MSPs and CMMC Compliance: 7 Advantages Every IT Professional Gets from Hiring a Managed Services Provider
Small and medium-sized businesses make up 73% of the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). Yet the Department of Defense’s (DoD) new Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) requirements present a daunting new hurdle for these essential contractors.
For IT teams striving to meet these rigorous new standards, enlisting the expertise of a Managed Services Provider (MSP) can be a game-changer. MSPs offer specialized knowledge and resources that can streamline the path to compliance. They not only help demystify the complexities of CMMC; they ensure that your IT infrastructures are secure, resilient, and capable of protecting sensitive defense information.
This blog explores seven critical benefits that IT professionals can leverage by partnering with an MSP to master CMMC compliance and secure their position within the DoD supply chain.
What Does an MSP Do?
MSPs remotely administer IT infrastructure and end-user systems for their customers. Within the DIB sector, those customers typically include government agencies and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that contract or subcontract with the DoD.
SMBs rely on MSPs to offer expertise in handling the complex and time-consuming work of managing IT infrastructure. MSPs typically:
- Oversee compliance and risk management
- Offer technical support
- Manage IT infrastructure
- Administer cybersecurity
What’s the Difference Between an MSP and an MSSP?
An MSSP (Managed Security Service Provider) is a term sometimes used to refer to a particular type of MSP that specializes in cybersecurity.
An MSP may offer a range of IT services, including:
- Network management
- Cloud services
- Data backup
- General IT support
An MSSP, on the other hand, specializes in advanced security services, such as:
- Threat detection and response
- Vulnerability management
- Security assessments
- Incident response
Do You Need an MSP?
The DoD is expected to roll out CMMC 2.0 requirements for all new contracts by Q3 of 2025. For the small and medium-sized businesses that win over 25% of those contracts, MSPs provide an enormous benefit for implementing CMMC compliance cost-effectively. Most IT teams at these companies simply don’t have the time and number of dedicated personnel to administer and manage all the new mandatory security protocols.
7 Ways MSPs Help IT Professionals Achieve CMMC Compliance
1. MSPs Save You Money
Achieving and maintaining CMMC compliance is a complex and time-consuming undertaking consisting of 110 different security controls and 320 assessment objectives at Levels 2 and 3. MSPs can provide resources to meet these requirements on a subscription basis, eliminating the need for large upfront capital expenditures in security infrastructure, software, and personnel. Outsourcing these tasks to an MSP frees up your internal IT staff to focus on your core business activities, which improves your productivity and efficiency.
2. Select MSPs Let You Leverage DoD-Specific Industry Expertise and Experience
An MSP with DoD-specific industry expertise will have a deep understanding of the CMMC framework and will always be up-to-date on the latest changes and interpretations of the standard. At IsI, for instance, we have over 300 years of combined industrial security experience, and we’ve worked with over 900 DIB clients. MSPs with that level of industry-specific expertise know how to navigate the audit and assessment process and have access to specialized security tools and technologies specifically designed for DIB clients. Partnering with a specialized MSP lets your IT professionals enhance their own understanding of the DoD-specific security landscape.
3. MSPs Can Simplify Compliance Reporting
MSPs implement robust tools and technologies to gather and consolidate compliance-related data, eliminating the need for manual data collection from multiple sources. Likewise, they can leverage automation to generate CMMC compliance reports regularly or as needed in order to ensure consistency and accuracy in reporting and minimize the manual effort required for report preparation. Combining these procedures with advanced monitoring solutions that track your security posture in real time lets you understand your compliance status more easily and act on insights into the state of your current cybersecurity hygiene.
4. MSPs Can Offer Sophisticated Security Services, Such as Advanced Threat Detection
Cybersecurity-focused MSPs can provide a wide range of sophisticated security services that go beyond basic antivirus and firewall protection, encompassing features such as:
Advanced Threat Detection and Response - With Managed Detection and Response (MDR), businesses get 24/7 monitoring of networks and endpoints for suspicious activity, coupled with rapid response to contain and mitigate threats. Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) uses behavioral analysis and machine learning to identify and stop sophisticated attacks. Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) conducts centralized log collection and analysis to correlate security events, identify patterns, and detect potential threats.
