When it comes to the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), there are many terms you need to be aware of. One of those acronyms is RPO or Registered Provider Organization. Keep reading to take a closer look at this important part of the CMMC ecosystem.
About Registered Provider Organizations (RPOs)
Before we delve into the details of RPOs (also known as Cyber-AB RPOs), we need to talk about the CMMC Accreditation Body, also known as Cyber-AB.
As the only authorized CMMC accreditation and certification partner of the Department of Defense, the Cyber-AB is responsible for managing the CMMC ecosystem.
Among other functions, the Cyber-AB is in charge of designating RPOs, allowing them to:
- Represent themselves as familiar with the basic constructs of the CMMC standard.
- Display a CMMC-AB-provided logo.
- Deliver non-certified CMMC Consulting Services.
In order to become an RPO, a company must meet a number of requirements, including:
- Register with and receive authorization from the CMMC-AB
- Be able to pass an organizational background check (provide a DUNS number)
- Employ at least one Registered Practitioner (RP) (for more on RPs, see below)
- Sign and acknowledge the CMMC-AB Code of Professional Conduct and an RPO Agreement
RPOs can provide services within the defense supply chain either as advisory firms or as MSPs (Managed Service Providers).
The bottom line is that if you are a DoD contractor looking to achieve compliance with CMMC, an RPO like Brea Networks / CMMCCompliance.us is the organization that can help you reach your goals.
What Is a CMMC Registered Practitioner?
As mentioned earlier, RPOs need to employ at least one Registered Practitioner (RP). But what is an RP?
The CMMC ecosystem contemplates four different types of roles: DIB Companies, Consulting, and Implementation, Assessing and Certification, and Training and Instructors.
The category Assessing and Certification includes RPOs as well as Registered Practitioners (RPs) and Registered Practitioners Advanced (RPAs), two levels of professionals certified to provide CMMC implementation consultative services.
Both levels of RP can offer CMMC consulting services to Organizations Seeking Certification (OSCs) preparing for an assessment. However, it’s important to note that any level of RP cannot participate on assessment teams in order to prevent conflicts of interest.
Finding the RPO that Works for You
As you might imagine, not all RPOs are the same. While they’re all bound by the same Code of Professional Conduct and general rules, their focus and target clientele may vary slightly.
For example, at Brea Networks / CMMCCompliance.us, we excel at helping small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) achieve their CMMC compliance goals.
Some of the reasons that make us the preferred choice of companies with up to 50 seats include:
- Convenience. We understand that SMBs don’t have the same budgets as big corporations, so we offer 0% interest payment plans.
- Expertise. We are a CMMC L2-ready Registered Provider Organization (RPO) and Managed Service Provider (MSP) with a fully compliant stack of tools.
- Unlimited Compliance Support. We provide Unlimited Compliance Support as a service. While others set things up and then charge you a fee any time you need to ask them a question, we assist you every step of the way.
- No Cookie-Cutter Solutions. Thanks to our in-house U.S.-based software development team, we can create compliant custom solutions for complex operations when needed (complex scripting, APIs, and integrations).
Need To Achieve CMMC Compliance? We Are Here To Help
Whether it’s CMMC, NIST SP 800-171, DFARS, or ITAR, we help organizations achieve compliance with all applicable cybersecurity regulations at any level so that they can win and maintain Department of Defense (DoD) contracts.
Brea Networks, LLC is a fully Registered Provider Organization (RPO) and is a Microsoft partner with full Microsoft GCC High licensing and migration solutions.
Contact our CMMC Registered Practitioners today by clicking here.
Brea Networks, LLC / CMMCCompliance.us
451 W. Lambert Rd Suite 214
Brea, CA 92821
Tel: (714) 592-0063
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