Defense Contractor Services

CMMC Consulting
for Every Level of Certification

From Level 1 self-assessment to Level 3 DIBCAC engagement, AltiriOS provides the vCISO leadership, gap assessment, and evidence management infrastructure that defense contractors need to certify and stay certified.

Take the CMMC Eligibility Check → Book a Strategy Call View Readiness Guide →
Not sure which level applies? Take the 2-minute assessment →
What's Included

What Does a CMMC Assessment Cost?

A CMMC engagement covers every piece of assessment preparation — not just consulting hours. Here's what's bundled into the cost ranges shown below.

Gap Analysis

Control-by-control scoring across all 110 NIST 800-171 requirements, with a prioritized POA&M as your remediation roadmap.

SSP Development

A complete System Security Plan covering all 14 domains — written to match your actual network architecture, not a generic template.

Evidence Collection

Organized, assessor-accessible evidence artifact infrastructure — documentation grouped by control domain so the C3PAO team can verify coverage methodically rather than hunting through unstructured file shares.

DoD Registration

C3PAO scheduling, documentation package preparation, and SPRS score registration — handled end-to-end so your team doesn't have to.

CMMC Levels

Which Level Applies to You?

CMMC has three levels — each building on the last. Understanding your required level is the first decision in any compliance program.

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
Controls 17 practices (FAR 52.204-21) 110 controls (NIST 800-171 rev 2) All Level 2 + 24 additional practices (NIST SP 800-172)
Assessment Type Annual self-assessment Third-party C3PAO assessment Government-led assessment (DIBCAC)
Frequency Annual Every 3 years (with annual self-assessment) Annual + continuous monitoring
Who It Applies To Contractors handling Federal Contract Information (FCI) Contractors processing, storing, or transmitting CUI on DoD programs Programs with highest sensitivity — weapons systems, classified, critical infrastructure
Est. Timeline 3–6 months 12–18 months 18–36 months
Est. Cost Range $15K–$40K $100K–$280K $250K–$700K+
How We Work

The Engagement Model

Every CMMC engagement follows the same three-phase model — from initial gap assessment through evidence collection and remediation, to full C3PAO coordination.

01

Readiness & Gap Assessment

NIST 800-171 gap assessment against all in-scope controls. Maturity scoring, evidence gap analysis, and a prioritized POA&M — your roadmap from current state to assessment-ready.

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02

Implementation & Evidence

Technical control implementation, SSP development, evidence artifact collection, and POA&M closure. We manage the documentation infrastructure so your team can focus on operations.

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03

C3PAO Assessment & Remediation

Full C3PAO coordination, assessor interface management, remediation of findings, and DCSA certification support. Binary pass/fail — our preparation methodology is designed to get every control across the line before the assessment begins.

Who We Serve

Target Verticals

CMMC affects contractors across the defense industrial base and beyond. We focus on the organizations where certification is a contract requirement — not a nice-to-have.

🛡️
DoD Contractors
Prime & Subcontractors · DFARS 7012
  • Navigating the full 110-control NIST 800-171 rev 2 assessment scope for the first time
  • Building SSP documentation that matches actual network configuration — a top C3PAO failure point
  • Managing POA&M across multiple sub-contractors and flow-down requirements
☁️
SaaS & Cloud Vendors
FedRAMP · Cloud Services · Software Vendors
  • Meeting CMMC as a cloud service provider when your customers are chasing Level 2
  • FedRAMP authorization requirements overlapping with CMMC control scope
  • Demonstrating FIPS-validated encryption and boundary protection to contractor assessors
🏛️
Federal Vendors
Civilian Agencies · GSA Schedule · Federal Systems
  • Coordinating CMMC requirements across multiple federal contract vehicles simultaneously
  • Managing DFARS flow-downs and ensuring subcontractor compliance across the supply chain
  • Aligning CMMC with existing NIST CSF 2.0 and FedRAMP continuous monitoring programs
What You Get

Service Deliverables

Every engagement produces concrete documentation, infrastructure, and coordination — not just recommendations.

NIST 800-171 Gap Assessment

Full control-by-control scoring across all 110 requirements. Maturity model, evidence gap analysis, and prioritized POA&M.

System Security Plan (SSP) Development

Complete SSP covering all 14 domains, network architecture diagrams, access control documentation, and incident response procedures.

Evidence Artifact Infrastructure

Organized, assessor-accessible evidence management system — reducing the documentation scramble that commonly delays C3PAO assessments and generates unnecessary findings.

