How MSPs Help Organizations Achieve CMMC Compliance

How MSPs Help Organizations Achieve CMMC Compliance

For organizations within the Defense Industrial Base (DIB), achieving Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is essential, as failing to maintain compliance with CMMC 2.0 can result in loss of contracts, penalties, and even legal repercussions. Yet, considering small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) make up 73% of the DIB, the CMMC compliance process can represent a daunting challenge for many defense contractors. Taking the proper steps to prepare for the certification process and enlisting help from experienced professionals can then be essential in ensuring that this process goes smoothly while limiting costs.

This is why many defense contractors choose to partner with an experienced Managed Service Provider (MSP) to help them navigate the CMMC compliance process. Having an experienced MSP by your side (particularly one with Registered Practitioner (RP) status by the CyberAB) can be a game-changer, as they can help walk you through the complexities of CMMC 2.0 and ensure that your IT infrastructure is sufficient to protect the Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) you handle for your contracts. Yet, you may find yourself wondering what an MSP is, what they do, and how they can help you achieve CMMC compliance. Keep reading to learn more about MSPs and the importance of working with one throughout your CMMC compliance journey.

What is an MSP?

Of course, the first question you may find yourself asking is “What is an MSP, and what do they do?” A Managed Service Provider (MSP) is a third-party company that helps organizations manage their IT systems remotely. An MSP can be an invaluable asset to SMBs as they can manage, maintain, and upgrade their IT systems and digital infrastructure remotely, allowing them to focus on their core business. MSPs can also manage an organization’s network as well as their data backup and recovery procedures, and they can help them maintain a strong security and compliance posture.

An MSP can then be particularly useful for organizations within the DIB, as an experienced MSP can provide them with the expert support needed to comply with complex federal cybersecurity regulations like DFARS, FAR CUI, and CMMC 2.0. By providing these organizations with critical services like security monitoring, gap analyses, and compliance assessments, MSPs can be crucial in helping defense contractors protect sensitive government data and maintain compliance with complex regulations like CMMC.

Benefits of Using an MSP for CMMC Compliance

For organizations within the DIB, achieving CMMC compliance can be a daunting prospect if you try to go through it alone. Fortunately, by partnering with an MSP, you can get the support you need to navigate this complex process. If you’re working to achieve CMMC compliance, here are just a few of the reasons you should partner with an MSP:

Provides Expert Guidance and Support

MSPs that specialize in compliance have the knowledge, training, and resources to help guide you through the compliance process. They know what it takes to comply with CMMC 2.0, and they can create a roadmap to help your company get there, as they’ll provide expert knowledge of security frameworks like DFARS, CMMC, and NIST SP 800-171. They can also provide crucial support by helping you better understand what CMMC requires of defense contractors and how you can stay on top of evolving cybersecurity requirements.

Frees Up Your Internal IT Team

Achieving CMMC certification is a complex process, yet it is essential if you want to compete for or maintain DoD contracts. However, achieving and maintaining compliance shouldn’t come at the expense of disrupting your core business. Fortunately, working with an MSP can help you avoid any disruption to your business, as they will take all compliance-related tasks off your hands. This allows your in-house IT team to focus on mission-critical tasks that can help grow your business. Your MSP can even schedule assessments and other compliance-related activities during off-hours to avoid interfering with your business operations.

Streamline The Compliance Process

While achieving CMMC compliance can be a lengthy, complex process, partnering with an experienced MSP can help streamline this process. This is because an MSP knows what it takes to achieve CMMC compliance, and they can leverage this experience to create a roadmap that will help you achieve compliance quicker than if you’d gone through this process alone.

It’s Cost-Effective

If you’re like many SMBs, you likely have a limited in-house IT team. Investing in the infrastructure, software, and personnel needed to achieve CMMC compliance could then be extremely cost-prohibitive, making it difficult for these companies to maintain their DoD contracts. Outsourcing your compliance needs can then make CMMC compliance much more attainable, as many MSPs operate on a subscription basis. An MSP can then provide you with the expertise and resources you need at a much lower cost by leveraging economies of scale.

