CMMC Readiness is an integral part of compliance for any government contractor. Prepare for your CMMC assessment and demonstrate that you’re ready to protect Federal Contract Information (FCI) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).
CMMC Readiness is the process of systematically aligning your organization's policies, procedures, and technical controls with the specific Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) requirements applicable to your contracted Department of Defense (DoD) information. It determines your current compliance posture before a formal evaluation.
You need CMMC Readiness to ensure you can successfully pass the mandatory CMMC evaluation, which is necessary to handle sensitive Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) for the DoD supply chain. Proactive readiness minimizes risk and contract disruption by identifying security weaknesses before the formal assessment.
CMMC Readiness is important if your organization intends to bid on or execute DoD contracts that involve protecting CUI. While t readiness activity itself isn't a specific requirement, demonstrating compliance via assessment is. A CMMC readiness assessment helps you identify gaps to remedy before they impact your certification.
To complete CMMC Readiness, you typically perform a comprehensive gap analysis against the required CMMC level controls, implement the necessary security enhancements across your systems and documentation, and then seek a formal evaluation. Auditwerx, as a candidate C3PAO, can partner with you to conduct this essential assessment.
The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is a mandatory requirement for defense contractors (OSCs) in the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). Successfully navigating the CMMC 2.0 assessment process requires meticulous preparation, proper documentation, and a deep understanding of the NIST SP 800-171 controls.
Auditwerx is a Candidate C3PAO (Certified Third-Party Assessor Organization). We don’t just advise—we prepare you with the mindset of the assessor, ensuring your readiness effort is efficient, accurate, and aimed squarely at achieving certification. Our proven readiness program minimizes risk, reduces the scope of your assessment, and maximizes your chances of a successful outcome on the first attempt.
If your organization is new to CMMC compliance, it is important to consider these five foundational questions before starting your compliance journey. Answering these questions is the single greatest factor in controlling your total remediation cost and timeline.
If you’re not sure how to answer these questions, Auditwerx can help.
This is the defense contractor (Prime or Subcontractor) that is required to achieve CMMC compliance and will undergo the formal assessment. You are the entity responsible for implementing the controls and obtaining certification for your CUI environment. Understanding this role clarifies your legal obligation to implement the 110 controls of NIST SP 800-171 and to submit the results (and your SSP/POA&M) for the official certification.
This is the most critical step. The boundary defines every system that processes CUI. If the scope is too large, you apply 110 controls to unnecessary systems, wasting time and money. Proper scoping, often utilizing the CUI Enclave Strategy, can reduce remediation costs.
Your required CMMC Level is determined by the type of sensitive U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) information your organization handles, as dictated by your contracts. Your entire compliance plan—from documentation to budget—must be tailored specifically to the complexity and assessment requirements of your target level, typically Level 2 for CUI handlers.
CMMC Level | Information Handled | Assessment Type | Focus & Complexity |
|---|---|---|---|
Level 1 | Federal Contract Information (FCI) | Annual Self-Assessment (Submitted to SPRS) | Requires the 15 controls of FAR 52.204-21. |
Level 2 | Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) | Triennial C3PAO Assessment (for critical programs) | Requires the 110 controls of NIST SP 800-171. This is the most common requirement. |
Level 3 | CUI for Critical National Security Programs | Triennial Government-Led Assessment | Requires 110 NIST SP 800-171 controls plus a subset of NIST SP 800-172 controls. |
You need a diagnostic review to know what to fix. A Gap Assessment pinpoints deficiencies against NIST 800-171A and generates the official remediation roadmap.
The SSP is the single most important CMMC deliverable and the cornerstone of the assessment process. It formally documents how each of the 110 controls is implemented. Poor documentation is the number one reason organizations fail. A robust, accurate, and complete SSP is mandatory for assessment submission.
Our tailored CMMC readiness solutions don’t interfere with your day-to-day processes, ensuring a smooth assessment that fits your needs. Here’s what you can expect from a CMMC Readiness assessment from Auditwerx.
