CMMC Consulting & Readiness Support

CMMC requirements can affect your cybersecurity controls, documentation, technology environment, employees, and how your organization handles Federal Contract Information or Controlled Unclassified Information.

The CISA Group helps defense contractors and subcontractors understand their CMMC responsibilities, identify gaps, and prepare their cybersecurity programs for applicable assessment requirements.

Our CMMC Certified Professionals provide practical guidance throughout the readiness process so your organization can understand where it stands, what needs attention, and how to move forward.

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CMMC Guidance Built Around Your Organization

CMMC preparation isn’t simply about completing a checklist. Requirements must apply to the systems, people, processes, and information that make up your actual operating environment.

The CISA Group works with your team to understand that environment and help translate CMMC requirements into practical cybersecurity improvements.

Our CMMC consulting can help your organization:

  • Understand applicable CMMC requirements
  • Evaluate your current cybersecurity posture
  • Identify security and documentation gaps
  • Review existing policies and procedures
  • Develop or refine required documentation
  • Evaluate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards
  • Prioritize cybersecurity improvements
  • Prepare for applicable assessments
  • Maintain stronger security practices as requirements evolve

The goal is to give your organization a clearer path forward, not simply a list of requirements to interpret on your own.

What Is CMMC?

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program is designed to strengthen the protection of sensitive federal information throughout the defense industrial base.

CMMC requirements depend on the type of information an organization handles and the cybersecurity obligations tied to its contracts.

Two important types of information are:

Federal Contract Information

Federal Contract Information, or FCI, is nonpublic information provided by or generated for the federal government under a contract.

Organizations handling FCI may be subject to foundational safeguarding requirements.

Controlled Unclassified Information

Controlled Unclassified Information, or CUI, is sensitive government information that isn’t classified but still requires safeguarding or dissemination controls.

Organizations that handle CUI can face more extensive cybersecurity requirements, including requirements based on NIST SP 800-171.

Understanding what information your organization receives, creates, stores, processes, and shares is key to determining which cybersecurity requirements may apply.

Understanding CMMC Levels

The CMMC model contains three levels of cybersecurity requirements, with the required level depending on the type of information involved and the applicable contract requirements.

CMMC Level 1

Level 1 focuses on basic safeguarding of Federal Contract Information.

It incorporates 15 basic safeguarding requirements from FAR 52.204-21 and is designed for organizations that handle FCI but not CUI within the applicable environment.

CMMC Level 2

Level 2 focuses on protecting Controlled Unclassified Information.

It incorporates the 110 security requirements contained in NIST SP 800-171 Revision 2. Organizations that handle CUI may need to demonstrate that these requirements have been implemented within the applicable environment.

CMMC Level 3

Level 3 applies additional cybersecurity requirements based in part on NIST SP 800-172 for organizations facing more advanced cybersecurity risks.

The CMMC level and assessment requirements that apply to your organization depend on the information you handle, contractual requirements, and your current CMMC implementation.

Current CMMC Requirements in 2026

CMMC requirements continue to evolve.

On July 13, 2026, the Department suspended implementation of CMMC Phase II, which had been scheduled to begin November 10, 2026. CMMC implementation currently remains in Phase I while the program undergoes additional review.

That doesn’t mean defense contractors should stop addressing cybersecurity requirements.

Phase I self-assessment requirements remain in effect, and applicable defense contractors and subcontractors continue to have responsibilities for protecting covered defense information. NIST SP 800-171 Revision 2 requirements also continue to be enforced through self-assessments and selected government-led assessments.

Organizations within the defense industrial base should continue to:

  • Protect FCI and CUI as required
  • Understand applicable NIST SP 800-171 requirements
  • Evaluate cybersecurity gaps
  • Maintain required documentation
  • Complete applicable self-assessments
  • Maintain accurate assessment information where required
  • Watch for changes to future CMMC implementation requirements

The CISA Group helps organizations understand what the current requirements mean for their environment while preparing cybersecurity programs that can adapt as the CMMC program changes.

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How NIST SP 800-171 Relates to CMMC

NIST SP 800-171 plays a central role in protecting CUI within nonfederal systems and organizations.

CMMC Level 2 incorporates the 110 security requirements from NIST SP 800-171 Revision 2. These requirements address cybersecurity areas such as access control, incident response, system monitoring, configuration management, authentication, risk assessment, and protecting systems and information.

For organizations working toward CMMC readiness, understanding NIST SP 800-171 is essential.

The CISA Group can help your organization evaluate its current cybersecurity practices against applicable requirements, identify areas for improvement, and prioritize issues.

Start With Your CMMC Scope

Before your organization can effectively prepare for CMMC, it needs to understand which systems, people, information, and processes are relevant to the assessment environment.

That starts with understanding where FCI or CUI enters your organization, where it’s stored, who can access it, how it’s transmitted, and which systems support those activities.