POA&M Tracking & Closure

Remediation roadmap management, progress tracking, and formal closure documentation for every gap identified in the gap assessment.

CMMC certification assessment support

Assessment support including documentation package preparation, C3PAO coordination, and findings remediation management — through the certification phase.

vCISO Engagement

Embedded fractional vCISO with CMMC-specific experience — program management, board reporting, and ongoing compliance posture ownership.

Why AltiriOS

The Numbers Behind the Practice

CMMC is not a general security engagement. It requires specific methodology, documentation discipline, and assessor-side experience.

110
Controls mapped across all 14 NIST SP 800-171 Rev 2 domains
12–18
Month certification roadmap with phase-gated milestones
Binary
Pass/fail assessment prep — no partial credit, no second chances
3 phases
Structured engagement phases — gap assessment, implementation, C3PAO coordination — with defined milestones at each gate
Common Questions

CMMC 2.0 FAQ

Answers to the questions defense contractors ask most before starting a CMMC engagement.

What is CMMC 2.0 and why does it matter for defense contractors?
CMMC 2.0 (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) is the Department of Defense's framework for verifying that defense contractors have the cybersecurity controls in place to protect Federal Contract Information (FCI) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). Unlike earlier self-attestation models, CMMC requires third-party assessment for Level 2 and ties compliance to contract eligibility — you cannot receive a DoD contract above a certain value without the matching CMMC level.
Do I need Level 1 or Level 2?
Level 1 applies if you handle Federal Contract Information (FCI) — any DoD contract that doesn't involve CUI. It requires 17 practices (drawn from FAR 52.204-21) and an annual self-assessment. Level 2 applies if you process, store, or transmit CUI on any DoD program — triggered by DFARS clause 7012 — and requires 110 controls (NIST 800-171 rev 2) assessed by a C3PAO every three years. Most defense contractors in the supply chain eventually need Level 2. Work through our 6-question eligibility check to confirm your required level.
How long does a CMMC Level 2 assessment take?
From gap assessment to certified assessment, plan for 12–18 months. The phased timeline typically runs: gap assessment and POA&M (1–2 months), control implementation and evidence collection (6–10 months), C3PAO scheduling and assessment (2–4 months), and findings remediation if needed (1–3 months). Organizations with existing NIST 800-171 posture may move faster; organizations starting from scratch typically land at the longer end of the range.
What happens if I fail the C3PAO assessment?
A failed C3PAO assessment means you receive a corrective action plan with specific findings — you do not receive certification. If the gaps are limited and the organization demonstrates a clear path to remediation, conditional status may be granted — allowing a defined window (typically 90–180 days, per the CMMC Assessment Guide) to close POA&M items and request a closeout review. Unremediated gaps at closeout can affect certification status and may have contract award implications for new DoD work. Proper readiness preparation — evidence artifact infrastructure, SSP accuracy, POA&M closure — is the mechanism that prevents this outcome.
What does the assessment actually look like — what do assessors check?
A C3PAO assessment is a systematic review of your implemented controls against NIST 800-171 Rev 2. Assessors review your System Security Plan (SSP), interview personnel, and examine evidence artifacts — not just policies. The scoring is binary: a control is either met or not met. There is no partial credit. The assessment covers all 14 NIST SP 800-171 domains including Access Control, Incident Response, Audit and Accountability, Configuration Management, and Media Protection. Assessors will look for evidence that controls are actually implemented and operational — not just documented.
How much does CMMC Level 2 certification cost?
CMMC Level 2 certification typically runs $100K–$280K total, covering gap assessment, SSP development, evidence infrastructure, C3PAO coordination, and internal implementation labor. C3PAO assessment fees alone run $30K–$80K depending on organization size and scope. Larger organizations with multiple business units, complex network architectures, or significant evidence gaps land at the higher end. Organizations that have already implemented NIST 800-171 controls may be closer to the lower end. Control implementation — the technical work of actually configuring systems and building documentation — is typically the largest variable in total cost.
Free Resource

Want a take-home checklist you can walk through with your team?

A 15+110-control CMMC 2.0 readiness checklist covering both FCI and CUI scoping — printable, with check-the-box items grouped under the 14 NIST 800-171 domains.

View the CMMC 2.0 Readiness Checklist →
Know your CMMC path before you start
6-question eligibility check gives you an instant result — out of scope, early stage, making progress, or certified/in progress.
Take the CMMC Eligibility Check →