Jeffrey Adorno
DOD|IC Strategic Initiatives,
Zscaler
Beyond CMMC: What Happens When Higher Ed Institutions Leverage Modern Tools for Modern Challenges
Thursday, October 19, 2023 | 1:15PM–1:55PM ET
Session Type:
Breakout Session
Delivery Format:
Live Session
With CMMC’s impending rulemaking and FARS and DFARS finalization, higher education institutions have an opportunity to use the DoD CMMC program as a springboard toward IT modernization. However along with this opportunity is embedded risk, as the DoD has tied CMMC compliance to critical research funding and grant eligibility. Understaffed and underfunded cyber-leadership teams are at a crux where they need to make the case for investing in CMMC compliance, meeting its mandate to avoid disrupting their current project portfolio and to create opportunities for future funding. The good news is that using Zero Trust capabilities propels CMMC compliance and also ensures that institutions can apply for and receive federal grants or research contracts. Moreover, Zero Trust capabilities also strengthen an organization's security posture against ransomware and other cyberthreats in today's most modernized way.
