CMMC FAQs Part 2 – CMMC Model Guide v1.02

This article highlights some of the key excerpts and summaries from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification CMMC Model Guide v1.02. Download our CMMC FAQ Guide for the full list of frequently asked questions. 

As part of our continued commitment to helping organizations prepare for CMMC, we are curating some of the most relevant frequently asked questions from authorized resources and providing an overview of them in our CMMC FAQ series.

How is the CMMC framework organized?

The CMMC framework consists of maturity processes and cybersecurity best practices from multiple cybersecurity standards, frameworks, and other references, as well as inputs from the DIB and DoD stakeholders. The model framework organizes these processes and practices into a set of domains and maps them across five levels.  In order to provide additional structure, the framework also aligns the practices to a set of capabilities within each domain.

What are maturity processes and how do they fit into the CMMC framework?

The CMMC model consists of five maturity processes that span Maturity Levels (ML) 2-5 and apply to all domains. 

What are practices and how do they fit into the CMMC framework?

Practices are synonymous with controls.  The CMMC framework consists of 171 practices that are mapped across the five levels for all capabilities and domains.

The majority of practices (110 of 171) originate from the safeguarding requirements and security requirements specified in FAR Clause 52.204-21 and DFARS Clause 252.204-7012.  Level 1 is equivalent to all the safeguarding requirements from FAR Clause 52.204-21.  Level 3 includes all of the security requirements in NIST SP 800-171 plus 20 additional practices.  The remaining practices stem from multiple references as well as inputs from the DIB and DoD stakeholders. 

What Domains Are Included in the CMMC Framework?

The CMMC framework consists of 17 domains. The majority of these domains originate from the security-related areas in Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) Publication 200 and the related security requirement families from NIST SP 800-171.  The CMMC framework also includes three additional domains of Asset Management (AM), Recovery (RE), and Situational Awareness (SA).

To download the full CMMC Model V1.02 Guide, please visit https://www.acq.osd.mil/cmmc/docs/CMMC_ModelMain_V1.02_20200318.pdf.

Related Articles

• CMMC FAQs Part 1 – OUSD A&S
• CMMC FAQs Part 3 – Common Questions

How Can Schneider Downs Help?

Schneider Downs currently offers CMMC readiness and consulting services as a Registered Provider Organization (RPO). Our team includes a Certified CMMC Provisional Assessor, and several other members currently in process of applying for CMMC Certified Assessor status who plan on completing training in Q2 of 2021. OSCs should note that a single firm cannot perform both consulting and audit services for a single client per the CMMC-AB standards. In the meantime, until such requirements are made public, we can help your organization prepare for CMMC by performing an assessment against the NIST 800-171 framework.

For more information visit www.schneiderdowns.com/cmmc or contact the team at [email protected].