CMMC – A Primer

In observance of Cybersecurity Awareness Month (October), the Illinois Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) at Bradley University is offering a 3-part webinar series. Cybersecurity Awareness Month was recreated as a collaborative effort between government and industry to ensure every American has the resources they need to stay safer and more secure online. Individuals and organizations have to do their part in protecting their cyberspace. This series of presentations introduces the DoD’s (US Department of Defense) cybersecurity evolution from NIST 800-171 to the new CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification). During the presentations, we will explore the DoD’s rationale for implementing this, but most importantly educate DoD suppliers as to how to navigate the requirement and understand the DoD’s expectations. If you are one of the 221,000+ suppliers to the DoD – whether big or small, whether prime or subcontractor, if you handle Federal Contract Information (FCI) or Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), you will need to become certified to bid on contracts, which became a requirement in early 2021. We will conclude with a complete path forward on becoming certified and explore why the process will likely take most organizations 6 months or more to become certified. Benefits of Attending: Understand your requirements as a DoD Supplier under NIST 800-171, Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) and the Interim Rule Learn what steps you need to take now to ensure you can bid on DoD contracts Gain exposure to the CMMC framework so that you know Explore the difference between NIST 800-171 and CMMC Learn about the various Maturity Levels, and Determine what the CMMC Framework includes and what compliance entails Our Speaker: Damon Hacker is President, CEO and a founder of Vestige Digital Investigations, a leading U.S. Electronic Evidence Experts company specializing in CyberSecurity, Digital Forensics and ESI Services. A pioneer in these areas, he has more than 30 years of experience in the technology arena, including a background in IT Security and IT Auditing. He is a cybersecurity expert with vast experience across multiple frameworks and is highly experienced in cybersecurity assessments, remediation and compliance. Damon is an in demand speaker on the subjects of cybersecurity including CMMC, digital forensics, IT auditing, computer fraud, white-collar crime, data breach, non-compete and intellectual property theft. He earned an MBA from the Weatherhead School of Management, and his undergrad from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He holds CISA, CSXF certifications. Vestige is a CMMC Registered Provider Organization (RPO) and Damon is also a CMMC Registered Practitioner (RP) for DoD cybersecurity compliance through the AB-Marketplace.