NIST to Help Set CMMC Standards for Third-Party Accreditors

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has announced that it will play a key role in creating standards for the Department of Defense’s new Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification. The program’s accreditation board will still have the final say over NIST’s standard recommendations, according to CMMC official and 2020 Wash100 winner Katie Arrington. NIST’s involvement is aimed at addressing concerns regarding potential conflicts of interest and ethical ethics, FedScoop reported Wednesday. Under NIST’s leadership, third-party assessors will be trained on certifying defense contractors based on their achievement of DoD’s levels of standard. Arrington said that no CMMC accreditation board member will be allowed to participate in the training of assessors. The program’s provisions are expected to be implemented in October, following its initial schedule.