This phase defines the scope and identifies where your security posture currently stands against the CMMC requirements.
CUI Data Mapping and Scoping: We identify all CUI and FCI within your environment and establish the official CMMC Assessment Boundary.
The CUI Enclave Strategy: We guide you on leveraging isolation and segmentation to dramatically reduce the number of in-scope systems, saving time and costs.
Gap Assessment: We complete a detailed comparison of your current security controls against the required practices in NIST SP 800-171.
In a CMMC assessment, documentation proves that your controls are defined and repeatable. If it isn’t documented, it didn’t happen.
System Security Plan (SSP) Drafting: We assist in formalizing your SSP to accurately describe your security system and how each NIST 800-171 control is implemented.
Policy and Procedure Drafting: We help you develop, formalize, and document all necessary security Policies, Processes, and Procedures (e.g., Incident Response, Access Control).
Body of Evidence (BoE) Preparation: We begin compiling the necessary Body of Evidence—the artifacts and records that demonstrate your security practices are actually operational and effective.
Using the Gap Report from Phase 1, we work with your teams to efficiently close deficiencies and execute your remediation strategy.
Plan of Action & Milestones (POA&M): We help you create a prioritized POA&M to manage the identified gaps, focusing on high-impact controls first.
Control Implementation Support: Our team provides targeted guidance on implementing technical and operational controls across your environment, from configuring Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to establishing required media protection policies.
Our CMMC Mock Assessment is the critical dress rehearsal before the official C3PAO assessment. This step eliminates surprises and builds confidence within your team.
Simulated Assessment: We conduct a formal assessment that precisely mirrors the official C3PAO audit methodology, testing all three objectives: Examination (Documentation), Interview (Personnel Knowledge), and Testing (Control Effectiveness).
Body of Evidence Review: We conduct a final, comprehensive review of the BoE to ensure all required artifacts are present, complete, and accessible for the assessor.
Personnel Interview Preparation: We coach key personnel on how to confidently and accurately respond to assessor questions, ensuring compliant messaging.
Choosing Auditwerx for your readiness journey gives you an unparalleled advantage in the CMMC ecosystem. Don’t wait until the final rule appears in your contract. Get ahead of the mandatory CMMC requirements and secure your eligibility for DoD contracts.
Our Candidate C3PAO status means your readiness aligns perfectly with the Cyber AB's assessment standards.
We focus only on controls and evidence that will score points in the final assessment.
Partner with a single firm throughout your entire compliance lifecycle. Our findings are objective and have no conflicts of interest.
Our U.S. based team of assessment professionals are never outsourced.
200+ years of collective experience translates to the most efficient path to certification, saving you time and money.
We offer flexible integration with leading GRC tools, so you don't have to duplicate evidence.
CMMC compliance is required for any organization within the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) supply chain whose contracts involve sensitive U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) information. The requirement is triggered by the type of data you handle, not your company’s size or primary industry.
You need CMMC readiness services if your organization is one of the following:
Organizations that hold direct contracts with the DoD requiring the handling of Federal Contract Information (FCI) or Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).
Any company that provides a product, service, or part to a Prime Contractor where sensitive government data is flowed down to them.
Firms providing non-COTS (Commercial Off-the-Shelf) goods or services who are required to access or transmit FCI or CUI as part of the contract lifecycle.
Companies that manage, host, or provide security services for a defense contractor's CUI environment.
Aerospace and Defense Manufacturing
Defense Contracting and Engineering Services
Research and Development (R&D)
Information Technology and Cloud Providers
Supply Chain, Logistics, and Transportation
Telecommunications
Construction and Critical Infrastructure
Healthcare Organizations Dealing with Defense Data
CMMC Readiness is the preparation phase. It is consultative, meaning services like ours help you fix issues, conduct gap analyses, develop documentation (SSP, policies), and implement controls (remediation).
The CMMC Assessment is the formal, third-party verification performed by a C3PAO to certify that your controls are in place, operational, and effective. Assessment services are purely evaluative—they only examine your pre-existing state to assign a certification score. You must complete readiness before an assessment.
