What is CMMC Maturity?

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is the U.S. Department of Defense’s acquisition standard for ensuring the defense industrial base supply chain and “controlled unclassified information” is secure from potential cyber attack. Launched in early 2020, the certification builds on NIST 800-171 which was the DOD’s primary cyber standard in the past.

CMMC differs from the prior model in three key ways:

  1. Establishes a maturity model that enables suppliers to grow in their rating over time as they implement more controls
  2. A robust third-party audit and certification process, rather than the self-assessment and assertion-based approach used in the prior 800-171 (DFARS) standard
  3. A more comprehensive and integrated group of controls that not only aligns with 800-171, but even more broadly to NIST 800-53

CMMC applies to Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). CUI is defined by DOD as: CUI is information the Government creates or possesses, or that an entity creates or possesses for or on behalf of the Government, that a law, regulation, or Government-wide policy requires or permits an agency to handle using safeguarding or dissemination controls. DOD has created a taxonomy of included information here.

Importantly, these security standards apply to both IT and OT systems as CUI can be present on both sides. In addition, attackers may leverage IT to access OT and vice versa. Therefore, maturity will have to cover IT and OT.

There is also discussion by the GSA that it too will adopt CMMC. As GSA stated in its recent STARS III contract: “STARS III contractors should begin preparing for CMMC… (GSA) reserves the right to survey 8(a) STARS III awardees from time-to-time in order to identify and to publicly list each industry partner’s CMMC level and ISO certifications.”

Time is of the essence. DOD plans to issue 15 “pathfinder” contracts during FY2021 and fully implement the rest by 2022. The accreditation process with assessors ensuring controls are in place to issue certificates may take up to six months. The time is now to begin preparing for the defense industrial base.

 

The Maturity Model

The CMMC defined five levels of maturity as outlined in the chart below.

cmmc practice progression

 

As shown above, the levels begin with “basic cyber hygiene” and proceed through an advanced Level 5 called “advanced/progressive” that includes 40 controls and practices beyond what NIST 800-171 called for. In total, in Level 5 CMMC includes 173 sub-controls.

The purpose of the levels approach is that a small manufacturer may not have the resources to achieve Level 5 immediately – or ever. Different contracts will require differing levels of maturity certification. In addition, the level requirements will increase over time as the defense industrial base becomes more mature in its cyber security efforts.

 

Verve Partnership with DOD’s Cyber Security Hub

Verve partnered with MxD in 2018, the Department of Defense’s cybersecurity hub for manufacturing. DOD designated MxD, a public-private national lab based in Chicago, as the center for cybersecurity in manufacturing. Verve partnered with MxD to define the necessary capabilities, education, tools, etc. necessary to improve the ICS cyber security of the Defense Industrial Base.

IT-OT Testbed Deployment from Office to Plant Floor:

As part of our joint effort, Verve deployed the Verve Security Center across MxD’s office and plant networks to act as a testbed and demonstration platform. MxD has the largest manufacturing testbed of all the national labs. It has both the most modern digital manufacturing and traditional manufacturing equipment on the plant floor.

MxD wanted to understand first-hand how to become CMMC compliant, so they leveraged the Verve platform to provide the visibility and remediation necessary.

Verve client support:

Due to our partnership, our clients take advantage of the depth of knowledge and resources at 100% hardware and software asset inventory

  • Configuration baselines
  • Network connectivity and rules

Achieve CMMC Maturity with Verve

Verve provides three integrated capabilities to support the Defense Industrial Base in achieving CMMC maturity.

For 15 years, the Verve Security Center has protected industrial organizations from cyber threats and helped them achieve compliance with standards such as NIST 800-53, 800-171, NERC CIP, etc. Verve is a comprehensive endpoint platform. Key for CMMC is that it enables protection not only of traditional IT assets such as servers, PCs, etc. but also is the only endpoint management platform to work on sensitive OT devices such as PLCs, controllers, relays, RTUs, etc.

The foundation of Verve is a robust asset inventory which then enables a comprehensive suite of security components all from within the same platform. Not only does this improve time to detect and respond to threats, but it significantly reduces the cost and complexity which often come from trying to manage multiple different solutions.

ot endpoint management

 

From our work with MxD interviewing a wide range of defense industrial base suppliers, we know that efficiency and simplicity are key to achieving compliance. Organizations cannot afford expensive technology, nor the resources required to manage a wide range of siloed tools. Therefore, Verve’s platform approach is perfect for these environments.

As a single platform, Verve can deliver almost 80% of all of the CMMC requirements.

