CMMC Compliance

Maybe. Level 1 is designed for self-assessment, and if you’ve got internal IT security expertise and time to learn NIST SP 800-171, you might pull it off. But most contractors we talk to are stretched thin just running their business. Level 2 is a different beast—110 controls, extensive documentation, and a third-party assessment that will find any shortcuts you took. The cost of a failed assessment (in time, money, and delayed contracts) usually exceeds the cost of getting help up front.

If CUI flows down to you through your prime contract, yes. CMMC doesn’t care about company size—it cares whether you’re handling controlled information. Many small businesses assume they’re exempt, then discover at contract renewal that they’re not. Better to know now.

Absolutely. We’re not starting from zero. If you’ve got firewalls, antivirus, backups, password policies, and other basics in place, you’re already meeting some CMMC controls. Our gap assessment figures out exactly what you’ve already got and what still needs work. We’ve seen plenty of contractors who are 60-70% there without realizing it.

No. CMMC compliance requires people, processes, and technology working together. There are tools that help—and we’ll recommend and implement them—but no product magically makes you compliant. It takes thoughtful implementation, proper configuration, user training, and documentation that proves you’re actually doing what you say you’re doing.

You can’t bid on or be awarded contracts that require CMMC certification. If you’re a subcontractor and the prime needs you to flow down CUI, they can’t use you without your certification. For many businesses, this means losing your primary revenue source. That’s why we take timelines seriously and build realistic plans that account for your deadline.

Realistically, 6-12 months for most Level 2 projects from engagement to certification. This includes 2-4 weeks for initial assessment, 1-2 weeks for implementation planning, 3-6 months for control implementation (depending on your starting point), 4-6 weeks for documentation and evidence prep, and 1-3 months for C3PAO assessment scheduling. Level 1 self-assessments can be faster—often 2-4 months if your fundamentals are solid. Here’s the critical part—these timelines are achievable but not generous. If your contract requires certification in 8 months and you wait 3 months to start, you’ve already put yourself at serious risk. We help you work backward from your deadline to build a realistic plan, but we can’t manufacture time you’ve already lost. The contractors who succeed are the ones who start early, take the process seriously, and commit the resources needed to get it done. If you’re waiting for a “better time” to start, that time was yesterday. Every week you delay is a week you can’t get back when you’re racing against a contract deadline.

For Level 2 contractors, AVD is a game-changer. By deploying Azure Virtual Desktop in a FedRAMP-authorized region, we create a CUI enclave where users access sensitive data through secure sessions. This means their laptops, tablets, and phones stay out of scope for CMMC requirements. It’s particularly powerful for contractors with mobile or remote workforces, those who need to separate CUI from general business systems, or those working in environments where traditional IT infrastructure is challenging.

We’re both compliance consultants and technology implementers. Most consultants hand you a document and disappear. We’re the team that actually implements the technical controls—the managed IT, the cloud migration, the Azure Virtual Desktop, the cybersecurity monitoring. One team, one relationship, complete accountability. Plus, we’re local to underserved markets like Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam, so we understand the unique challenges contractors face in these regions.