The CMMC and The CDM
Under the Trump administration, new security measures came out to help strengthen the US government’s cybersecurity infrastructure. The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program is a new set of cybersecurity standards developed by the Department of Defense (DoD) to protect defense contractors from cyber attacks.
Additionally, the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program – the Federal government’s primary program to improve civilian agency cyber security – is part of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
The CMMC is essentially a set of guidelines. Therefore, businesses that meet this certification can work with the federal government. There are different numbered levels showing how well a contractor has deployed cybersecurity throughout their organization.
In their own words, “The CDM Program was developed in 2012 to support government-wide and agency-specific efforts to provide risk-based, consistent, and cost-effective cybersecurity solutions to protect federal civilian networks across all organizational tiers.”
According to govtech.com the CISA, an agency created under the Trump administration, agency is strong and has done great work. However, it never received as much funding as it could to make it a powerhouse. Speaking of funding, the CDM received a budget of $281 Million for the 2020 fiscal year. Unfortunately, the program is looking at nearly half its budget being cut.
The Biden Administration Projected Impact
The CDM received a budget of $281 Million for the 2020 fiscal year. Unfortunately, the program is looking at nearly half its budget being cut.
Information overload yet? I know, it is a lot to take in, but truly the integrity of our nation’s digital infrastructure is what we are talking about here. It’s a big deal. So after the work the Trump administration put in, what will it look like if Biden takes office? Here’s a glimpse of what we can expect.
Alejandro Mayorkas. He’s is set to be the next DHS Secretary, subject to Senate confirmation. Mayorkas was DHS Deputy Secretary during the second Obama administration. During which he developed a considerable profile in cybersecurity and the fight against cyber crime.
Mayorkas isn’t the only one with a strong cybersecurity background. Avril Haines, Biden’s choice for director of national intelligence, also has a lot of experience in cyber intelligence. The two picks together show the Biden administration takes cybersecurity seriously.
Hopefully, the incoming administration can work with Congress to increase budgetary deficits to these agencies. All eyes are going to be on CISA in the next year. How this will play out will depend on how Congress and the administration can work together to provide for the future of cybersecurity.