Proactive Defense - Systems and applications are regularly scanned and assessed to identify and remediate vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. Meanwhile, penetration testing simulates attacks to identify weakness in an organization’s defenses and provide recommendations for improvement. These practices are coupled with regular employee training on new best practices for security.
Incident Response - MSPs develop and test incident response plans to ensure swift and effective action if a breach occurs; they conduct in-depth investigations to identify the root cause of security incidents and prevent future occurrences; and they can assist in recovering data lost or compromised during a security incident.
5. MSPs Help Identify and Mitigate New Risks
MSPs focused on CMMC compliance for DoD contractors identify and mitigate new risks by staying informed about the latest cybersecurity threats; by conducting comprehensive IT infrastructure assessments to identify vulnerabilities, gaps, and potential risks; and by implementing continuous monitoring solutions to detect suspicious activity, anomalies, and potential threats in real-time. This multifaceted approach helps prevent security breaches and bolster your company’s ongoing cybersecurity posture.
6. MSP Services Are Adaptable and Can Scale with the Growth of Your Organization
As your business grows or changes, your CMMC compliance needs are also likely to evolve. A good MSP can scale their services to accommodate these changes, eliminating the need for you to immediately invest in additional infrastructure or personnel when you land a new contract. An MSP that specializes in CMMC compliance will have the knowledge and expertise to stay ahead of the curve in recommending and implementing the latest best practices for meeting regulatory requirements.
7. MSPs Can Help You Attain Compliance with Minimal Business Disruption
Achieving CMMC compliance is critical for SMBs to compete for DoD contracts, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of disrupting your core business. MSPs can help you avoid disruption by performing compliance activities remotely; by developing a phased implementation plan that prioritizes the most critical controls; and by scheduling assessments, installations, and other compliance-related activities during off-hours or low-traffic periods to avoid interfering with essential business operations.
FAQs
ABOUT CMMC AND MSPS
- ARE NIST AND CMMC THE SAME?
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NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) and CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) are closely related, but they’re not the same. NIST 800-171 presents a broad range of voluntary cybersecurity guidelines and standards applicable to non-federal organizations that handle CUI. CMMC, on the other hand, is a DoD program that incorporates many of the security controls from NIST 800-171, but builds upon them. CMMC presents its own set of what will soon be mandatory requirements for defense contractors who want to do business with the DoD.
- Does CMMC Require SIEM?
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SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) isn’t mandatory for Level 1 and 2 CMMC compliance, but for organizations aiming for CMMC Level 3 certification, a SIEM solution is essentially necessary to meet the required standards for threat hunting.
However, even for organizations only seeking Level 1 or 2 CMMC compliance, a SIEM can significantly streamline and simplify CMMC compliance by centralizing log collection, facilitating real-time monitoring and analysis, and helping to identify potential security incidents.
- How Can MSPs Demonstrate Their Own Internal Security Practices Align with CMMC Requirements?
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In order for you to feel confident in an MSP, it’s important you ask them to demonstrate that their own internal security practices align with CMMC requirements. MSPs can accomplish this by achieving CMMC certification themselves, and by providing detailed documentation about security policies, procedures, and practices, such as:
- Incident response plans
- Evidence of employee security training
- Vulnerability scanning and penetration testing reports
- Reports from third-party SOC 2 audits
Choose the Right MSP for Your CMMC Compliance Needs
At IsI, we understand the challenges of CMMC compliance, and we’re here to support you every step of the way. We believe that continuous cybersecurity maturity is more than a compliance necessity: it can help you achieve true operational excellence and allow you to shine with your government customers.
Regardless of where you are in your CMMC compliance journey, our expertise will help you navigate the complexities of the process. Our curated security stack enables our clients to achieve 65% compliance during the onboarding and initial compliance phases alone. Through cost effective guidance, expert vendor management, streamlined assessment preparation, and reliable IT and cybersecurity support, we’ll push you over the finish line.
To learn more about how we can help you achieve CMMC certification, contact us today.
