The National Defense Information Sharing and Analysis Center has released a guide to help contractors meet requirements for the Pentagon’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program by using virtual desktop infrastructure.
“Organizations across the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) continue to face pressure to protect Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) while maintaining productivity and collaboration across a diverse and distributed supply chain. Many of the greatest challenges stem from the need to enable access from systems or users outside an organization’s compliance boundary such as subcontractors, suppliers, or remote personnel without introducing additional cybersecurity risk,” the October guide states.
The guide argues, “Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) offers a secure way to meet this challenge. When implemented within a compliant, centrally managed environment, VDI allows users to securely interact with CUI without ever storing, processing, or transmitting that data on the endpoint device.”
“The endpoint becomes merely a conduit for encrypted keyboard, video, and mouse traffic, sharply reducing the attack surface while preserving collaboration. VDI does not remove the need for trusted access or endpoint security controls; it complements them by minimizing the consequences if an endpoint is compromised or operating in a less-trusted location,” according to the guide.
ND-ISAC published the guide with the Defense Industrial Base Sector Coordinating Council. ND-ISAC is responsible for the administrative and operational components of the DIB SCC.
The CMMC program will reach a major milestone on Nov. 10 when a final rule goes into effect to kick off the timeline for CMMC requirements to start showing up in defense contract solicitations. The rulemaking amends the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement and follows a 2024 final rule to establish the CMMC program under Title 32 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
The ND-ISAC put out a “shopping guide” in 2024 to help small and medium-sized businesses pick an assessor who meets their needs to reach compliance with CMMC.
The latest guide reviews the benefits of using VDI and gets into the specifics of implementing VDI for CMMC compliance. It also provides recommendations for VDI implementation and examples for illustrative purposes.
The guide concludes, “When implemented in alignment with frameworks like the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), VDI not only strengthens an organization’s security posture but also provides a scalable, flexible solution for today’s dynamic IT environments. As cybersecurity standards evolve, technologies like VDI also support the principle of inheritance, enabling organizations to build on existing controls rather than reinventing the wheel.”
“This same model is already being leveraged with Cloud Service Providers through programs like FedRAMP, and it can accelerate compliance in international or fast-track scenarios. Ultimately, adopting VDI is not just a tactical move for security, it’s a strategic foundation for long-term compliance and operational resilience,” according to the guide.