Page 189 - Cyber Defense eMagazine Annual RSA Edition for 2024

from between -203 (minus) to the maximum of 110. Your first Self-Assessment score will most likely not
be a perfect score of 110 points and could very well be a negative number. Submitting a perfect score of
110 on your first basic assessment to the SPRS (Supplier Performance Risk System) could be viewed
as a red flag.

Even if you have already begun some form of a cyber/IT security compliance project, it is highly
recommended that you retain the help of a qualified DFARS / NIST 800-171 consultant or a CMMC
Registered Practitioner (RP) to guide you through this complicated process.

NIST 800-171 Compliance benefits your business for the following reasons:

• Protects against malware, ransomware, and other cyber threats,
• Helps avoid extreme costs associated with security risks (a successful hack),
• Mitigates the impact of lost or compromised data,
• Secures sensitive information,
• Maintains a trustworthy reputation with your customers,
• Helps to avoid ensuing legal trouble that comes after a cybersecurity breach.

What are the Similarities between NIST 800-171 and CMMC?

In the area of cybersecurity compliance, both the CMMC and NIST SP 800-171 appear as the same
critical frameworks aimed at strengthening the information security landscape of organizations. Notable
similarities between these frameworks highlight their shared commitment to increasing the protection of
sensitive data and ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Agreeing on a risk-based approach, both frameworks drive organizations to conduct annual assessments
of their security vulnerabilities. This forms the foundation to which organizations coordinate intelligent
implementation of controls and safeguards in accordance with the corresponding level of risk they are
exposed to. Here's a short breakdown of the similarities between the two:

• CMMC 2.0 Level 2 for the sharing of CUI lines up directly with NIST SP 800-171’s 110 controls
(Level 3 goes beyond NIST 800-171 and into NIST 800-172)
• The security requirements of each framework are aligned. Both focus on protecting the
confidentiality, integrity, and availability of organizational information assets (including data),
including CUI.
• They both describe the roles that different individuals play in an organization's cybersecurity
program as well as how these roles interact with one another.
• Both require organizations to identify their assets and vulnerabilities before creating a plan for risk
management.
• They both require organizations to develop a cybersecurity program that includes policies,
procedures, and standards.

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