Is Your Aerospace and Defense Manufacturing Company CMMC-Ready?
Manufacturers and suppliers in the Aerospace & Defense sectors consistently face rigorous oversight. Their customers expect them to adapt swiftly to evolving quality control mandates, demanding quicker turnaround times, comprehensive reporting, and full traceability of parts across the product lifecycle. But the looming question is: Is your business in compliance with the evolving Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC)? Let’s explore the significance of this standard and how a modern ERP system can revolutionize the way you meet these demands.
What is CMMC?
The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is an initiative by the Department of Defense (DoD) to enhance the cybersecurity posture of the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). It serves as a framework to evaluate and certify the ability of defense contractors to protect sensitive data, specifically Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). CMMC encompasses multiple maturity levels, ranging from basic cybersecurity hygiene to advanced practices, ensuring that suppliers have the necessary measures in place to safeguard information. Each level is characterized by specific practices and processes, and the required CMMC level for a particular contract will be stipulated in the Request for Proposal (RFP). This certification is not just about meeting technical requirements but also emphasizes the institutionalization of cybersecurity processes, making it a comprehensive approach to data protection in the defense sector.
Understanding Regulated Businesses and Their Needs
Regulated businesses span a variety of sectors such as Aerospace and Defense, as well as Healthcare, Public Sector, Retail, Manufacturing, and Distribution. These industries often handle sensitive data, such as CUI, which demands a high level of cybersecurity.
In 2018, Infor undertook a comprehensive study of customers across these sectors on their current and planned cloud investments, and found that the top 5 reasons for cloud adoption were:
- Innovation
- Security & Compliance:
- Performance & Scalability
- UI & Adoption
- Total Cost of Ownership
However, making the move to the cloud is not as clearcut, with there being challenges to digital transformation, including:
- Cybersecurity: The top concern when considering a move to the cloud.
- Compliance: The need for a cyberspace that aligns with government standards like NIST, FedRAMP, DFARS, ITAR, CJIS, and HIPAA.
- Fear of Change: Needing to overcome the fear or willingness of the organization as a whole to embrace a brand new business process.
- Delay Increases Risk: The irony of organizations being afraid to move to the cloud due to security concerns is that their legacy IT can be much harder to defend.
- Need to Take Action: To mitigate these risks, businesses must consider cloud migration, either fully or in a hybrid model, to ensure a secure and resilient cyberspace.
How Infor CloudSuite Can Help
Infor CloudSuite Industrial is a leading ERP choice for today’s aerospace and defense suppliers, providing the control necessary to manage operations and production with features such as:
- Comprehensive Security: Built for sensitive and regulated data, it offers an isolated, secure, and compliant environment.
- Governance and Compliance Tools: These tools ensure businesses can manage their security and compliance needs effectively.
- Inheritable Security Posture: With FedRAMP/NIST allowing for inherited controls, Infor’s cloud solutions are designed to inherit security controls from the Infor OS platform. This means businesses can stack authorization packages, streamlining the compliance process.
- Standardized Approach: Infor’s CloudSuite follows standardized software development practices, operating procedures, and “Defense in Depth” principles. This ensures a consistent and robust security posture.
- Quick Deployment: The combination of Infor’s CloudSuite approach and FedRAMP compliance means businesses can deploy secure cloud solutions faster than ever.
In the face of evolving cybersecurity threats and the very real threat of losing business if they are non-compliant with the CMMC standard, defense contractors must act swiftly. While the challenges are significant, solutions like the award-winning Infor CloudSuite offer a beacon of hope, providing the tools and infrastructure necessary to navigate this complex landscape confidently.
Often overlooked, one of the key components of a successful A&D ERP implementation is not the software, but the implementation partner behind it. SolutionsX has successfully implemented some of the largest and most complex aerospace and defense manufacturers on Infor CloudSuite Industrial and knows what it takes to complete the project on time and on budget. Speak with us to see how SolutionsX can help you.