  • Capability Description
  • Practice #
  • Level
  • Verve
  • C001
  • Limit information system access to authorized users, processes acting on behalf of authorized users or devices (including other information systems).
  • P1001
  • 1
  • Procedural
  • C002
  • Limit information system access to the types of transactions and functions that authorized users are permitted to execute.
  • P1002
  • 1
  • Yes
  • C001
  • Provide privacy and security notices consistent with applicable Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) rules.
  • P1005
  • 2
  • Procedural
  • C001
  • Limit use of portable storage devices on external systems.
  • P1006
  • 2
  • Procedural
  • C002
  • Employ the principle of least privilege, including for specific security functions and privileged accounts.
  • P1007
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C002
  • Use non-privileged accounts or roles when accessing non-security functions.
  • P1008
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C002
  • Limit unsuccessful logon attempts.
  • P1009
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C002
  • Use session lock with pattern-hiding displays to prevent access and viewing of data after a period of inactivity.
  • P1010
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C002
  • Authorize wireless access prior to allowing such connections.
  • P1011
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C002
  • Separate the duties of individuals to reduce the risk of malevolent activity without collusion.
  • P1017
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C002
  • Prevent non-privileged users from executing privileged functions and capture the execution of such functions in audit logs.
  • P1018
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C002
  • Terminate (automatically) user sessions after a defined condition.
  • P1019
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C002
  • Protect wireless access using authentication and encryption.
  • P1012
  • 3
  • No
  • C002
  • Control connection of mobile devices.
  • P1020
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C002
  • Control information flows between security domains on connected systems.
  • P1023
  • 4
  • Support
  • C002
  • Periodically review and update CUI program access permissions.
  • P1025
  • 4
  • Procedural
  • C002
  • Identify and mitigate risk associated with unidentified wireless access points connected to the network.
  • P1024
  • 5
  • Yes
  • C004
  • Verify and control/limit connections to and use of external information systems.
  • P1003
  • 1
  • Yes
  • C004
  • Control information posted or processed on publicly accessible information systems.
  • P1004
  • 1
  • Yes
  • C003
  • Monitor and control remote access sessions.
  • P1013
  • 2
  • No
  • C003
  • Route remote access via managed access control points.
  • P1015
  • 2
  • No
  • C004
  • Control the flow of CUI in accordance with approved authorizations.
  • P1016
  • 2
  • No
  • C003
  • Employ cryptographic mechanisms to protect the confidentiality of remote access sessions.
  • P1014
  • 3
  • No
  • C003
  • Authorize remote execution of privileged commands and remote access to security-relevant information.
  • P1021
  • 3
  • Procedural
  • C004
  • Encrypt CUI on mobile devices and mobile computing platforms.
  • P1022
  • 3
  • No
  • C005
  • Identify and document assets.
  • P1035
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C005
  • Define procedures for the handling of CUI data.
  • P1036
  • 3
  • Procedural
  • C006
  • Employ automated capability to discover and identify systems with specific component attributes (e.g., firmware level, OS type) within your inventory.
  • P1226
  • 4
  • Yes
  • C007
  • Ensure that the actions of individual system users can be uniquely traced to those users so they can be held accountable for their actions.
  • P1041
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C008
  • Create and retain system audit logs and records to the extent needed to enable the monitoring, analysis, investigation and reporting of unlawful or unauthorized system activity.
  • P1042
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C008
  • Provide a system capability that compares and synchronizes internal system clocks with an authoritative source to generate time stamps for audit records.
  • P1043
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C010
  • Review audit logs.
  • P1044
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C007
  • Review and update logged events.
  • P1045
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C007
  • Alert in the event of an audit logging process failure.
  • P1046
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C008
  • Collect audit information (e.g., logs) into one or more central repositories.
  • P1048
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C009
  • Protect audit information and audit logging tools from unauthorized access, modification and deletion.
  • P1049
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C009
  • Limit management of audit logging functionality to a subset of privileged users.
  • P1050
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C010
  • Correlate audit record review, analysis and reporting processes for investigation and response to indications of unlawful, unauthorized, suspicious or unusual activity.
  • P1051
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C010
  • Provide audit record reduction and report generation to support on-demand analysis and reporting.
  • P1052
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C010
  • Automate analysis of audit logs to identify and act on critical indicators (TTPs) and/or organizationally defined suspicious activity.
  • P1053
  • 4
  • Yes
  • C010
  • Review audit information for broad activity in addition to per-machine activity.
  • P1054
  • 4
  • Yes
  • C008
  • Identify assets not reporting audit logs and assure appropriate organizationally defined systems are logging.
  • P1055
  • 5
  • Yes
  • C011
  • Ensure that managers, system administrators and users of organizational systems are made aware of the security risks associated with their activities and of the applicable policies, standards and procedures related to the security of those systems.
  • P1056
  • 2
  • Procedural
  • C012
  • Ensure that personnel are trained to carry out their assigned information security-related duties and responsibilities.
  • P1057
  • 2
  • Procedural
  • C011
  • Provide security awareness training on recognizing and reporting potential indicators of insider threat.
  • P1058
  • 3
  • Procedural
  • C011
  • Provide awareness training focused on recognizing and responding to threats from social engineering, advanced persistent threat actors, breaches and suspicious behaviors; update the training at least annually or when there are significant changes to the threat.
  • P1059
  • 4
  • Procedural
  • C011
  • Include practical exercises in awareness training that are aligned with current threat scenarios and provide feedback to individuals involved in the training.
  • P1060
  • 4
  • Procedural
  • C013
  • Establish and maintain baseline configurations and inventories of organizational systems (including hardware, software, firmware and documentation) throughout the respective system development life cycles.
  • P1061
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C013
  • Employ the principle of least functionality by configuring organizational systems to provide only essential capabilities.
  • P1062
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C013
  • Control and monitor user-installed software.
  • P1063
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C014
  • Establish and enforce security configuration settings for information technology products employed in organizational systems.
  • P1064
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C014
  • Track, review, approve or disapprove and log changes to organizational systems.
  • P1065
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C014
  • Analyze the security impact of changes prior to implementation.
  • P1066
