As the cyber threat landscape becomes increasingly dominated by state-sponsored actors and advanced persistent threats, the DoD has taken critical steps to evolve its cybersecurity requirements for defense contractors. For contractors handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and seeking to achieve CMMC Level 3, the NIST SP 800-172 Enhanced Security Requirements represent the most stringent technical… Read More

FedRAMP, initially established in 2011 to standardize the security authorization of cloud services for federal use, has often been criticized for its complexity and cost. To address these challenges, the FedRAMP Program Management Office launched FedRAMP 20x—a modernization initiative designed to radically transform how cloud service providers achieve and maintain FedRAMP authorization. FedRAMP 20x represents… Read More

Protecting CUI is critical to national security. As adversaries increasingly target the Defense Industrial Base, the Department of Defense has strengthened its approach to cybersecurity compliance through the CMMC. While CMMC does not explicitly create or enforce data governance frameworks, it plays a pivotal role in operationalizing the technical and procedural controls necessary to secure… Read More

The journey toward SOC 2 can feel daunting: fragmented documentation, unclear control mapping, and labor-intensive evidence collection often slow progress and increase audit risk. That’s where compliance platforms come in. These technology-driven solutions promise to streamline the entire SOC 2 process, from readiness assessments and control implementation to continuous monitoring and audit preparation. However, with… Read More

Automapping CMMC practices to other compliance frameworks such as NIST 800-53, ISO 27001, and FedRAMP is an attractive option for security teams managing complex regulatory landscapes. On paper, many of these frameworks cover overlapping domains: access control, audit logging, incident response, risk assessment, and system configuration management.  However, the practical reality of automating reveals significant… Read More

More than ever, insider threats remain among the most challenging attacks to detect and the most damaging to mitigate. Threats from individuals with authorized access are a critical focus of the CMMC, particularly at Levels 2 and 3, which mandate strong controls to combat social engineering and threats from employees or other internal stakeholders. This… Read More

Achieving FedRAMP authorization requires a hardened approach to cryptographic validation beyond shallow ciphers. For CSPs, simply saying that you use AES-256 or support TLS without verified, validated cryptographic modules introduces fatal flaws into authorization efforts.  To succeed, CSPs must build systems that assume validation is an operational need and not something they do after the… Read More

Penetration testing plays a vital role in FedRAMP assessments, and red team testing represents this domain’s most advanced and realistic evaluation form. This article delves into the scope, process, and value of red team penetration testing in the FedRAMP context, providing insights for cloud service providers, third-party assessment organizations, and federal stakeholders.  

End-to-end encrypted messaging apps like Signal have gained widespread traction in the news (for better or worse). The app is widely praised for its robust encryption model, minimal data collection, and open-source transparency. Journalists, activists, and security-conscious executives have turned to Signal as a trusted tool for secure communication. But while Signal excels in privacy,… Read More

CMMC  has emerged as a pivotal framework for contractors working in the DiB, ensuring that organizations safeguard sensitive information effectively.  CMMC requires adherents to follow comprehensive documentation and robust policy frameworks like any other. Here, we will discuss the intricacies of documentation and policy development within the CMMC context, providing expert insights for organizations aiming… Read More

A critical component of CMMC is the robust authentication mechanisms that it requires, including biometric authentication, which plays a pivotal role in safeguarding sensitive information. As biometrics become more common and available across organizations, standards are evolving to incorporate this substantial identification measure.   This article covers the technical aspects of CMMC’s authentication requirements, emphasizing the… Read More

Effective log management is critical to CMMC. It ensures organizations can monitor, analyze, and respond appropriately to security incidents. Properly implemented, log management supports compliance, enhances security posture, and provides a foundation for forensic analysis.  Here, we’ll discuss some of the particulars of log management under CMMC, covering the technical aspects of log management within… Read More