A clearer understanding of your environment can make it easier to identify which cybersecurity requirements need attention and where unnecessary complexity may exist.

The CISA Group works with your team to understand your current environment and identify areas that require additional review as part of the readiness process.

Identify CMMC Readiness Gaps

Many organizations already have cybersecurity controls in place before they begin preparing for CMMC.

The challenge is determining whether those controls align with applicable requirements and whether the organization can demonstrate consistent adherence to required practices.

The CISA Group helps evaluate your current state and identify gaps involving areas such as:

  • Access and authentication
  • System configuration
  • Security policies and procedures
  • Logging and monitoring
  • Data handling
  • Incident response
  • Employee cybersecurity practices
  • Documentation
  • Network and system safeguards

You can then prioritize findings based on the requirements involved and the work needed to strengthen your readiness.

Build the Documentation Behind Your Cybersecurity Program

CMMC readiness involves more than implementing technical controls.

Organizations also need documentation that accurately describes how they address cybersecurity requirements within their environment.

Depending on your situation, documentation may include security policies, procedures, system information, assessment records, remediation plans, and other evidence showing how you implement cybersecurity requirements.

The CISA Group helps organizations review existing documentation, identify missing or outdated information, and develop a more complete record of their cybersecurity practices.

Prepare for Assessments With Greater Confidence

Assessment preparation should begin before an assessor or government reviewer asks for evidence.

A readiness-focused approach gives your organization time to identify gaps, improve cybersecurity practices, organize documentation, and resolve issues before they create larger problems.

The CISA Group helps your team understand applicable requirements and prepare the supporting policies, documentation, and security practices needed for the assessment processes that apply to your organization.

Our role is to help you prepare. The CISA Group does not replace the independent assessor or government entity responsible for making a formal assessment or certification determination.

Work With CMMC Certified Professionals

CMMC requirements can be difficult to interpret without people who understand both cybersecurity and the framework itself.

The CISA Group’s CMMC consulting is supported by Charlie LeVoir and Chi Vang, CMMC Certified Professionals.

They help organizations interpret CMMC requirements, evaluate cybersecurity readiness, identify practical improvements, and make the compliance process easier to understand.

Rather than relying solely on automated tools or generic checklists, our team works directly with your organization to understand your environment and provide guidance based on the issues that actually need attention.

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CMMC Consulting FAQs

Organizations working within the defense industrial base may be subject to CMMC requirements depending on their contracts and the information they handle.

Organizations that receive, store, process, or transmit Federal Contract Information or Controlled Unclassified Information should carefully review their contractual cybersecurity requirements and determine which CMMC and NIST requirements apply.

CMMC Phase II implementation was suspended in July 2026, but the program was not eliminated.

Phase I self-assessment requirements remain in effect, and applicable contractors still have contractual responsibilities to protect federal information. NIST SP 800-171 Revision 2 requirements also continue to be enforced through self-assessments and selected government-led assessments while the broader CMMC program is under review.

A CMMC readiness assessment evaluates your current cybersecurity controls, documentation, policies, and processes against the requirements that apply to your organization.

The goal is to identify gaps before an applicable formal or government assessment so your organization has time to make improvements.

CMMC Level 2 incorporates the 110 security requirements in NIST SP 800-171 Revision 2.

Organizations preparing for Level 2 therefore need to understand how those requirements apply to the systems and processes that handle Controlled Unclassified Information.

A System Security Plan, commonly called an SSP, describes an organization’s system environment and how it implements applicable security requirements.

For organizations subject to NIST SP 800-171 requirements, an accurate SSP can be an important part of documenting the current cybersecurity environment and identifying areas that still require attention.

A Plan of Action and Milestones, or POA&M, documents certain cybersecurity requirements that have not yet been fully implemented and outlines how and when those deficiencies will be addressed.

Whether a POA&M can be used, and under what conditions, depends on the applicable CMMC level and assessment requirements.

The CISA Group provides CMMC consulting, readiness, and preparation support.

Our team helps organizations understand requirements, identify gaps, strengthen cybersecurity practices, and prepare documentation. Formal assessment or certification determinations are made by organizations or government entities authorized to perform those assessments under the applicable CMMC rules.

Organizations should begin by understanding their current contractual obligations and cybersecurity environment rather than waiting for an assessment deadline.

Identifying gaps, improving security controls, and developing accurate documentation can take time. Beginning early also puts your organization in a stronger position to respond as CMMC requirements continue to evolve.

Build a Stronger Foundation for CMMC

CMMC may continue to change, but the need to protect sensitive defense information has not gone away.

The CISA Group can help your organization understand applicable requirements, identify cybersecurity and documentation gaps, strengthen your readiness, and prepare for the assessment requirements that apply now and in the future.

Work with CMMC-certified professionals who can turn complex requirements into a clearer path forward.

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