  • 2
  • Procedural
  • C014
  • Define, document, approve and enforce physical and logical access restrictions associated with changes to organizational systems.
  • P1067
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C014
  • Restrict, disable or prevent the use of nonessential programs, functions, ports, protocols and services.
  • P1068
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C014
  • Apply deny-by-exception (blacklisting) policy to prevent the use of unauthorized software or deny-all, permit-by-exception (whitelisting) policy to allow the execution of authorized software.
  • P1069
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C014
  • Employ application whitelisting and an application vetting process for systems identified by the organization.
  • P1073
  • 4
  • Yes
  • C014
  • Verify the integrity and correctness of security critical or essential software as defined by the organization (e.g., roots of trust, formal verification or cryptographic signatures).
  • P1074
  • 5
  • Yes
  • C015
  • Identify information system users, processes acting on behalf of users or devices.
  • P1076
  • 1
  • Yes
  • C015
  • Authenticate (or verify) the identities of those users, processes or devices, as a prerequisite to allowing access to organizational information systems.
  • P1077
  • 1
  • Yes
  • C015
  • Enforce a minimum password complexity and change of characters when new passwords are created.
  • P1078
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C015
  • Prohibit password reuse for a specified number of generations.
  • P1079
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C015
  • Allow temporary password use for system logons with an immediate change to a permanent password.
  • P1080
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C015
  • Store and transmit only cryptographically- protected passwords.
  • P1081
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C015
  • Obscure feedback of authentication information.
  • P1082
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C015
  • Use multi-factor authentication for local and network access to privileged accounts and for network access to non-privileged accounts.
  • P1083
  • 3
  • Support
  • C015
  • Employ replay-resistant authentication mechanisms for network access to privileged and non-privileged accounts.
  • P1084
  • 3
  • Support
  • C015
  • Prevent the reuse of identifiers for a defined period.
  • P1085
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C015
  • Disable identifiers after a defined period of inactivity.
  • P1086
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C016
  • Establish an operational incident-handling capability for organizational systems that includes preparation, detection, analysis, containment, recovery and user response activities.
  • P1092
  • 2
  • Procedural
  • C017
  • Detect and report events.
  • P1093
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C017
  • Analyze and triage events to support event resolution and incident declaration.
  • P1094
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C018
  • Develop and implement responses to declared incidents according to pre-defined procedures.
  • P1096
  • 2
  • Procedural
  • C019
  • Perform root cause analysis on incidents to determine underlying causes.
  • P1097
  • 2
  • Support
  • C018
  • Track, document and report incidents to designated officials and/or authorities both internal and external to the organization.
  • P1098
  • 3
  • Support
  • C020
  • Test the organizational incident response capability.
  • P1099
  • 3
  • Procedural
  • C016
  • Use knowledge of attacker tactics, techniques and procedures in incident response planning and execution.
  • P1100
  • 4
  • Procedural
  • C018
  • Establish and maintain a Security Operations Center (SOC) capability that facilitates a 24/7 response capability.
  • P1101
  • 4
  • Yes
  • C016
  • In response to cyber incidents, utilize forensic data gathering across impacted systems, ensuring the secure transfer and protection of forensic data.
  • P1106
  • 5
  • Support
  • C018
  • Use a combination of manual and automated, real-time response to anomalous activities that match incident patterns.
  • P1102
  • 5
  • Yes
  • C018
  • Establish and maintain a security operation center that facilitates a 24/7 response capability.
  • P1107
  • 5
  • Procedural
  • C018
  • Establish and maintain a Cyber Incident Response Team (CIRT) that can investigate an issue physically or virtually at any location within 24 hours.
  • P1108
  • 5
  • Procedural
  • C020
  • Perform unannounced operational exercises to demonstrate technical and procedural responses.
  • P1110
  • 5
  • Procedural
  • C021
  • Perform maintenance on organizational systems.
  • P1111
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C021
  • Provide controls on the tools, techniques, mechanisms and personnel used to conduct system maintenance.
  • P1112
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C021
  • Require multifactor authentication to establish nonlocal maintenance sessions via external network connections and terminate such connections when nonlocal maintenance is complete.
  • P1113
  • 2
  • Support
  • C021
  • Supervise the maintenance activities of personnel without required access authorization.
  • P1114
  • 2
  • Procedural
  • C021
  • Ensure equipment removed for off-site maintenance is sanitized of any CUI.
  • P1115
  • 3
  • Procedural
  • C021
  • Check media containing diagnostic and test programs for malicious code before the media are used in organizational systems.
  • P1116
  • 3
  • No
  • C024
  • Sanitize or destroy information system media containing Federal Contract Information (FCI) before disposal or release for reuse.
  • P1118
  • 1
  • No
  • C023
  • Protect (e.g., physically control and securely store) system media containing Federal Contract Information, both paper and digital.
  • P1119
  • 2
  • Procedural
  • C023
  • Limit access to CUI on system media to authorized users.
  • P1120
  • 2
  • Yes
  • CO22
  • Mark media with necessary CUI markings and distribution limitations.
  • P1122
  • 3
  • Procedural
  • C023
  • Prohibit the use of portable storage devices when such devices have no identifiable owner.
  • P1123
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C025
  • Control access to media containing CUI and maintain accountability for media during transport outside of controlled areas.
  • P1124
  • 3
  • Procedural
  • C025
  • Implement cryptographic mechanisms to protect the confidentiality of CUI stored on digital media during transport unless otherwise protected by alternative physical safeguards.
  • P1125
  • 3
  • No
  • C026
  • Screen individuals prior to authorizing access to organizational systems containing CUI.
  • P1127
  • 2
  • Procedural
  • C027
  • Ensure that organizational systems containing CUI are protected during and after personnel actions such as terminations and transfers.
  • P1128
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C028
  • Limit physical access to organizational information systems, equipment and the respective operating environments to authorized individuals.
  • P1131
  • 1
  • Procedural
  • C028
  • Escort visitors and monitor visitor activity.
  • P1132
  • 1
  • Procedural
  • C028
  • Maintain audit logs of physical access.
  • P1133
  • 1
  • Procedural
  • C028
  • Control and manage physical access devices.
  • P1134
  • 1
  • Procedural
  • C028
  • Protect and monitor the physical facility and support infrastructure for organizational systems.
  • P1135
  • 2
  • Procedural
  • C028
  • Enforce safeguarding measures for CUI at alternate work sites.
  • P1136
  • 3
  • Procedural
  • C029
  • Regularly perform and test data back-ups.
  • P1137
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C029
  • Protect the confidentiality of backup CUI at storage locations.
  • P1138
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C029
  • Regularly perform complete, comprehensive and resilient data backups as organizationally defined
  • P1139
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C030
