As we know, October is Cybersecurity Awareness month. There is much to be aware of, including how to prepare for an attack, current threats, how well your data is protected, and who has access to it. Read on to learn how following rigorous compliance standards helps your cybersecurity efforts.
Rigorous Standards Aid Cybersecurity Efforts
Currently, new standards are being drawn up in the form of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification, a Department of Defense program that applies to Defense Industrial Contractors and by extension to those businesses doing business with defense contractors. According to CISCO, the CMMC is designed as a unifying standard to ensure that contractors properly protect sensitive information. Three levels exist, with Level One containing seventeen practices to follow. Level 2 is more stringent, and Level Three is the highest. Domains within the model include Access Control, Identification and Authentication, Incident Response, Awareness and Training, among others. A few of these domains (like Identification and Authentication) could incorporate zero-trust, a paradigm gaining ground in the cybersecurity community.
Considering Zero Trust as a Cybersecurity Model
“Trust, but verify” as the saying goes. However, in cybersecurity efforts it should be “Verify, then trust.” Zero-trust is the practice of identifying each request for access to the network, and authenticating or verifying the request as a prerequisite for access to systems. The zero-trust paradigm still is a work in progress, because it’s a different way of thinking about cybersecurity, one that includes all of the organization and influences workforce and workflow decisions. The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification has the idea of zero-trust built in, and even aligning your cybersecurity efforts with the practices of the first level should help considerably.
CMMC’s Role in Cybersecurity and Compliance
Even if your business does not work directly with Department of Defense contractors, you have good reason to model your cybersecurity and compliance efforts on CMMC’s standards for data protection and compliance. First, CMMC can fit within your current infrastructure and help you comply with already-applicable regulations like PCI-DSS or HIPAA. Second, If your business does any work with government contractors, your compliance will eventually be required to comply at one of the three levels. Following CMMC can help you keep your system safe by only allowing authorized entities to access your network (“zero-trust”), and protecting your data. All of the CMMC domains pertain to aspects of cybersecurity, and could make your cybersecurity and compliance efforts easier.
Cybersecurity, once an additional IT component, is continually becoming integral to a company’s way of doing business. To learn more about how we can help you with your cybersecurity and compliance efforts, contact your trusted technology advisor today.
