Acronym of the Week

Feb 11, 2025

The FPS Industry Acronym of the Week is - CMMC
CMMC - Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification.
Cybersecurity is a top priority for the Department of Defense (DoD). The defense industrial base (DIB) faces increasingly frequent, and complex cyberattacks. To strengthen DIB cybersecurity and better safeguard DoD information, the DoD developed the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Program to assess existing DoD cybersecurity requirements.
Overview of the CMMC Program
The CMMC Program aligns with the DoD’s existing information security requirements for the DIB. It is designed to enforce the protection of sensitive unclassified information shared by the Department with its contractors and subcontractors. The program provides the DoD with increased assurance that contractors and subcontractors are meeting the cybersecurity requirements for nonfederal systems processing controlled unclassified information.
Key features of the CMMC Program:

Tiered Model: CMMC requires companies entrusted with sensitive unclassified DoD information to implement cybersecurity standards at progressively advanced levels, depending on the type and sensitivity of the information. The program also outlines the process for requiring protection of information flowed down to subcontractors.
Assessment Requirement: CMMC assessments allow the DoD to verify DIB implementation of existing cybersecurity standards.
Implementation through Contracts: DoD contractors and subcontractors handling sensitive unclassified DoD information must achieve a specific CMMC level as a condition of contract award.

The 32 CFR Part 170 CMMC rule is final and posted HERE.