  • Ensure information processing facilities meet organizationally defined information security continuity, redundancy and availability requirements.
  • P1140
  • 5
  • Yes
  • C031
  • Periodically assess the risk to organizational operations (including mission, functions, image or reputation), organizational assets and individuals, resulting from the operation of organizational systems and the associated processing, storage or transmission of CUI.
  • P1141
  • 2
  • Procedural
  • C031
  • Scan for vulnerabilities in organizational systems and applications periodically and when new vulnerabilities affecting those systems and applications are identified.
  • P1142
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C032
  • Remediate vulnerabilities in accordance with risk assessments.
  • P1143
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C031
  • Periodically perform risk assessments to identify and prioritize risks according to the defined risk categories, risk sources and risk measurement criteria.
  • P1144
  • 3
  • Support
  • C032
  • Develop and implement risk mitigation plans.
  • P1146
  • 3
  • Support
  • C032
  • Manage non-vendor-supported products (e.g., end of life) separately and restrict as necessary to reduce risk.
  • P1147
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C031
  • Catalog and periodically update threat profiles and adversary Tactics, Techniques & Procedures (TTPs).
  • P1149
  • 4
  • Yes
  • C031
  • Employ threat intelligence to inform the development of the system and security architectures, selection of security solutions, monitoring, threat hunting and response and recovery activities.
  • P1150
  • 4
  • Yes
  • C031
  • Perform scans for unauthorized ports available across perimeter network boundaries, over the organization's Internet boundaries and other organization-defined boundaries.
  • P1151
  • 4
  • Yes
  • C033
  • Develop and update as required, a plan for managing supply chain risks associated with the IT supply chain.
  • P1148
  • 4
  • Support
  • C032
  • Utilize an exception process for non-whitelisted software that includes mitigation techniques.
  • P1152
  • 5
  • Support
  • C032
  • Analyze the effectiveness of security solutions at least annually to address anticipated risk to the system and the organization based on current and accumulated threat intelligence.
  • P1155
  • 5
  • Procedural
  • C034
  • Develop, document and periodically update System Security Plans (SSPs) that describe system boundaries, system environments of operation, how security requirements are implemented and the relationships with or connections to other systems.
  • P1157
  • 2
  • Support
  • C035
  • Periodically assess the security controls in organizational systems to determine if the controls are effective in their application.
  • P1158
  • 2
  • Procedural
  • C035
  • Develop and implement plans of action (e.g., POA&M) designed to correct deficiencies and reduce or eliminate vulnerabilities in organizational systems.
  • P1159
  • 2
  • Procedural
  • C035
  • Monitor security controls on an ongoing basis to ensure the continued effectiveness of the controls.
  • P1161
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C036
  • Employ a security assessment of enterprise software that has been developed internally, for internal use, and that has been organizationally defined as an area of risk.
  • P1162
  • 3
  • No
  • C034
  • Create, maintain and leverage a security strategy and roadmap for organizational cybersecurity improvement.
  • P1163
  • 4
  • Procedural
  • C035
  • Conduct penetration testing periodically, leveraging automated scanning tools and ad hoc tests using human experts.
  • P1164
  • 4
  • Procedural
  • C035
  • Periodically perform red teaming against organizational assets in order to validate defensive capabilities.
  • P1227
  • 4
  • Procedural
  • C037
  • Receive and respond to cyber threat intelligence from information sharing forums and sources and communicate to stakeholders.
  • P1169
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C037
  • Establish and maintain a cyber threat hunting capability to search for Indicators of Compromise (IoC) in organizational systems and detect, track and disrupt threats that evade existing controls.
  • P1171
  • 4
  • Yes
  • C037
  • Design network and system security capabilities to leverage, integrate and share Indicators of Compromise (IoC).
  • P1173
  • 4
  • Yes
  • C040
  • Monitor, control and protect organizational communications (e.g., information transmitted or received by organizational information systems) at the external boundaries and key internal boundaries of the information systems.
  • P1175
  • 1
  • Support
  • C040
  • Implement subnetworks for publicly accessible system components that are physically or logically separated from internal networks.
  • 1
  • Support
  • C039
  • Prohibit remote activation of collaborative computing devices and provide indication of devices in use to users present at the device.
  • P1178
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C039
  • Use encrypted sessions for the management of network devices.
  • P1179
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C039
  • Employ FIPS-validated cryptography when used to protect the confidentiality of CUI.
  • P1177
  • 3
  • No
  • C039
  • Employ architectural designs, software development techniques and systems engineering principles that promote effective information security within organizational systems.
  • P1180
  • 3
  • Procedural
  • C039
  • Separate user functionality from system management functionality.
  • P1181
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C039
  • Prevent unauthorized and unintended information transfer via shared system resources.
  • P1182
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C039
  • Deny network communications traffic by default and allow network communications traffic by exception (e.g., deny all, permit by exception).
  • P1183
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C039
  • Prevent remote devices from simultaneously establishing non-remote connections with organizational systems and communicating via some other connection to resources in external networks (e.g., split tunneling).
  • P1184
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C039
  • Implement cryptographic mechanisms to prevent unauthorized disclosure of CUI during transmission unless otherwise protected by alternative physical safeguards.
  • P1185
  • 3
  • No
  • C039
  • Terminate network connections associated with communications sessions at the end of the sessions or after a defined period of inactivity.
  • P1186
  • 3
  • No
  • C039
  • Establish and manage cryptographic keys for cryptography employed in organizational systems.
  • P1187
  • 3
  • No
  • C039
  • Control and monitor the use of mobile code.
  • P1188
  • 3
  • No
  • C039
  • Control and monitor the use of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies.
  • P1189
  • 3
  • No
  • C039
  • Protect the authenticity of communications sessions.
  • P1190
  • 3
  • No
  • C039
  • Protect the confidentiality of CUI at rest.
  • P1191
  • 3
  • Yes
  • C040
  • Implement Domain Name System (DNS) filtering services.
  • P1192
  • 3
  • No
  • C040
  • Implement a policy restricting the publication of CUI on externally owned, publicly-accessible websites (e.g., forums, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.).
  • P1193
  • 3
  • Procedural
  • C039
  • Employ physical and logical isolation techniques in the system and security architecture and/or and where deemed appropriate by the organization.
  • P1197
  • 4
  • Yes
  • C039
  • Isolate administratrion of organizationally defined high-value critical network infrastructure components and servers.
  • P1228
  • 4
  • Yes
  • C040
  • Utilize threat intelligence to proactively block DNS requests from reaching malicious domains.
  • P1199
  • 4
  • No
  • C040
  • Employ mechanisms to analyze executable code and scripts (e.g., sandbox) traversing Internet network boundaries or other organizationally defined boundaries.
  • P1202
  • 4
  • No
  • C040
