Practices
NCDMM one of first companies to get “110” JSVA
What it is like to be CMMC assessed by Kieri Solutions? Want to learn about the great work that National Center for Defense Manufacturing & Machining (NCDMM) is doing with over 200 Alliance Partners? Check out this interview with Jason Read More
Top 5 misconceptions about building a CMMC Level 2 network
Almost every defense contractor makes one or more of these design errors when they start building their CMMC Level 3 network
Policy templates and tools for CMMC and 800-171
This page has links and reviews of available templates and tools relating to the CMMC and NIST SP 800-171 **Updated April 3, 2024** Please help others in the community by leaving a comment with resource links! Policies Templates SANS Institute Read More
When do you need a new assessment? What can change?
Information systems are constantly changing. Especially if they are functional, production systems, supporting real use. Workstations and servers break. Technology becomes obsolete. New solutions are implemented in response to changing functional requirements. One thing we don’t know, in the CMMC Read More
How the secret sauce is made – one practice, one hour
How does a defense contractor create a plan to perform each requirement in CMMC and NIST SP 800-171? Will you fail if you don’t write policy statements which regurgitate each requirement in a ‘shall” form? AKA “๐๐ข๐ง๐ฆ๐จ๐ถ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ถ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐๐๐ Read More
What does “monitor” mean in CMMC?
Logan Therrien and Amira Armond from Kieri Solutions (an Authorized C3PAO) discuss the concept of monitoring and how it is evaluated by CMMC assessors. Several assessment objectives in CMMC Level 2 require monitoring. ๐ the physical facility where organizational systems Read More
3.13.11 FIPS 140-2 Validated Cryptography
It is time, finally, to talk about the #1 “Other than Satisfied” requirement in 800-171, per historic DIBCAC assessments. ๐ฑ ๐ฅ ๐ฅ ๐ ๐๐๐ 140-2 ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐ฅ ๐ฅ ๐ฑ Listen up – I’m going to tell you how to succeed Read More
3.5.3 Multifactor Authentication
Multifactor Authentication: #2 of the top 10 “Other than Satisfied Requirements” for 800-171 assessments by DIBCAC. ๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ง๐จ๐ง-๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ. My theory is that most of Read More
3.14.1 Identify, report, correct system flaws
Continuing the Top 10 “Other than Satisfied Requirements” for 800-171 assessments by DIBCAC. “๐๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฒ, ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ง๐๐ซ.” This is the third most “Other than Satisfied” requirement. 3.14.1 is both misunderstood and Read More
3.11.1 Periodically assess the risk to organizational operations
3.11.1 ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐๐ข๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ค…This is the fourth-most “Other than satisfied” #CMMC requirement. Periodically assess the risk to organizational operations (including mission, functions, image, or reputation), organizational assets, and individuals, resulting from the operation of organizational systems and the associated processing, storage, or Read More
3.11.2 Scan for Vulnerabilities
Scan for vulnerabilities….This the fifth-most “Other than satisfied” #CMMC requirement with an 18% fail rate. 3.11.2 ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ณ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐๐ข๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐. “๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐”…This is an example of Read More
3.3.3 Review and Update Logged Events
This is #6 in the series of most common failed requirements as assessed by the DoD’s Cyber Assessment Center. This requirement is another example of misunderstanding == failing (alongside the other top 10 requirements). Most people do not understand what Read More
3.3.4 Audit Logging Process Failure
Continuing the Top 10 Failed Requirements for 800-171! Onward to #7: 3.3.4 “๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ซ๐.” Sit with me while I tell a story… ๐๐ฏ ๐ฐ๐ณ๐จ๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ป๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ฅ๐ช๐ด๐ค๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐บ ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ค๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ค๐ข๐ถ๐ด๐ฆ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ด๐ฆ๐ค๐ณ๐ฆ๐ต๐ด Read More
3.3.5 Correlate Audit Processes
NIST SP 800-171 3.3.5 ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ข๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ, ๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ฐ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ, ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ณ๐๐, ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ, ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ. This is the 8th most likely requirement to be “other than satisfied” by defense contractors, according Read More
CMMC Scoping for Level 2
This video is provided by Amira Armond and Jil Wright (CMMC Provisional Assessors and Provisional Instructors) from Kieri Solutions, an Authorized C3PAO. Topics discussed in the video are: This content is way more than the CCP course blueprint covers and more in-depth than what is Read More
CMMC Scoping for Level 1
This video is provided by Amira Armond and Jil Wright (CMMC Provisional Assessors and Provisional Instructors) from Kieri Solutions, an Authorized C3PAO. Topics included are: Enjoy, and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for lots of other CMMC Read More
3.6.3 Test the Organizational Incident Response Capability
This was originally posted on LinkedIn. Check the original post and community discussion here! On to the next requirement! 3.6.3 ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ณ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ. This is post #5 in my series analyzing the top ten failed / misunderstood Read More
3.4.1 Establish / Maintain Baseline Configurations
This series reviews the top failed (misunderstood) 800-171 andย CMMCย requirements. Originally posted on LinkedIn – check the start of series here for community conversation and thoughts! 3.4.1 ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก/๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ This one is both commonly misunderstood and difficult to implement, even though Read More
Top 10 “Other than satisfied” 800-171 requirements
At Cloud Security and Compliance Series – CS2 Huntsville, Nick Delrosso’s presentation included the “Top 10 Other Than Satisfied Requirements”. Nick Delrosso represents the DCMA’s Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Assessment Center (DIBCAC) which has been performing cybersecurity assessments on contractors for the Read More
When is a FIPS Validated Module required?
This video from Amira Armond and Jillian Wright (both Kieri Solutions Provisional Assessors and Instructors), explains when FIPS 140-2 validated modules are required to be used by CMMC Level 2 / NIST SP 800-171. It also explains when FIPS is Read More
CMMC Annual Compliance Tasks
This article discusses six annual CMMC compliance tasks that are ideal for the quiet holiday season
CMMC Scope – are you ready for an assessment?
This article gives examples and explanations of how to identify your CMMC scope to an assessor when you are planning…
CMMC, CUI, and Cloud Vendors – do you need FedRAMP?
Achieving Cloud Compliance in the Age of CMMC, CUI, and DFARS 7012: How secure are your cloud vendors?
CMMC 2.0 Scoping Scenarios Analysis
This detailed analysis of the CMMC Scoping Guide for Level 2 is meant for educational purposes only. It discusses 12 common scenarios and gives recommendations for scoping.
Does CMMC enforce FedRAMP and other CUI protections?
Will CMMC assessors stick to just the CMMC requirements or will they review your compliance to CUI-specified handling and other regulations?
Defining authorized – a key concept in CMMC
The term authorized is used across 40 different assessment objectives in the CMMC. Do you know what it means? How do you show it?
The underestimated .998’s – procedure requirements for CMMC
CMMC Level 3 wants procedures, AKA the 998 requirements, but what does that actually mean? And what is necessary to pass?
CMMC Assessment Part 3 – Interview with Jeff Dalton
This is Part 3 of our CMMC Assessment series with Jeff Dalton (the lead trainer of the CMMC Provisional Assessors). Q&A about assessments!
CMMC-AB Jeff Dalton โ the CMMC Assessment Process โ Part 2
Second interview with Jeff Dalton (CMMC-AB) about the CMMC assessment process. Topics relevant to every defense contractor, non-technical.