Page 187 - Cyber Defense eMagazine Annual RSA Edition for 2024

DoD Compliance: The Differences Between

CMMC and NIST SP 800-171

By Joe Coleman / Cyber Security Officer, CMMC RPA / Bluestreak Consulting™

Introduction

In the world of Department of Defense (DoD) compliance and regulatory requirements, many acronyms
and standards are being used. These acronyms and standards help businesses define who they are,
what they do, and how they manage their processes to be compliant. In this article, we’ll cover some
common acronyms in information security compliance as well as discuss the similarities and differences
between CMMC 2.0 & NIST SP 800-171.

What is CMMC?

Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is a certification aimed at evaluating the maturity of
an organization's cybersecurity program. Developed by the Department of Defense (DoD), its primary
objective is to equip the extensive Defense Industrial Base (DIB) contractors, with over 400,000 of them,

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