Blancco’s data erasure offering supports U.S. federal government CMMC accreditation efforts
Blancco Technology Group announced that the company’s data sanitization offering provides compliance for the Level 1 Media Protection requirement that is part of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC 2.0) framework.
CMMC 2.0 was designed to better protect the DoD’s levels of information and reduce risk to national security. Every organization in the DoD “supply chain,” including contractors and subcontractors, are now required to comply with CMMC 2.0 standards.
To achieve CMMC Level 1, an organization must meet 17 objectives. One objective requires that contractors sanitize or destroy information system media – hard drives, notebook computers, mobile devices, magnetic tape, thumb drives, CDs and more – that contain federal contract information (FCI) prior to that media being disposed of or reused. Blancco’s data erasure solutions give companies the ability to fully comply with this specific requirement.
“As the number and frequency of ransomware attacks and other cyber threats rise, so does the imperative to secure federal data and keep it out of the hands of hackers and other bad actors,” said Christina Walker, Global Director of Channel at Blancco. “Not only does a CMMC compliance requirement for all third-party DoD contractors lead to better cybersecurity practices across the entire Defense Industrial Base, it also supports the U.S. government’s long-term sustainability goals. Our secure, auditable data erasure solution assists contractors to not only meet but also to exceed CMMC requirements and decreases the need to destroy electronic assets, ensuring more of them are reused instead of being sent to landfills.”
In addition to securely erasing data as required for CMMC, Blancco’s solution produces an auditable, tamper-proof certificate of erasure to prove compliance. This certificate also provides the documentation required by the CMMC Accreditation Board and by third-party assessment organizations (C3PAOs) who vet contractors for technology and tools employed. Blancco’s Certificate of Erasure archiving capability, which is built into the Blancco Management Console, plays an important role in demonstrating compliance.
Blancco’s long-time government distribution partner, Carahsoft Technology Corp., the Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, showcases Blancco along with other partner technology companies that support efforts to achieve CMMC compliance. Carahsoft’s website also provides a variety of resources to educate DoD contractors about how to navigate the complexities of CMMC, including self-assessments, the audit process, and certification requirements.
“Carahsoft partners with great companies that address every CMMC maturity level and capability domain. We provide information that helps federal contractors understand what’s required of them and the steps they need to take to ensure CMMC compliance,” said Alex Whitworth, Sales Director leading Carahsoft’s CMMC strategy. “Carahsoft and our network of partners, including Blancco, are prepared to guide contractors through every step of the CMMC process to maintain their current contracts and successfully secure future DoD contract awards.”
CMMC 2.0 is the evolution of a long-standing DoD-required compliance with NIST 800-171, a NIST Special Publication that provides recommended requirements for protecting the confidentiality of controlled unclassified information. Blancco’s data erasure software has been tested, certified, approved and recommended by 15+ governing bodies around the world and erases to 25+ standards to meet security and regulatory compliance requirements.