Readiness projects for CMMC Level 2 typically range from 6 to 18 months, heavily depending on your organization’s starting maturity. The Gap Analysis and Scoping phase (Phase 1) is quick (4-6 weeks), but the Remediation phase (Phase 3) is the most time-intensive, as it involves making critical, lasting changes to your IT environment.
The most critical step is Accurate Scoping and Boundary Definition. This involves meticulously mapping all CUI and FCI data flows to define a precise Assessment Boundary or Enclave. Over-scoping needlessly expands the work, under-scoping leads to immediate failure during the assessment.
A Mock Assessment (or Readiness Review) simulates the formal C3PAO assessment process. It helps you gauge your team’s interview readiness, test the accessibility of your evidence, and identify any last-minute gaps or documentation weaknesses before the official assessment starts, which can save significant time and money.
CMMC Readiness is the process of implementing the required security controls. For Level 2, this means implementing the 110 security requirements detailed in NIST SP 800-171 Revision 2. Readiness is the practical application; NIST 800-171 is the technical standard you are mapping to.
While CMMC readiness is about implementing controls, the strategic decisions made before remediation begins are what determine the project’s cost, duration, and eventual success.
For CMMC Level 2, the total cost and time investment are directly proportional to the size of your CMMC Assessment Boundary—the collection of people, processes, and technology that store, process, or transmit Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).
The CUI Enclave Strategy is the most effective approach to reducing this boundary, thereby minimizing compliance complexity.
For CMMC Level 2, the total cost and time investment are directly proportional to the size of your CMMC Assessment Boundary—the collection of people, processes, and technology that store, process, or transmit Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).
The CUI Enclave Strategy is the most effective approach to reducing this boundary, thereby minimizing compliance complexity.
A CUI Enclave (or “CUI Environment”) is a logically or physically isolated segment of your network and IT infrastructure specifically designed to house all CUI data.
Strategy | Description | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
Isolation | CUI is contained in dedicated servers, cloud instances (like Microsoft GCC High), or network segments, separate from the rest of your general business network. | Reduces the scope from the entire organization to just a small, secure segment. |
Segmentation | Strict controls, access lists, and firewalls are implemented to prevent unauthorized connections between the CUI Enclave and non-CUI systems. | Only the 110 NIST 800-171 controls must be applied to the systems inside the boundary. |
Access Control | Only necessary personnel (those who need CUI to perform their job) are granted access to the Enclave. | Reduces the number of in-scope users and the administrative burden of control management. |
…Both operations and assessment teams executed the engagement flawlessly, on-time and on-budget. The Auditwerx team provided us with the necessary guidance, tools and knowledge...We would highly recommend Auditwerx services to organizations of all sizes and requirement complexities.
...Their team has brought a level of knowledge and professionalism that has been unmatched. Our company is required to undergo a number of assessments annually with various firms and Auditwerx has truly been a pleasure to work with...
...The assessment itself was thorough, but non-disruptive. The team was highly professional and very knowledgeable. We recommend Auditwerx...without reservation.
Auditwerx offers a variety of CMMC services designed to meet your unique compliance needs, including:
A CMMC Gap Assessment is a diagnostic review of your organization's current security controls, policies, and documentation against the requirements of your target CMMC level to create a roadmap for remediation, focusing on what needs to be fixed to achieve compliance.
Test your controls, review your System Security Plan (SSP), and interview key personnel under assessment conditions. A CMMC Mock Assessment helps to eliminate costly surprises, validates that your remediation is complete, and confirms your organization is ready to pass the formal CMMC assessment.
Used for CMMC Level 1 or select, non-prioritized Level 2 programs, a CMMC Self-Assessment serves as a compliance artifact for contracts and is mandatory for maintaining eligibility, demonstrating the organization's adherence to required controls. Having an assessment partner can help ease this process.
There is no time to lose when it comes to preparing for CMMC. Our experienced team has put together a simple guide on steps you can take now to prepare for your assessment.
Download our free guide today and take the first steps towards CMMC compliance.
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