ORA Consultants
Speciality: Risk-Focused Penetration Testing
Cybersecurity company specializing in penetration testing, risk assessment, and cyber defense; based in Montreal, Canada, with 5 employees, founded in 2022, offering expert security advisory and attack-simulation services.
Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC)
Origin
The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) was created by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) in 2020 in response to increasing cybersecurity threats targeting the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). The framework was developed to ensure that defense contractors and subcontractors adequately protect Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and Federal Contract Information (FCI) in their systems. The DoD recognized that existing self-attestation methods were insufficient to safeguard sensitive defense-related data from sophisticated cyber attacks, particularly from nation-state adversaries, prompting the need for a more rigorous, third-party verification system.
Industry Value and Importance
CMMC certification has become essential for companies seeking to do business with the Department of Defense, as it is now a contractual requirement for defense contractors. The certification demonstrates that an organization has implemented appropriate cybersecurity practices and processes to protect sensitive government information, making it a competitive differentiator in the defense contracting marketplace. Beyond compliance, CMMC helps organizations improve their overall cybersecurity posture, reduce breach risks, and build trust with government clients and partners. The tiered certification structure allows companies to align their security investments with the sensitivity of the information they handle, making it both practical and scalable across the diverse defense supply chain.
FedRAMP Certification
Origin
The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) was created by the U.S. federal government in 2011 through a collaborative effort between the General Services Administration (GSA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Department of Defense (DoD). It was established to provide a standardized approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services used by federal agencies. The program emerged from the need to ensure consistent security standards across government cloud deployments while eliminating redundant agency-by-agency security reviews, which were costly and time-consuming.
Industry Value
FedRAMP certification is highly valued in the industry because it represents one of the most rigorous security standards available for cloud service providers. Achieving FedRAMP authorization demonstrates that a vendor has met stringent security requirements based on NIST guidelines and has undergone thorough third-party assessment, making it a trusted benchmark not only for government contracts but also for private sector organizations seeking high-security cloud solutions. The certification significantly expands market opportunities for cloud providers, as it is mandatory for companies wanting to sell cloud services to U.S. federal agencies, and it streamlines the procurement process by allowing multiple agencies to leverage existing authorizations rather than conducting separate reviews.