How Technology Is Transforming C3PAO Assessment Process
Defense contractors are under increasing deadline pressure to become CMMC compliant, as the DoD moves forward with its cybersecurity mandate. The good news: With the finalization of CMMC 2.0, organizations can now begin Level 2 assessments via Certified Third-Party Assessment Organizations (C3PAOs). But for any contractor looking to secure...
Top Mistakes That Can Delay Your CMMC Assessment And How To Avoid Them
Preparing for a CMMC audit can be overwhelming, especially if it’s your initial experience. Most businesses wish to advance with assurance, but small mistakes usually hold them back. These mistakes may seem insignificant initially, but they sneak in and add weeks or months to the timeline. When that happens,...
The Hidden Value Of Professional CMMC Certification Services For DoD Contractors
With the Department of Defense having raised its cybersecurity requirements substantially, the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification is now a requirement for all the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) contractors. The model of certification aims to protect Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and other defense-sensitive information from advanced cyber attacks. While the...
CMMC Compliance Made Practical: Strategies That Actually Work For Contractors
The reality check for defense contractors is sobering: only 4% of DoD contractors are ready for CMMC certification. While the Department of Defense has set 2025 for this requirement to be phased across all contracts, there’s still confusion on what it means to be compliant. This has left contractors...
How CMMC News Is Changing The Rules For Government Contractors
Government contracting is changing. The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is one of the biggest drivers of change. DoD contractors are now being confronted with new requirements. These requirements are not guidelines. Some rules will decide who gets to hold contracts and who does not. In July 2025, there...
CMMC Assessment Insights: Lessons Learned From Real-World Defense Contractors
With the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) 2.0 finally unveiled on October 15, 2024, and duly operationalized sixty days later, many defense suppliers wonder if compliance is a priority concern. Some contractors would rather defer this step to a later date. Others prefer to skip it altogether. After all,...
C3PAO Essentials: What Every DoD Contractor Must Understand Before an Assessment
One of the most striking reforms to the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) framework was the introduction of mandatory C3PAO-led audits for organizations seeking assessments (OSAs) at Level 2. Short for CMMC third-party assessor organizations, C3PAOs are the official entities mandated by the United States Department of Defense (DoD)...
The First Step Toward CMMC Certification: Understanding CUI and CMMC Levels
The benefits of obtaining Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) certification are virtually limitless. Developed by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) to address emerging cybersecurity threats targeting the Defense Industrial Base (DIB), CMMC has proven to be a game-changer in enforcing regulatory compliance for defense contractors. Meeting the...
Step-by-Step Guide to Find a CMMC-Approved C3PAO for Level 2 Certification
The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) has undergone several upgrades since the program was first unveiled as CMMC 1.0 on January 31, 2020. These reforms culminated in the publication of the CMMC 2.0 final rule in the Federal Register on October 15, 2024. One of the most striking changes...
CMMC Self-Assessment Checklist For Businesses Preparing For Compliance
In recent years, the field of cybersecurity has witnessed a refined evolution from being a technical function to the foundational base of business resilience and continuity. In brief terms, the most significant facet of a business is its data. Sustaining and continuing the confidentiality, security, and probity of a...
CMMC Compliance: Who Must Follow The Guidelines?
On October 15, 2024, the United States Department of Defense (DoD) published the final rule for the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) 2.0, signaling a new era in cybersecurity compliance for defense suppliers. CMMC 2.0 came with a raft of changes, including reducing the compliance maturity levels from five...
Early Steps For Defense Contractors Preparing For CMMC Audits
Cyber threats have reached an unprecedented level in the defense industrial base (DIB), including state-sponsored attacks and other advanced breaches that are a major threat to national security. Hence, in a bid to ensure contractors handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) implement consistent, verifiable cybersecurity standards, the U.S. Department of...