Tips for Finding a Trusted CMMC Compliance Consultant

Of course, once you decide to partner with a CMMC compliance consultant like an MSP, you may find yourself wondering how you will know which MSP you can trust. Choosing the right MSP is a pivotal decision that can shape your organization’s compliance journey. To help get you started, here are a few key qualities to look for in a CMMC consultant:

• Experience With DoD Compliance Frameworks: The most critical thing to look for in an MSP if you want to ensure a successful compliance journey is experience with DoD compliance frameworks like CMMC, DFARS, and FAR CUI. Additionally, they should have a detailed understanding of cloud security, FedRAMP, and GCC High. Choosing an MSP with deep expertise in the Microsoft ecosystem and comprehensive knowledge of CMMC requirements will be essential in ensuring the compliance process goes smoothly.

• Proven History: Of course, when assessing an MSP’s experience, it’s critical that you don’t just take them at their word. Delve into their history and ask detailed questions about their experience. Request tangible evidence of their CMMC compliance capabilities, such as references and case studies.

• Ability to Perform a Gap Analysis: Make sure that your chosen MSP plans to perform, and has experience performing, gap analyses. A proper gap analysis is an essential component of the CMMC compliance journey that helps you isolate and fix gaps in your cybersecurity posture.

• Is CMMC Compliant: You should also ensure that the MSP you choose is CMMC compliant themselves. The fact is that MSPs that work with customers whose data is governed by CMMC are often required to be CMMC compliant themselves, so choosing a CMMC compliant MSP is essential.

Benefits of Using a Registered Provider Organization (RPO) for CMMC

When looking to partner with a CMMC compliance consultant, your best option would be to choose a Registered Provider Organization (RPO). A CMMC RPO, also known as a Cyber-AB RPO, is an organization that has been approved by the CMMC Accreditation Body (CMMC-AB) to provide organizations within the DIB with MSP and pre-assessment consulting services. The goal of an RPO is to help an Organization Seeking Certification (OSC) understand their compliance responsibilities and prepare them for CMMC certification by performing gap analyses, identifying necessary cybersecurity changes, and developing policies and procedures to help them achieve CMMC compliance. An RPO can then play a vital role in your CMMC compliance journey by providing you with the guidance and support you need to streamline this process.

Advantages of Working With an RPO

RPOs possess specialized knowledge of the CMMC and have ample experience helping companies like yours navigate the compliance process. Working with an RPO can then help to, not only streamline the compliance process, but it can also help to minimize risks. This is because an RPO can help you identify and address potential vulnerabilities, and they can help you implement security controls to minimize the risk of a breach or data leak. They can also proactively perform regular risk assessments, helping to improve your security posture. By working with an RPO, you will receive the in-depth guidance you need to navigate DoD compliance requirements and ensure alignment with NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC requirements.

What is AgileDefend: MSP for CMMC?

For many SMBs, the CMMC compliance process can be a daunting prospect, and going through the compliance journey alone can leave them vulnerable to making costly mistakes. The good news is that there are resources available to help ensure this process goes as smoothly as possible, such as Agile IT’s Agile Defend MSP for CMMC service. With AgileDefend, you gain a trusted partner and Registered Provider Organization that can provide you with tailored IT management and security services.

Additionally, as a 4x Microsoft Partner of the Year, our experienced team can help uniquely address your Microsoft 365, security, and compliance needs, helping to ensure that you stay ahead of evolving threats and regulatory requirements. With deep expertise in NIST SP 800-171, DFARS, and CMMC, Agile IT can give you the guidance and support you need to navigate complex regulatory requirements and protect the CUI you handle, transmit, and store on your network.

Feel free to contact us today to learn more about our MSP and RPO services, as well as how we can simplify your CMMC compliance journey.