Acronis Cyber Protect
by Acronis
Covered
8
controls
Partial
2
controls
Gaps
3
controls
Overview
Acronis Cyber Protect by Acronis is a backup & recovery solution that covers 8 NIST 800-171 controls (7% total coverage). It addresses key requirements in the backup & recovery domain for defense contractors pursuing CMMC compliance.
Implementation Notes
Deploy Acronis Cyber Protect with FIPS-validated configurations. Integrate with your SIEM for centralized audit logging. Review partial controls quarterly to identify supplementary tooling needs.
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Implementation Guidance for Acronis Cyber Protect
Configure Acronis Cyber Protect to satisfy NIST 800-171 controls by implementing comprehensive backup policies under System and Information Integrity (SI) controls. Enable automated backup scheduling with RPO/RTO requirements documented in your contingency plans to address Contingency Planning (CP) controls. Configure immutable backups and air-gapped storage to satisfy System and Communications Protection (SC) requirements for data integrity. For Media Protection (MP) controls, implement encryption-at-rest and encryption-in-transit for all backup data using AES-256 encryption. Enable detailed audit logging in the Acronis management console to capture backup success/failure events, restoration activities, and administrative actions for Assessment, Authorization, and Monitoring (CA) compliance. Generate assessment evidence through automated backup reports showing successful completion rates, restoration testing results, and encryption status. Integrate with SIEM tools via syslog forwarding to correlate backup events with security incidents. Configure role-based access controls (RBAC) within Acronis to ensure least privilege access to backup operations. Common misconfigurations include: failing to test restoration procedures regularly (causing CP-10 findings), storing backup encryption keys alongside backup data (violating SC-28), insufficient backup retention periods that don't meet regulatory requirements, and inadequate monitoring of backup job failures. Establish automated alerting for failed backup jobs and implement quarterly restoration testing with documented results to demonstrate business continuity capabilities to C3PAO assessors.
Gap Analysis & Compensating Controls
The 3 uncovered NIST controls likely include advanced Access Control (AC), Identification and Authentication (IA), and Personnel Security (PS) requirements that fall outside backup/recovery scope. Access Control gaps require implementing privileged access management (PAM) solutions like CyberArk or BeyondTrust to manage administrative accounts and enforce least privilege principles. For Identification and Authentication gaps, deploy multi-factor authentication (MFA) solutions such as Okta or Azure AD to strengthen authentication mechanisms beyond what Acronis provides. Personnel Security gaps necessitate background screening processes and security awareness training programs that cannot be addressed by technical controls alone. Document these gaps in your System Security Plan (SSP) by clearly stating Acronis Cyber Protect's scope limitations and referencing compensating controls. In your Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M), prioritize Access Control gaps first as they carry highest CMMC assessment weight and present immediate security risks. Identification and Authentication gaps should be second priority due to their critical role in preventing unauthorized access. Personnel Security gaps, while important for comprehensive compliance, typically have lower technical risk and can be addressed through policy and procedure updates. Implement network segmentation and endpoint detection/response (EDR) tools as compensating controls while procuring dedicated solutions for uncovered control families.
Compliance Cost Estimate
Acronis Cyber Protect licensing ranges from $79-$149 per user annually for standard editions, with enterprise features reaching $200-$300 per user. Initial implementation costs include 40-80 hours of professional services ($8,000-$16,000) for configuration, policy development, and staff training. Ongoing monitoring requires 8-12 hours monthly for backup verification, restoration testing, and compliance reporting ($2,000-$3,600 annually). Compared to competitors like Veeam or Commvault, Acronis offers competitive pricing with integrated anti-malware capabilities, reducing the need for separate security tools. Total first-year cost for a 100-user environment ranges $15,000-$35,000 including licensing, implementation, and monitoring. Annual maintenance costs average $12,000-$20,000 for ongoing compliance activities and license renewals.
Compliance Cross-References
Acronis Cyber Protect directly supports DFARS 252.204-7012 requirements for safeguarding covered defense information through encrypted backups and secure data recovery capabilities. For CMMC Level 2, it satisfies System and Information Integrity (SI.1.210-SI.1.216) practices related to information system monitoring and malware protection, plus Contingency Planning (CP.2.216) for alternate processing sites. The solution addresses FedRAMP controls CP-2 (Contingency Plan), CP-9 (Information System Backup), and CP-10 (Information System Recovery and Reconstitution) through automated backup operations and documented restoration procedures. CMMC assessment objectives satisfied include demonstrating backup frequency compliance, encryption implementation, and incident recovery capabilities. However, Acronis alone cannot satisfy Identity and Access Management (IAM) practices AC.2.007-AC.2.016, requiring integration with dedicated IAM solutions. Physical and Environmental Protection practices PE.2.218-PE.2.219 need complementary physical security controls. Risk Assessment practices RA.2.181-RA.2.183 require separate vulnerability management and risk assessment tools to achieve full CMMC Level 2 compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many NIST 800-171 controls does Acronis Cyber Protect cover?
Acronis Cyber Protect covers 8 of 110 NIST 800-171 controls (7%), with 2 partially covered and 3 gaps.
Can Acronis Cyber Protect alone satisfy CMMC Level 2?
No single tool covers all 110 NIST 800-171 controls. Acronis Cyber Protect covers 7% and should be part of a layered security stack addressing the remaining controls.
What controls does Acronis Cyber Protect not cover?
Acronis Cyber Protect does not cover controls ia-3-5-1, pe-3-10-1, ac-3-1-12. These require supplementary solutions such as physical security controls, additional access management, or media protection tools.
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