Cybersecurity readiness training promises to help clear roadblocks to new certification requirements for Washington State Defense Contractors

Impact Washington, the go-to consulting agency for manufacturers in Washington State, announced that it has partnered with Ignyte Institute to help businesses better manage the Defense Industrial Base’s compliance with cybersecurity obligations under the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) and NIST 800-171. 

Through this strategic partnership, Impact Washington will provide a training platform that individuals can access anytime. The training is unique because it will give the participants bite-size, interactive courses, tailored to their needs, and a toolbox of resources to help them take actionable steps to comply with these emerging standards.  

Partnering with Ignyte Institute, a cybersecurity industry leader, the training is specifically designed to introduce the Department of Defense (DoD)-sponsored new regulations called Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification, or, CMMC. The CMMC, a five-level, tiered framework built upon the existing regulations in the DFARS and NIST 800-171, adds audits to ensure compliance with cybersecurity standards. 

While companies are running their business, they focus on their customers, their level of service, and their profit margin. However, the CMMC will soon be the minimum requirement to be eligible for DoD contract awards. Moreover, the DoD has emphasized that the CMMC is a starting point for transforming contractors' internal cybersecurity culture.  

"Working in partnership with the Washington State Department of Commerce's Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness, we expect to recruit 200 participants to participate in practical training in DoD cybersecurity compliance," says Deloit R. Wolfe Jr., President and Center Director of Impact Washington. "During this unprecedented time, we've been fortunate to have found such a strong strategic partner and believe providing this information using a robust online, self-paced platform is the best way to reach and support all DoD businesses." 

“Defense manufacturers will find value in this training that streamlines compliance while helping to preserve operational efficiency and mitigate risk.  We are advancing the conversation from IT to business-level risk management that will make compliance against CMMC much easier for many businesses who are inundated with legacy systems, spreadsheets, and manual processes," said Max Aulakh, CEO of Ignyte Institute. 

For more information Impact Washington’s DoD Cybersecurity consulting and DFARS-CMMC Readiness training program visit www.impactwashington.org.