Compliance Theater vs. Security Reality: Moving Beyond CMMC Checkboxes
Whether it’s HIPAA in healthcare, PCI in financial services, or more recently, CMMC in the defense industrial base — I've observed one thing in my long career: companies tend to approach “compliance” very differently than they do “security.”
The Performance of Compliance Theater
Over the years, across different industries, and different regulatory regimes, I’ve witnessed the same dynamic: organizations scramble to prepare for regulatory audits and assessments like actors rehearsing for opening night. They polish their documentation, coach their employees on the right answers, and ensure every checkbox is ticked just so. The stage is set, the costumes are pressed, and everyone knows their lines.
But here's the sobering truth: while compliance theater ends with applause and certificates, real security doesn’t stop when the curtain closes.
The Reality of Security
True security isn't performed; it’s policy that is enforced so that sensitive data is actually protected. While compliance teams are presenting to auditors about possible risks, security teams are actively battling real threats. While checkbox exercises track theoretical vulnerabilities, security professionals are nursing the scars of actual breaches and implementing hard-learned lessons.
In the context of CMMC, this distinction becomes critical. The certification isn't meant to be a one-time performance but rather a framework for ongoing security maturity. Yet many organizations approach it as if preparing for a play rather than fortifying for war.
Recommended by LinkedIn
The Path Forward
As you prepare for CMMC certification, ask yourself: are you building a stage set that looks secure, or are you constructing real fortifications? Are your security measures designed to impress assessors, or are they built to protect CUI and sensitive data as it flows in and out of the defense supply chain?
Remember: Compliance theater ends with applause, but security reality never ends at all. Simply stated, in the world of CMMC, your business cannot run without the ability to seamlessly and securely share sensitive data back-and-forth with department of defense customers and supply chain partners.
The most successful organizations will be those that understand CMMC not as a performance to perfect, but as a foundation upon which to build robust, responsive, and resilient data security controls. They'll be the ones who recognize that while compliance may be an event, security is a constant state of policy enforcement and data protection.
As we continue to support organizations in their CMMC journey, we are here to help companies move beyond the theater of compliance and into the reality of security. The stakes are too high, and the threats too real, for anything less than real security practices.
At Virtru, we’re committed to working with federal agencies and contractors to advance this vision. If you’d like to learn more about how Virtru can help your organization achieve faster, more secure data-sharing, let’s connect at virtru.com/contact-us.