Any organization that handles, processes, or stores Federal Contract Information (FCI) or Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) as part of a DoD contract must comply with CMMC. This includes prime contractors and their subcontractors throughout the supply chain.

CMMC 2.0 includes three levels:
- Level 1 (Foundational): Basic safeguarding of FCI.

- Level 2 (Advanced): Alignment with NIST SP 800-171 for CUI protection.

- Level 3 (Expert): Based on NIST 800-172, for highest-risk programs.

Level 1 and some limited Level 2 contracts allow self-assessments reported in SPRS. For most Level 2 contracts and all Level 3 contracts, a formal assessment by a C3PAO (Certified Third-Party Assessment Organization) is required.

Non-compliance may disqualify your organization from bidding on or renewing DoD contracts. It can also expose your company to DFARS violations or loss of competitive standing within the defense supply chain.

Timelines vary based on your current maturity and resources. Many small to mid-sized organizations take 6–12 months to fully implement required controls, documentation, and evidence.

A readiness assessment reviews your policies, procedures, system configurations, and evidence against NIST 800-171 and CMMC objectives. It identifies gaps, prioritizes remediation, and helps prepare your System Security Plan (SSP) and Plan of Action & Milestones (POA&M).

Certification is valid for three years, but you must continuously maintain compliance and evidence. Annual self-reviews are recommended to stay audit-ready.

NIST 800-171 defines what security requirements must be met.
CMMC 2.0 adds an independent certification and validation layer to ensure those requirements are actually implemented and effective.

A3 Vallum provides full-lifecycle CMMC readiness services — from scoping and gap assessments to policy development, control implementation, and pre-audit validation. We help ensure your environment, documentation, and team are fully prepared for certification.