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ManageMent
www.us-tech.com Time’s Up: CMMC is Here By Greg Rankin
cybersecurity compliance is no longer “optional.” With the re- lease of Title 48, U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) contract solicita- tions will soon begin including language requiring companies to affirm they meet tiered levels of Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). This ap- plies to all organizations that handle Federal Contract Informa- tion (FCI) or Controlled Unclassi- fied Information (CUI) — which includes the vast majority of the DIB. Third party certifications will follow for most. Yet despite clear directives,
F
or Defense Industrial Base (DIB) companies, the stakes are high, and long required
many contractors and subcon- tractors continue to take a “wait and see” approach, convinced there’s still time to prepare. However, because of the often- lengthy certification process, once a contract solicitation in- cludes CMMC requirements, it’s too late to start preparing. According to the DoD, most
companies in the DIB will fall under CMMC Level 2 and pass an assessment by a certified third-party assessor organiza- tion (C3PAO). Those that fail to meet the standard will not be awarded contracts. Those who falsely affirm compliance face se- rious consequences, including penalties and damages up to
triple the full contract value, loss of DoD business, and long-term revenue disruption.
Achieving Compliance Achieving CMMC compli-
ance isn’t just a box to check — it’s a rigorous, time-consuming process that can take months of preparation, especially for com- panies seeking Level 2 certifica- tion or higher. And according to cybersecurity experts, many or- ganizations are significantly overestimating their readiness. “Most businesses think
they’re prepared,” says Charlie Sciuto, chief information security officer at SSE. “But in reality, many fall short when their pro- gram is held up to true audit scrutiny. This isn’t a casual re- view. It’s a pass-fail assessment that leaves no room for interpre- tation.”
SSE is a Registered Provi -
der Organization (RPO) — a des- ignation established by the De- partment of Defense to help com- panies prepare for CMMC. RPOs, accredited by the Cyber AB, provide services like gap as- sessments, remediation, policy development, and continuous monitoring. While they can’t is- sue certifications (only C3PAOs can do that), RPOs are often the most practical and cost-effective way to get and stay compliant. A growing number of compa-
nies are getting proactive. One of them is Protection Engineering Consultants (PEC), an Austin- based consulting engineering firm specializing in physical se- curity and protective design of structures and infrastructure to minimize risks related to terror- ism, extreme accidents, and nat- ural disasters. Rather than gamble with
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timing or attempt to go it alone, PEC began preparing early for CMMC Level 2 certification, knowing that future contract eli- gibility would depend on it. With a steady stream of important na- tional security work tied to DoD programs and prime contractors, PEC understood that waiting could jeopardize its role in up- coming projects. PEC had successfully built a
NIST 800-171 program in-house prior to engaging with an RPO, but not without significant effort and cost.
Getting it Right SSE, which completed a
DoD Joint Surveillance Volun- tary Assessment (JSVA) and was one of the few firms to achieve a perfect DoD score on its CMMC Level 2 certification, has seen the pattern repeatedly: compa- nies believe they’re audit-ready when they’re not. The most common reason
companies fall short is not due to firewall or antivirus protections; it’s documentation. The unforgiving structure of a CMMC audit is one reason
Achieving CMMC compliance isn’t just a box to check — it’s a rigorous, time-consuming process that can take months of preparation, especially for companies seeking Level 2
certification or higher.
PEC prioritized early prepara- tion and partnered with an ex- pert RPO to guide the process. CMMC success requires ear-
ly action, sustained effort, and strategic support. With CMMC- required DoD contract solicita- tions expected to scale in 2025, the window for delay is closing fast. The ripple effect across the
defense supply chain is what makes CMMC different from previous cybersecurity initia- tives. It’s not just about passing an audit, either. CMMC requires sustaining compliance over time. “CMMC isn’t a one-and-
done event,” explains Sciuto. “You’re expected to maintain your controls continuously and be ready for reassessment every three years. If you don’t have a long-term plan — and the docu- mentation to back it up — you’re setting yourself up to fail later, even if you pass the first time.” For Protection Engineering
Consultants, partnering with an RPO like SSE was strategic and not tactical. It wasn’t just about quickly checking a box, it was about making smart decisions for
the long-term success of the firm. Contact: SSE, Inc., 9666
Olive Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132 % 314-439-4700 E-mail:
info@sseinc.com Web:
www.sseinc.com r
August 2025
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