  • Utilize a URL categorization service and implement techniques to enforce URL filtering of websites that are not approved by the organization.
  • P1229
  • 4
  • No
  • C039
  • Configure monitoring systems to record packets passing through the organization's Internet network boundaries and other organizational defined boundaries.
  • P1198
  • 5
  • Yes
  • C039
  • Enforce port and protocol compliance.
  • P1230
  • 5
  • Yes
  • C040
  • Employ organizationally defined and tailored boundary protections in addition to commercially-available solutions.
  • P1208
  • 5
  • No
  • C041
  • Identify, report and correct information and information system flaws in a timely manner.
  • P1210
  • 1
  • Support
  • C042
  • Provide protection from malicious code at appropriate locations within organizational information systems.
  • P1211
  • 1
  • No
  • C042
  • Update malicious code protection mechanisms when new releases are available.
  • P1212
  • 1
  • No
  • C042
  • Perform periodic scans of the information system and real-time scans of files from external sources as files are downloaded, opened or executed.
  • P1213
  • 1
  • No
  • C041
  • Monitor system security alerts and advisories and take action in response.
  • P1214
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C043
  • Monitor organizational systems, including inbound and outbound communications traffic, to detect attacks and indicators of potential attacks.
  • P1216
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C043
  • Identify unauthorized use of organizational systems.
  • P1217
  • 2
  • Yes
  • C043
  • Employ spam protection mechanisms at information system access entry and exit points.
  • P1218
  • 3
  • No
  • C044
  • Implement email forgery protections.
  • P1219
  • 3
  • No
  • C044
  • Utilize email sandboxing to detect or block potentially malicious email.
  • P1220
  • 3
  • No
  • C041
  • Use threat indicator information relevant to the information and systems being protected and effective mitigations obtained from external organizations to inform intrusion detection and threat hunting.
  • P1221
  • 4
  • Yes
  • C042
  • Analyze system behavior to detect and mitigate execution of normal system commands and scripts that indicate malicious actions.
  • P1222
  • 5
  • Yes
  • C043
  • Monitor individuals and system components on an ongoing basis for anomalous or suspicious behavior.
  • P1223
  • 5
  • Yes
  • Capability Description
  • Practice #
  • Level
  • Verve
Limit information system access to authorized users, processes acting on behalf of authorized users or devices (including other information systems).
Limit information system access to the types of transactions and functions that authorized users are permitted to execute.
Provide privacy and security notices consistent with applicable Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) rules.
Limit use of portable storage devices on external systems.
Employ the principle of least privilege, including for specific security functions and privileged accounts.
Use non-privileged accounts or roles when accessing non-security functions.
Limit unsuccessful logon attempts.
Use session lock with pattern-hiding displays to prevent access and viewing of data after a period of inactivity.
Authorize wireless access prior to allowing such connections.
Separate the duties of individuals to reduce the risk of malevolent activity without collusion.
Prevent non-privileged users from executing privileged functions and capture the execution of such functions in audit logs.
Terminate (automatically) user sessions after a defined condition.
Protect wireless access using authentication and encryption.
Control connection of mobile devices.
Control information flows between security domains on connected systems.
Periodically review and update CUI program access permissions.
Identify and mitigate risk associated with unidentified wireless access points connected to the network.
Verify and control/limit connections to and use of external information systems.
Control information posted or processed on publicly accessible information systems.
Monitor and control remote access sessions.
Route remote access via managed access control points.
Control the flow of CUI in accordance with approved authorizations.
Employ cryptographic mechanisms to protect the confidentiality of remote access sessions.
Authorize remote execution of privileged commands and remote access to security-relevant information.
Encrypt CUI on mobile devices and mobile computing platforms.
P1001
P1002
P1005
P1006
P1007
P1008
P1009
P1010
P1011
P1017
P1018
P1019
P1012
P1020
P1023
P1025
P1024
P1003
P1004
P1013
P1015
P1016
P1014
P1021
P1022
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
5
1
1
2
2
2
3
3
3
Procedural
Yes
Procedural
Procedural
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Support
Procedural
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
Procedural
No
  • Capability Description
  • Practice #
  • Level
  • Verve
Identify and document assets.
Define procedures for the handling of CUI data.
Employ automated capability to discover and identify systems with specific component attributes (e.g., firmware level, OS type) within your inventory.
P1035
P1036
P1226
3
3
4
Yes
Procedural
Yes
  • Capability Description
  • Practice #
  • Level
  • Verve
Ensure that the actions of individual system users can be uniquely traced to those users so they can be held accountable for their actions.
Create and retain system audit logs and records to the extent needed to enable the monitoring, analysis, investigation and reporting of unlawful or unauthorized system activity.
Provide a system capability that compares and synchronizes internal system clocks with an authoritative source to generate time stamps for audit records.
Review audit logs.
Review and update logged events.
Alert in the event of an audit logging process failure.
Collect audit information (e.g., logs) into one or more central repositories.
Protect audit information and audit logging tools from unauthorized access, modification and deletion.
Limit management of audit logging functionality to a subset of privileged users.
Correlate audit record review, analysis and reporting processes for investigation and response to indications of unlawful, unauthorized, suspicious or unusual activity.
Provide audit record reduction and report generation to support on-demand analysis and reporting.
Automate analysis of audit logs to identify and act on critical indicators (TTPs) and/or organizationally defined suspicious activity.
Review audit information for broad activity in addition to per-machine activity.
Identify assets not reporting audit logs and assure appropriate organizationally defined systems are logging.
P1041
P1042
P1043
P1044
P1045
P1046
P1048
P1049
P1050
P1051
P1052
P1053
P1054
P1055
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
5
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
  • Capability Description
  • Practice #
  • Level
  • Verve
Ensure that managers, system administrators and users of organizational systems are made aware of the security risks associated with their activities and of the applicable policies, standards and procedures related to the security of those systems.
Ensure that personnel are trained to carry out their assigned information security-related duties and responsibilities.
Provide security awareness training on recognizing and reporting potential indicators of insider threat.
Provide awareness training focused on recognizing and responding to threats from social engineering, advanced persistent threat actors, breaches and suspicious behaviors; update the training at least annually or when there are significant changes to the threat.
Include practical exercises in awareness training that are aligned with current threat scenarios and provide feedback to individuals involved in the training.
P1056
P1057
P1058
P1059
P1060
2
2
3
4
4
Procedural
Procedural
Procedural
Procedural
Procedural
  • Capability Description
  • Practice #
  • Level
  • Verve
Establish and maintain baseline configurations and inventories of organizational systems (including hardware, software, firmware and documentation) throughout the respective system development life cycles.
