Streamlining CMMC compliance with open source security monitoring

Defense contractors face mounting pressure to meet CMMC certification requirements while managing tight budgets. The Department of Defense's framework demands continuous monitoring, incident detection, and detailed audit trails—capabilities that seem expensive and complex to implement.

The good news? Open source SIEM platforms like Wazuh can address CMMC requirements effectively without breaking the bank.

What CMMC really requires

CMMC certification focuses on proving you can detect threats, monitor access, and maintain comprehensive logs. At maturity levels 2 and 3, you need automated monitoring across multiple security domains: audit trails, access controls, vulnerability management, and file integrity.

Manual processes won't scale to meet these demands. Automated security monitoring becomes essential for demonstrating the continuous oversight CMMC requires.

Key monitoring capabilities for compliance

Log management and analysis: Centralized collection and analysis of system activities, user actions, and security events creates the audit trails CMMC demands. Instead of scattered log files, you get unified visibility across your infrastructure.

Access control monitoring: Real-time detection of failed logins, unusual access patterns, and unauthorized attempts. Automated response can disable compromised accounts based on predefined rules, meeting CMMC's session termination requirements.

Continuous vulnerability assessment: Ongoing scanning and tracking of security weaknesses across your systems. This provides the documentation needed to demonstrate proactive risk management.

File integrity monitoring: Automatic tracking of changes to critical files and system configurations. Essential for protecting sensitive information and maintaining system integrity.

Implementation that works

Start with your most critical systems: domain controllers, databases, and systems handling sensitive data. Configure automated detection for common scenarios like multiple failed logins and suspicious file changes. Wazuh's built-in active response capabilities can automatically disable user accounts after multiple failed authentication attempts, directly supporting CMMC access control requirements.

As official Wazuh Partners, we can support or guide your Wazuh implementation to help you achieve CMMC and other compliance requirements. Feel free to reach out to us to get started.

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