Photo of Christopher HebdonPhoto of Michael G. Gruden, CIPP/GPhoto of Maida Oringher LernerPhoto of Evan D. WolffPhoto of Kate M. Growley, CIPP/G, CIPP/US

The Department of Defense (DoD) recently announced significant changes to its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program intended to simplify the requirements and ease the compliance burden on contractors.  Unlike its predecessor, the new CMMC 2.0 moves to three compliance levels rather than five; aligns the required security controls (known as practices) with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publications (SP) 800-171 and 800-172; and eliminates entirely previously required maturity processes.  The changes also include a shift to self-assessments for all but contractors supporting the most sensitive programs, as well as the return of Plans of Action and Milestones (POAMs) to demonstrate compliance and achieve certification.

The new requirements are summarized below:

  • CMMC Level 1, Foundational – Contractors must implement the 17 controls from NIST SP 800-171 enumerated in FAR 52.204-21 and submit an annual self-assessment to the DoD through the Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS).
  • CMMC Level 2, Advanced – Contractors must implement the 110 controls in NIST SP 800-171 and submit an annual self-assessment or, if required to handle (as yet undefined) critical national security information, a triennial independent assessment performed by a CMMC Third Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO).
  • CMMC Level 3, Expert – Contractors must implement the 110 controls in NIST SP 800-171 and a subset of controls from NIST SP 800-172 before undergoing a triennial government-led assessment.  The DoD, however, is still in the process of developing the requirements for this Level.

CMMC 2.0 will be implemented through the rulemaking process, which the DoD estimates could take anywhere from nine months to two years.  Thereafter, the DoD will begin to incorporate CMMC 2.0 requirements into contracts.  In the meantime, the DoD has suspended its CMMC pilot program and will not approve the inclusion of CMMC requirements in any forthcoming DoD solicitations.

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Photo of Michael G. Gruden, CIPP/G Michael G. Gruden, CIPP/G

Michael G. Gruden is a counsel in Crowell & Moring’s Washington, D.C. office, where he is a member of the firm’s Government Contracts and Privacy and Cybersecurity groups. He possesses real-world experience in the areas of federal procurement and data security, having worked…

Michael G. Gruden is a counsel in Crowell & Moring’s Washington, D.C. office, where he is a member of the firm’s Government Contracts and Privacy and Cybersecurity groups. He possesses real-world experience in the areas of federal procurement and data security, having worked as a Contracting Officer at both the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the Information Technology, Research & Development, and Security sectors for nearly 15 years. Michael is a Certified Information Privacy Professional with a U.S. government concentration (CIPP/G). He is also a Registered Practitioner under the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) framework. Michael serves as vice-chair for the ABA Science & Technology Section’s Homeland Security Committee.

Michael’s legal practice covers a wide range of counseling and litigation engagements at the intersection of government contracts and cybersecurity. His government contracts endeavors include supply chain security counseling, contract disputes with federal entities, suspension and debarment proceedings, mandatory disclosures to the government, prime-subcontractor disputes, and False Claims Act investigations. His privacy and cybersecurity practice includes cybersecurity compliance reviews, risk assessments, data breaches, incident response, and regulatory investigations.

Photo of Maida Oringher Lerner Maida Oringher Lerner

Maida Lerner is senior counsel in Crowell & Moring’s Washington, D.C. office and a part of the firm’s Privacy & Cybersecurity, Government Contracts, and Environment & Natural Resources groups. Maida counsels a broad group of clients in a variety of sectors on cyber…

Maida Lerner is senior counsel in Crowell & Moring’s Washington, D.C. office and a part of the firm’s Privacy & Cybersecurity, Government Contracts, and Environment & Natural Resources groups. Maida counsels a broad group of clients in a variety of sectors on cyber and physical security compliance and risk management, homeland security, and administrative matters, including trade associations and companies in the pipeline, transportation, government contracts, education, health care, and manufacturing sectors.

Photo of Evan D. Wolff Evan D. Wolff

Evan D. Wolff is a partner in Crowell & Moring’s Washington, D.C. office, where he is co-chair of the firm’s Chambers USA-ranked Privacy & Cybersecurity Group and a member of the Government Contracts Group. Evan has a national reputation for his deep technical…

Evan D. Wolff is a partner in Crowell & Moring’s Washington, D.C. office, where he is co-chair of the firm’s Chambers USA-ranked Privacy & Cybersecurity Group and a member of the Government Contracts Group. Evan has a national reputation for his deep technical background and understanding of complex cybersecurity legal and policy issues. Calling upon his experiences as a scientist, program manager, and lawyer, Evan takes an innovative approach to developing blended legal, technical, and governance mechanisms to prepare companies with rapid and comprehensive responses to rapidly evolving cybersecurity risks and threats. Evan has conducted training and incident simulations, developed response plans, led privileged investigations, and advised on hundreds of data breaches where he works closely with forensic investigators. Evan also counsels businesses on both domestic and international privacy compliance matters, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). He is also a Registered Practitioner under the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) framework.

Photo of Kate M. Growley, CIPP/G, CIPP/US Kate M. Growley, CIPP/G, CIPP/US

Kate M. Growley (CIPP/US, CIPP/G) is a director in Crowell & Moring International’s Southeast Asia regional office. Drawing from over a decade of experience as a practicing attorney in the United States, Kate helps her clients navigate and shape the policy and regulatory…

Kate M. Growley (CIPP/US, CIPP/G) is a director in Crowell & Moring International’s Southeast Asia regional office. Drawing from over a decade of experience as a practicing attorney in the United States, Kate helps her clients navigate and shape the policy and regulatory environment for some of the most complex data issues facing multinational companies, including cybersecurity, privacy, and digital transformation. Kate has worked with clients across every major sector, with particular experience in technology, health care, manufacturing, and aerospace and defense. Kate is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP) in both the U.S. private and government sectors by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). She is also a Registered Practitioner with the U.S. Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Cyber Accreditation Body (AB).