Employ the principle of least functionality by configuring organizational systems to provide only essential capabilities.
Control and monitor user-installed software.
Establish and enforce security configuration settings for information technology products employed in organizational systems.
Track, review, approve or disapprove and log changes to organizational systems.
Analyze the security impact of changes prior to implementation.
Define, document, approve and enforce physical and logical access restrictions associated with changes to organizational systems.
Restrict, disable or prevent the use of nonessential programs, functions, ports, protocols and services.
Apply deny-by-exception (blacklisting) policy to prevent the use of unauthorized software or deny-all, permit-by-exception (whitelisting) policy to allow the execution of authorized software.
Employ application whitelisting and an application vetting process for systems identified by the organization.
Verify the integrity and correctness of security critical or essential software as defined by the organization (e.g., roots of trust, formal verification or cryptographic signatures).
P1061
P1062
P1063
P1064
P1065
P1066
P1067
P1068
P1069
P1073
P1074
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
4
5
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Procedural
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
  • Capability Description
  • Practice #
  • Level
  • Verve
Identify information system users, processes acting on behalf of users or devices.
Authenticate (or verify) the identities of those users, processes or devices, as a prerequisite to allowing access to organizational information systems.
Enforce a minimum password complexity and change of characters when new passwords are created.
Prohibit password reuse for a specified number of generations.
Allow temporary password use for system logons with an immediate change to a permanent password.
Store and transmit only cryptographically- protected passwords.
Obscure feedback of authentication information.
Use multi-factor authentication for local and network access to privileged accounts and for network access to non-privileged accounts.
Employ replay-resistant authentication mechanisms for network access to privileged and non-privileged accounts.
Prevent the reuse of identifiers for a defined period.
Disable identifiers after a defined period of inactivity.
P1076
P1077
P1078
P1079
P1080
P1081
P1082
P1083
P1084
P1085
P1086
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Support
Support
Yes
Yes
  • Capability Description
  • Practice #
  • Level
  • Verve
Establish an operational incident-handling capability for organizational systems that includes preparation, detection, analysis, containment, recovery and user response activities.
Detect and report events.
Analyze and triage events to support event resolution and incident declaration.
Develop and implement responses to declared incidents according to pre-defined procedures.
Perform root cause analysis on incidents to determine underlying causes.
Track, document and report incidents to designated officials and/or authorities both internal and external to the organization.
Test the organizational incident response capability.
Use knowledge of attacker tactics, techniques and procedures in incident response planning and execution.
Establish and maintain a Security Operations Center (SOC) capability that facilitates a 24/7 response capability.
In response to cyber incidents, utilize forensic data gathering across impacted systems, ensuring the secure transfer and protection of forensic data.
Use a combination of manual and automated, real-time response to anomalous activities that match incident patterns.
Establish and maintain a security operation center that facilitates a 24/7 response capability.
Establish and maintain a Cyber Incident Response Team (CIRT) that can investigate an issue physically or virtually at any location within 24 hours.
Perform unannounced operational exercises to demonstrate technical and procedural responses.
P1092
P1093
P1094
P1096
P1097
P1098
P1099
P1100
P1101
P1106
P1102
P1107
P1108
P1110
2
2
2
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
5
5
5
Procedural
Yes
Yes
Procedural
Support
Support
Procedural
Procedural
Yes
Support
Yes
Procedural
Procedural
Procedural
  • Capability Description
  • Practice #
  • Level
  • Verve
Perform maintenance on organizational systems.
Provide controls on the tools, techniques, mechanisms and personnel used to conduct system maintenance.
Require multifactor authentication to establish nonlocal maintenance sessions via external network connections and terminate such connections when nonlocal maintenance is complete.
Supervise the maintenance activities of personnel without required access authorization.
Ensure equipment removed for off-site maintenance is sanitized of any CUI.
Check media containing diagnostic and test programs for malicious code before the media are used in organizational systems.
P1111
P1112
P1113
P1114
P1115
P1116
2
2
2
2
3
3
Yes
Yes
Support
Procedural
Procedural
No
  • Capability Description
  • Practice #
  • Level
  • Verve
Sanitize or destroy information system media containing Federal Contract Information (FCI) before disposal or release for reuse.
Protect (e.g., physically control and securely store) system media containing Federal Contract Information, both paper and digital.
Limit access to CUI on system media to authorized users.
Mark media with necessary CUI markings and distribution limitations.
Prohibit the use of portable storage devices when such devices have no identifiable owner.
Control access to media containing CUI and maintain accountability for media during transport outside of controlled areas.
Implement cryptographic mechanisms to protect the confidentiality of CUI stored on digital media during transport unless otherwise protected by alternative physical safeguards.
P1118
P1119
P1120
P1122
P1123
P1124
P1125
1
2
2
3
3
3
3
No
Procedural
Yes
Procedural
Yes
Procedural
No
  • Capability Description
  • Practice #
  • Level
  • Verve
Screen individuals prior to authorizing access to organizational systems containing CUI.
Ensure that organizational systems containing CUI are protected during and after personnel actions such as terminations and transfers.
P1127
P1128
2
2
Procedural
Yes
  • Capability Description
  • Practice #
  • Level
  • Verve
Limit physical access to organizational information systems, equipment and the respective operating environments to authorized individuals.
Escort visitors and monitor visitor activity.
Maintain audit logs of physical access.
Control and manage physical access devices.
Protect and monitor the physical facility and support infrastructure for organizational systems.
Enforce safeguarding measures for CUI at alternate work sites.
P1131
P1132
P1133
P1134
P1135
P1136
1
1
1
1
2
3
Procedural
Procedural
Procedural
Procedural
Procedural
Procedural
  • Capability Description
  • Practice #
  • Level
  • Verve
Regularly perform and test data back-ups.
Protect the confidentiality of backup CUI at storage locations.
Regularly perform complete, comprehensive and resilient data backups as organizationally defined
Ensure information processing facilities meet organizationally defined information security continuity, redundancy and availability requirements.
P1137
P1138
P1139
P1140
2
2
3
5
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
  • Capability Description
  • Practice #
  • Level
  • Verve
Periodically assess the risk to organizational operations (including mission, functions, image or reputation), organizational assets and individuals, resulting from the operation of organizational systems and the associated processing, storage or transmission of CUI.
Scan for vulnerabilities in organizational systems and applications periodically and when new vulnerabilities affecting those systems and applications are identified.
Remediate vulnerabilities in accordance with risk assessments.
Periodically perform risk assessments to identify and prioritize risks according to the defined risk categories, risk sources and risk measurement criteria.
