How MSSPs Help Defense Contractors Meet DFARS Requirements

Navigating the complexities of DFARS requirements can feel like a daunting task for contractors. DFARS compliance requires continuous assessment, monitoring, and improvement of processes which is often complex and time consuming.

Luckily, a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) can help with achieving and maintaining compliance to ease the burdensome workload.

Cybersecurity Services MSSPs Can Provide

For defense contractors, an MSSP can provide outsourced monitoring and management of security devices and systems. Some common services an MSSP may provide can include:

• Managed firewalls
• Threat detection
• Virtual private network (VPN)
• Vulnerability scanning
• Endpoint detection and response
• Security Operations Center (SOC) services

MSSPs provide 24/7 services designed to reduce the number of operational security personnel an enterprise needs to hire and train in order to maintain an acceptable cybersecurity maturity level.

Complying to DFARS Requirements with an MSSP

In the past, defense industrial base contractors took sole ownership of implementing, monitoring, and maintaining compliance with Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) cybersecurity standards and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) SP 800-171.

Today, the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is shifting the paradigm and requiring third-party auditors to determine whether contractors’ cybersecurity programs are mature enough to handle high-profile contracts with the Department of Defense. With CMMC requirements expected to roll out in early 2021, organizations are scrambling to prepare for audits and achieve CMMC compliance in time.

With this in mind, many contractors are turning to MSSPs to help bridge the gap and ensure they are up to the various standards. Here are four ways an MSSP can help defense contractors meet and maintain DFARS compliance requirements.

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Four Ways MSSPs Help Defense Contractors Meet and Maintain DFARS Requirements

1. Overseeing Security Updates and Maintenance

Patch management and routine updates are some of the most effective ways to avoid ransomware and other cyberattacks. A capable MSSP abreast of the latest threats and vulnerabilities can recognize these threats before they impact your organization.

2. Providing Robust Security and Data Protection

Businesses are required to ensure the safety and security of confidential information from unauthorized access or disclosure. According to NIST guidelines, this includes access control, cybersecurity training, auditing, configuration management, and more. An MSSP can ensure a business is trained in cybersecurity best practices, and correctly implements and follows NIST guidelines.

3. Rapidly Detecting and Reporting Cyber Incidents

In the unfortunate event a cyber-attack occurs, it is imperative that they’re immediately aware of the attack so they can isolate affected machines and triage to prevent further infection, loss of data, and revenue loss from subsequent downtime. An MSSP can help avoid evolving cybersecurity threats and monitor network security to help businesses avoid damage at the first sign of a cyber-attack.

Related Article: Insider Threats: Managing Cyber Risks in Remote Workforces

4. Conducting Routine Cybersecurity Risk Assessments

An MSSP can assist in conducting routine and thorough cyber risk assessments. This assessment can help organizations identify any possible vulnerabilities or shortfalls in their current cybersecurity plan.

Managed Security for Defense and Government with Conquest

Conquest Cyber is a distinctly qualified partner for defense and government related industries. The sensitive nature of these organizations’ data makes them a prime target for cyber-attacks, and breaches. Conquest specializes in all cybersecurity, cloud, and risk management disciplines for these highly demanding industries.

Conquest Cyber’s proprietary software, ARMED™, automates procedures that security personnel has been doing manually for decades. This includes automatically notifying systems/people from a tactical perspective if drift departs from a control objective.

It also pulls in information via widgets to report events to security personnel in real time and provides detailed visibility into compliance progression, including CMMC compliance. The combination of ARMED™ and managed security services provides a holistic cybersecurity solution for defense contractors and bring them closer to regulatory compliance.

Learn more about the benefits of working with Conquest Cyber

Sources:

https://business.defense.gov/Small-Business/Cybersecurity/

https://www.cio.com/article/3544291/9-steps-to-a-successful-risk-assessment.html