Emerging Tech Trends and Their Impact on CMMC Policy Templates
Technology is constantly evolving, so organizations should always keep their cybersecurity programs up to date by defocusing on new risks. This is especially important for the defense industrial base (DIB) sector, which deals with confidential data on matters concerning national security. CMMC offers a robust framework for DIB to enact security controls and policies that promote the protection of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).
However, developments in emerging technology that change the landscape of threats need to be kept up with CMMC requirements. This blog details significant tech trends like cloud computing, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things 5g, and automation. We’ll study how each integration will affect its CMMC standards and policy templates, promoting further agile resiliency in security for DIB.
1. Cloud Computing
The shift to the cloud is one of the most disruptive tech trends. According to Flexera, 93% of enterprises already use cloud services, with most operating multi-cloud environments. Cloud offers advantages like scalability and cost-efficiency but also introduces new risks. The security of cloud platforms is shared between the provider and the customer. Risks like misconfiguration, inadequate identity and access controls, and weaknesses in customer architectures must be addressed. As sensitive CUI migrates to the cloud, CMMC controls must extend to this environment.
CMMC requirements around proper cloud configuration, data encryption, and access management will grow increasingly important. CMMC policy templates should be updated with specific guidance for the cloud, including protocols like enforcing MFA for all cloud admin accounts, VPC flow logging, and using cloud-native security services like Cloud Access Security Brokers.
Frequent audits of cloud resources will also be critical, such as ensuring that security groups restrict traffic appropriately and that unused compute resources are decommissioned. As advanced cloud-native threats emerge, policies may need to incorporate emerging capabilities like cloud workload protection platforms.
2. Artificial Intelligence
AI adoption continues accelerating, with global revenues projected to reach $500 billion by 2024. The DIB applies AI to underpin innovations like predictive maintenance, logistics optimization, and information processing. However, AI introduces risks CMMC must address, such as data poisoning, model theft, adversarial samples, and bias. As AI handles more sensitive data, CMMC requirements should mandate protections like encryption, access controls, and careful human oversight of systems.
Policy templates must provide specific guidance around developing, deploying, and monitoring AI systems. This includes protocols for secure data labeling, model training in isolated environments, independent algorithm auditing, and controls to detect adversarial inputs. Ethics should also be addressed as AI is integrated into sensitive applications related to surveillance or decision-making. The core tenet should be human-centric AI risk management enforced through CMMC standards.
3. Internet of Things
IoT adoption is accelerating, with global devices projected to reach 36 billion by 2025. This exacerbates attack surfaces as everything from manufacturing systems to vehicles becomes interconnected. Poor IoT security already contributes to botnets like Mirai that have launched massive DDoS attacks. As defense organizations incorporate more IoT devices, CMMC requirements must address risks like insecure default passwords, unencrypted communications, and lack of device monitoring.
CMMC standards and policy templates should enforce strong authentication and network segmentation to contain IoT device threats. Protocols like regular firmware updates, disabled UPnP, use of VPNs, and elimination of hard-coded credentials are also critical.
Additionally, greater emphasis on asset management and network monitoring will be needed to identify anomalies in IoT behavior. As IoT expands, emerging techniques like micro-segmentation and private 5G networks may eventually feature in policy templates.
4. 5G Networks
The DIB is expected to leverage 5G heavily, given its high speeds, ultra-low latency, and capacity to interconnect sensors, vehicles, and devices at a massive scale. To secure 5G, CMMC standards must go beyond traditional network controls and consider risks like intercepting data via IMSI catchers, jamming signals, and spoofing base stations via rogue small cells. Insider threats must be regarded more prominently as network virtualization and slicing become prevalent.
Policy templates should reference 5 G-specific protocols like establishing a hardware-rooted chain of trust, network slice isolation, and leveraging edge computing for localized threat detection. As encrypted 5G traffic increases, CMMC may need to incorporate network traffic analytics capabilities to detect anomalies. Given the mission-critical nature of defense applications, 5G policies should mandate backup options like meshed LEO satellite communications.
5. Automation/Orchestration
Process automation using RPA bots and standardized workflows with technologies like ServiceNow is getting wider acceptance in the DIB. Enhancing efficiency brings along dangers when governance needs to be strengthened. This allowed data leakage, tampering, and even interruption of mission-critical workflows. With the increased adoption, CMMC should tackle risks associated with logic flaws, credential compromise risks, lack of runtime oversight, and poor change control.
Policy templates must influence all stages in an automation lifecycle, from secure development through testing and deployment to access controls and monitoring. Human-centricity should characterize the governing automation, enforcing user access controls, and approval workflows. As automation grows beyond traditional cyber controls, CMMC may demand automated security tools tailored specifically to the increasingly used emerging platforms.
Bottomline
In the future, rapid technological change will be the order of the day. To retain CMMC as the DIB cybersecurity standards benchmark, it has to continue evolving with changes in attack vectors and threats. This entails periodically updating core requirements and policy templates to provide descriptive guidance that reflects leading practices.
Adopting this agile approach while reinforcing foundational controls like multifactor authentication and vulnerability management will enable organizations to confidently harness technology innovation without sacrificing resilience. With proactive planning, the DIB can stay at the forefront of cyber protection regardless of how much the tech landscape evolves.