Develop and implement risk mitigation plans.
Manage non-vendor-supported products (e.g., end of life) separately and restrict as necessary to reduce risk.
Catalog and periodically update threat profiles and adversary Tactics, Techniques & Procedures (TTPs).
Employ threat intelligence to inform the development of the system and security architectures, selection of security solutions, monitoring, threat hunting and response and recovery activities.
Perform scans for unauthorized ports available across perimeter network boundaries, over the organization's Internet boundaries and other organization-defined boundaries.
Develop and update as required, a plan for managing supply chain risks associated with the IT supply chain.
Utilize an exception process for non-whitelisted software that includes mitigation techniques.
Analyze the effectiveness of security solutions at least annually to address anticipated risk to the system and the organization based on current and accumulated threat intelligence.
P1141
P1142
P1143
P1144
P1146
P1147
P1149
P1150
P1151
P1148
P1152
P1155
2
2
2
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
5
5
Procedural
Yes
Yes
Support
Support
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Support
Support
Procedural
  • Capability Description
  • Practice #
  • Level
  • Verve
Develop, document and periodically update System Security Plans (SSPs) that describe system boundaries, system environments of operation, how security requirements are implemented and the relationships with or connections to other systems.
Periodically assess the security controls in organizational systems to determine if the controls are effective in their application.
Develop and implement plans of action (e.g., POA&M) designed to correct deficiencies and reduce or eliminate vulnerabilities in organizational systems.
Monitor security controls on an ongoing basis to ensure the continued effectiveness of the controls.
Employ a security assessment of enterprise software that has been developed internally, for internal use, and that has been organizationally defined as an area of risk.
Create, maintain and leverage a security strategy and roadmap for organizational cybersecurity improvement.
Conduct penetration testing periodically, leveraging automated scanning tools and ad hoc tests using human experts.
Periodically perform red teaming against organizational assets in order to validate defensive capabilities.
P1157
P1158
P1159
P1161
P1162
P1163
P1164
P1227
2
2
2
3
3
4
4
4
Support
Procedural
Procedural
Yes
No
Procedural
Procedural
Procedural
  • Capability Description
  • Practice #
  • Level
  • Verve
Receive and respond to cyber threat intelligence from information sharing forums and sources and communicate to stakeholders.
Establish and maintain a cyber threat hunting capability to search for Indicators of Compromise (IoC) in organizational systems and detect, track and disrupt threats that evade existing controls.
Design network and system security capabilities to leverage, integrate and share Indicators of Compromise (IoC).
P1169
P1171
P1173
3
4
4
Yes
Yes
Yes
  • Capability Description
  • Practice #
  • Level
  • Verve
Monitor, control and protect organizational communications (e.g., information transmitted or received by organizational information systems) at the external boundaries and key internal boundaries of the information systems.
Implement subnetworks for publicly accessible system components that are physically or logically separated from internal networks.
Prohibit remote activation of collaborative computing devices and provide indication of devices in use to users present at the device.
Use encrypted sessions for the management of network devices.
Employ FIPS-validated cryptography when used to protect the confidentiality of CUI.
Employ architectural designs, software development techniques and systems engineering principles that promote effective information security within organizational systems.
Separate user functionality from system management functionality.
Prevent unauthorized and unintended information transfer via shared system resources.
Deny network communications traffic by default and allow network communications traffic by exception (e.g., deny all, permit by exception).
Prevent remote devices from simultaneously establishing non-remote connections with organizational systems and communicating via some other connection to resources in external networks (e.g., split tunneling).
Implement cryptographic mechanisms to prevent unauthorized disclosure of CUI during transmission unless otherwise protected by alternative physical safeguards.
Terminate network connections associated with communications sessions at the end of the sessions or after a defined period of inactivity.
Establish and manage cryptographic keys for cryptography employed in organizational systems.
Control and monitor the use of mobile code.
Control and monitor the use of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies.
Protect the authenticity of communications sessions.
Protect the confidentiality of CUI at rest.
Implement Domain Name System (DNS) filtering services.
Implement a policy restricting the publication of CUI on externally owned, publicly-accessible websites (e.g., forums, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.).
Employ physical and logical isolation techniques in the system and security architecture and/or and where deemed appropriate by the organization.
Isolate administratrion of organizationally defined high-value critical network infrastructure components and servers.
Utilize threat intelligence to proactively block DNS requests from reaching malicious domains.
Employ mechanisms to analyze executable code and scripts (e.g., sandbox) traversing Internet network boundaries or other organizationally defined boundaries.
Utilize a URL categorization service and implement techniques to enforce URL filtering of websites that are not approved by the organization.
Configure monitoring systems to record packets passing through the organization's Internet network boundaries and other organizational defined boundaries.
Enforce port and protocol compliance.
Employ organizationally defined and tailored boundary protections in addition to commercially-available solutions.
P1175
1
P1178
P1179
P1177
P1180
P1181
P1182
P1183
P1184
P1185
P1186
P1187
P1188
P1189
P1190
P1191
P1192
P1193
P1197
P1228
P1199
P1202
P1229
P1198
P1230
P1208
1
Support
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
Support
Yes
Yes
No
Procedural
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
Procedural
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
  • Capability Description
  • Practice #
  • Level
  • Verve
Identify, report and correct information and information system flaws in a timely manner.
Provide protection from malicious code at appropriate locations within organizational information systems.
Update malicious code protection mechanisms when new releases are available.
Perform periodic scans of the information system and real-time scans of files from external sources as files are downloaded, opened or executed.
Monitor system security alerts and advisories and take action in response.
Monitor organizational systems, including inbound and outbound communications traffic, to detect attacks and indicators of potential attacks.
Identify unauthorized use of organizational systems.
Employ spam protection mechanisms at information system access entry and exit points.
Implement email forgery protections.
Utilize email sandboxing to detect or block potentially malicious email.
Use threat indicator information relevant to the information and systems being protected and effective mitigations obtained from external organizations to inform intrusion detection and threat hunting.
Analyze system behavior to detect and mitigate execution of normal system commands and scripts that indicate malicious actions.
Monitor individuals and system components on an ongoing basis for anomalous or suspicious behavior.
P1210
P1211
P1212
P1213
P1214
P1216
P1217
P1218
P1219
P1220
P1221
P1222
P1223
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
3
3
3
4
5
5
Support
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes

