Kahua, a leading provider of construction project management solutions, has announced a strategic collaboration with Aprio, one of the fastest-growing accounting and business advisory firms in the U.S., to help contractors achieve Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) compliance.
With CMMC compliance likely to become a requirement for Department of Defense (DOD) contractors starting in early 2025, this partnership seeks to streamline the certification process for contractors.
The CMMC framework is designed to ensure that contractors handling sensitive DOD information meet essential cybersecurity requirements. However, the three levels of CMMC certification required – Foundational (Level 1), Advanced (Level 2) and Expert (Level 3) – will depend on the type of work contractors perform and the type of documents they handle. Achieving this certification may be a complex and daunting task.
Kahua plays a crucial role in simplifying this journey for contractors by using its FedRAMP-authorized platform for document control to significantly reduce the breadth of the CMMC effort. Kahua’s system ensures that the handling and storage of sensitive documents comply with stringent security standards, helping contractors meet a significant portion of the requirements needed for CMMC certification.
As an expert advisor and auditor, Aprio will guide contractors through the CMMC process, helping them develop the necessary procedures to facilitate demonstration of their compliance to the DOD and/or certified third-party audit organizations. Without this certification, contractors may not be eligible to work on certain DOD projects, making CMMC essential for those looking to secure contracts.
Shane Peden is Managing Director of Information Assurance Services at Aprio and leads the firm’s Security Compliance as a Service/vCISO and PCI DSS certification service lines. Peden said Kahua will be instrumental in creating a more efficient experience.
“Kahua provides a CMMC-compliant solution to help you achieve scope reduction and accelerate your path to CMMC compliance,” he said.
“Our partnership with Aprio allows us to offer contractors not only a streamlined process for document management through Kahua but also access to Aprio’s expertise in guiding them through the certification process,” said Kahua President Brian Moore. “This collaboration enables both Kahua and Aprio to support the defense contracting community in navigating the complexities of cybersecurity and compliance.”
