The Most Efficient CMMC Certification Process

The CMMC Certification Process

1- Determine Your Required CMMC Level

CMMC 2.0 has three levels with different requirements:

Level 1 (Foundational): Basic cyber hygiene (17 controls).
Level 2 (Advanced): Aligned with NIST SP 800-171 for protecting CUI (110 controls).
Level 3 (Expert): Equivalent to NIST SP 800-172 for more advanced requirements (critical for highly sensitive systems).

Does Your Organization Require CMMC Level 1, 2, or 3?

Review contracts you have, or are working toward, with the Department of Defense (DoD) and identify the type of information your organization handles to determine whether you need CMMC level 1, 2, or 3.

Federal Contract Information (FCI) requires at least CMMC Level 1
Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) requires level 2 or 3 depending on how sensitive the information is.

2. Perform a Gap Analysis / Self-Assessment

Your business will need to identify gaps in processes, documentation, and security mechanisms.

You can do this with a self-assessment by comparing your cybersecurity practices with the required controls in NIST SP 800-171A. Or, by using the CMMC Assessment Guides as a checklist.

We recommend starting with a gap assessment.

This way you start with excellent strategy and avoid wasting time on unnecessary mistakes.

A gap assessment generally costs between $10k and $30k. We feel so strongly about starting this way, that we offer ours for just $2,000. Your accurate assessment can be ready in under an hour.

→ Get Your Gap Assessment with Paramify

3. Implement Required Security Controls

You’ll need to address the gaps you found by implementing controls required for the CMMC level you're targeting.
Example controls:

Access control mechanisms.
Incident response procedures.
Security awareness training for employees.

At Level 2 and above you need to ensure that your technical configurations and policies align with NIST 800-171.

If you need help knowing what your technical configurations and policies should be, our team can help make sure you don’t waste time on the wrong things.

Once you have your roadmap, a company like Mirai Security can help you implement all the controls you need. Not sure you need an advisor? Read this to decide if an advisor is best for you.

4. Develop a Plan of Action & Milestones (POA&M)

Create a POA&M for areas where your organization falls short. Include action items with deadlines to address gaps.

Example: If multi-factor authentication (MFA) is missing or implemented incorrectly, your POA&M would document steps to implement it.

5. CMMC Compliance Documentation for Audit

CMMC Level 1 Documentation - Annual Self-Assessment

You’ll need documentation that shows basic cyber hygiene and compliance with the 17 specific controls that align with FAR 52.204-21 (Basic Safeguarding of Covered Contractor Information Systems).

These controls focus on protecting Federal Contract Information (FCI).

Your org will do a yearly self-assessment instead of a C3PAO assessment at Level 1.

CMMC Level 2 and Level 3 Documentation - C3PAO Assessment

Level 2 or 3 CMMC documentation will need to be assessed by a C3PAO certified by the CMMC Accreditation Body (CMMC-AB) every 3 years.

You need to provide:

System Security Plan (SSP): Details all system components and security practices.
Policies and Procedures: Document your security and operational policies.
Incident Response Plan (IRP): Include response timelines and procedures.

SSP Templates vs Compliance Documentation Automation Software

Manually writing your SSP means spending many frustrating months using CMMC SSP templates to create documentation that’s full of unavoidable human errors.

Inaccurate docs will cost you time in audit and cause more headache when it’s time to adjust or update them.

You can automate CMMC compliance documentation with Paramify to:

With your CMMC documentation on the fast-track you’ll also beat the rush to assessment and certification.

→ Sign up for a free demo of Paramify to see if we’re the right fit for your goals.

CMMC Solutions Require FedRAMP

The information contained in your CMMC SSP is likely considered CUI.

Any solutions you use should have FedRAMP.

→ Paramify is FedRAMP High Ready and FedRAMP Authorized

6. Conduct a Pre-Assessment (Optional)

Some organizations hire consultants or Registered Practitioner (RP) services for a pre-audit assessment to ensure compliance and readiness.

7. Schedule and Complete the Official CMMC Assessment

For Level 2 or 3 assessments you’ll need to engage a C3PAO like A-Lign, Schellman , Fortreum or Prescient Security.

The C3PAO will conduct interviews, check documentation, and validate security practices on-site or remotely.

You can find a vetted C3PAO on our list of trusted advisors or by checking the CMMCAB.org directory. Find more tips from Summit 7 to find the right C3PAO.

Using software to automate your documentation allows your org to move through assessment faster, since you won’t need to correct as many errors as you would with manually written documentation.

→ Find a C3PAO for your assessment

8. Submit for Certification Approval

Once all issues are resolved, the C3PAO submits the assessment results to the Cyber AB.

9. Maintain Compliance

Certification lasts for 3 years, but you’ll need to maintain security practices to remain compliant.

Annual self-assessments ensure all employees stay trained on security practices.

No need to stress over assessments – Paramify helps you maintain your documentation so that yearly self-assessments and your 3-year assessments are simple and easy.

10. Register in the Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS)

If applicable, register your self-assessment score and status with the SPRS system as part of contract requirements.

Your score will be automatically calculated for you as you build your security plan with Paramify. This way you can track your progress toward reaching your target SRPS score.

What Does it CMMC Certification Cost?

CMMC certification costs ranging from about $5,000 for Level 1 to over $300,000 for Level 3, depending on organizational size, security maturity, the scope of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and how you approach the process.

The biggest expenses come from documentation, third-party assessments, and remediation to meet security requirements, with Level 2 organizations (handling CUI) facing the most significant costs, typically $63,000–$200,000+.

Beyond certification, businesses should also plan for ongoing compliance, training, and recertification expenses, which can add $5,000–$30,000 annually.

→ Read here for a full CMMC cost breakdown and to learn how you can reduce your costs without cutting corners

Get CMMC Certified

Now that you know how to get CMMC certification and how automating your compliance documentation can speed up the process, it’s time to get started.

Making mistakes in the world of compliance can be expensive. When it comes to creating your documentation you need to make the best decision for your business.

→ Reach out to ask our team any questions you have about Paramify and automated documentation or check out our pricing.

→ Schedule your Gap Assessment if you’d like to start building your strategy ASAP.

Interested in seeing how automated documentation works first? Request a video demo or schedule your live demo below:

Learn More:

→ 2 Tips to Cut Costs and Get CMMC Certified Faster

→ What is FedRAMP Equivalent and Who Needs It?

→ The Benefits and Shortcomings of OSCAL Digital ATO Packages

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Becki Johnson

Oct 2024