Verve has 30 years of history working in the process control/OT environment, and, therefore, Verve was built on a foundation of OT knowledge. This expertise ensures that the platform is not only safe to operate with all brands of OEM equipment, but also that it can achieve security even within proprietary, embedded controls devices. There are critical differences between IT and OT systems as highlighted in the chart below.

IT                                                                                      OT

Integrated IT OT Security

 

Verve was built to address just these complex differences between the environments and provide a single pane of glass across all endpoints.

Taken together this deep OT knowledge along with the comprehensive platform provides a range of benefits over alternative solutions.

 

Verve Security Services: Turnkey compliance and security for manufacturing environments
Verve Security Services: Turnkey compliance and security for manufacturing environments

 

One of the biggest challenges in complying with security requirements for industrial and manufacturing organizations is the labor and knowledge shortages both within the organizations as well as in the market. Tools are critical, but people are necessary to achieve ongoing compliance. Verve recognizes this and combines our unique platform with a range of options for enabling clients to assess, remediate and maintain compliance with security standards.

Verve offers a range of managed services designed specifically for operational environments for clients who are budget conscious. Starting with our subscription services, we provide low-cost, high-value services from our highly skilled team. Our ability to watch all third-party and vendor-related apps allows for sharing of research across our clients, thus distributing the cost across a fleet of clients.

We also offer ‘boots on the ground’ services to help test, backup, rollout, and restore systems when performing tasks like patching or updates. This can be a scheduled or ad-hoc service as needed. Finally, Verve provides 24/7 emergency technical support and accessibility. In all cases, Verve delivers the ‘best of the best’ skillsets to benefit your organization.

The following table breaks down our managed services capabilities.

Verve Industrial - Managed Services

Verve is pleased to support the United States Defense Industrial Base in securing our critical infrastructure against attacks. We look forward to the opportunity to share more about our platform and services with you.

CMMC Webinar

Download our on-demand webinar to understand how the CMMC standard applies to both OT and IT systems, what compliance entails, and how to meet requirements.

Watch it now