If your organization works with US government agencies, including the Department of Defense, you’ll likely need to undergo CMMC assessments and possibly one or more NIST assessments. Preparing involves identifying which standards apply to your contracts, conducting readiness reviews, implementing required controls, and working with an accredited assessor.
Not sure if you’re ready for compliance? Schedule a consultation today to evaluate your organization’s CMMC assessment readiness.
CMMC and NIST Assessment Prep 101
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) develops frameworks that help government agencies and contractors secure sensitive data. These frameworks outline the specific security controls organizations must implement, while departments such as the Department of Defense determine the exact assessment requirements for compliance.
Preparing for CMMC assessments or NIST audits can be challenging. To get started, organizations should follow four key steps:
- Identify which regulations and frameworks apply to your contracts.
- Assess your current systems and architecture against applicable standards.
- Implement or map required controls to meet compliance requirements.
- Conduct official assessments, self-led, third-party, or government-led.
Partnering with an experienced Compliance Advisor can streamline the process and help ensure your organization not only meets but exceeds assessment requirements.
Determine Which Regulations Apply
For government contractors, the NIST SP 800-30 risk assessment framework provides best practices for evaluating security risks. However, depending on the type of data your organization handles, you may also need to comply with additional frameworks.
In Defense and military work, two primary data types are tightly regulated:
- Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI): Technical, maintenance, and other sensitive data critical to national security. The Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) CUI Registry lists categories of CUI across federal agencies.
- Federal Contract Information (FCI): Information related to government contracts, including the nature of the work and the parties involved.
To protect CUI, NIST requires organizations to follow SP 800-171, which establishes key security controls. Building on this, the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) introduces additional safeguards for both CUI and FCI, specifically for Defense contractors.
Before starting your CMMC assessment preparation, carefully review your contracts and consult directly with agency stakeholders. This ensures you know whether a NIST risk assessment alone is sufficient, or if you’ll need to meet CMMC certification requirements.
Understanding CMMC Maturity and Levels
The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is a framework designed specifically for Department of Defense (DoD) contractors. Overseen by the DoD’s Chief Information Officer (DCIO) and the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense (OUSD) for Intelligence and Security, CMMC ensures that organizations in the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) maintain the security maturity needed to safeguard sensitive military data and, by extension, protect national security.
Official CMMC assessments certify organizations at one of three maturity levels. Each level requires increasing security practices and assessment rigor:
- CMMC Level 1 – Foundational
- Implements 15 practices derived from NIST SP 800-171
- Requires annual self-assessment and self-attestation
- CMMC Level 2 – Advanced
- Implements 110 practices covering the full scope of NIST SP 800-171
- Requires triennial third-party assessments for most contractors
- CMMC Level 3 – Expert
- Implements advanced practices adapted from NIST SP 800-172
- Requires triennial government-led assessments
In most cases, the specific level of CMMC assessment required will be stated clearly in your DoD contract. Reviewing these requirements early helps ensure your organization targets the right maturity level from the start.
Consider a Preparatory NIST Assessment
After determining which regulations apply, organizations may be tempted to move directly into implementing controls and scheduling an official audit. However, a smarter approach is to begin with a readiness or pre-assessment to evaluate your current compliance posture. This step can be done internally or with the help of a qualified NIST or CMMC advisor.
A preparatory NIST assessment or vulnerability review provides valuable insights into gaps in your existing security framework. It can highlight missing controls, misconfigurations, or areas needing improvement before an official CMMC assessment. In some cases, it may also confirm that many of your current controls can be mapped effectively, reducing the time and cost of achieving compliance.
Mapping NIST Requirements to Other Frameworks
Many government contractors have already implemented controls from widely used NIST standards such as the Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) or NIST SP 800-53: Security and Privacy Controls for Information Systems and Organizations.
If your organization has completed an SP 800-53 or NIST CSF assessment, you may already be well positioned for SP 800-171 implementation. These frameworks often include mapping guidance that shows how existing controls correspond to new requirements, helping streamline both NIST and CMMC assessment preparation.
For example, according to the mapping tables in SP 800-171:
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Requirements 3.1.1 and 3.1.2 align with SP 800-53 controls:
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AC-2 (Account Management)
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AC-3 (Access Enforcement)
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AC-17 (Remote Access)
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Requirement 3.1.3 aligns with AC-4 (Information Flow Enforcement).
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Requirement 3.1.4 aligns with AC-5 (Separation of Duties).
This overlap means that if your organization already follows SP 800-53 controls, integrating SP 800-171, and preparing for a CMMC assessment, can be significantly easier. In many cases, the process is less about building entirely new safeguards and more about mapping and optimizing existing protections.
Implement NIST Requirements or CMMC Practices
Once you’ve completed a readiness review, the next step in your CMMC assessment preparation is implementing the required security practices. Whether your goal is NIST compliance or achieving a specific CMMC level, you’ll need to follow the controls outlined in NIST SP 800-171, and, for higher maturity levels, SP 800-172.
Here’s a breakdown of the practices required for CMMC Level 2 (aligned with NIST SP 800-171), along with potential enhancements for CMMC Level 3:
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Access Control: 21 requirements (2 Basic, 19 Derived) + 3 Enhanced (Level 3)
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Awareness & Training: 3 requirements (2 Basic, 1 Derived) + 2 Enhanced (Level 3)
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Audit & Accountability: 9 requirements (2 Basic, 7 Derived)
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Configuration Management: 9 requirements (2 Basic, 7 Derived) + 3 Enhanced (Level 3)
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Identification & Authentication: 11 requirements (2 Basic, 9 Derived) + 3 Enhanced (Level 3)
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Incident Response: 3 requirements (2 Basic, 1 Derived) + 2 Enhanced (Level 3)
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Maintenance: 6 requirements (2 Basic, 4 Derived)
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Media Protection: 9 requirements (3 Basic, 6 Derived)
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Personnel Security: 2 requirements (all Basic) + 2 Enhanced (Level 3)
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Physical Protection: 6 requirements (2 Basic, 4 Derived)
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Risk Assessment: 3 requirements (1 Basic, 2 Derived) + 7 Enhanced (Level 3)
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Security Assessment: 4 requirements (all Basic) + 1 Enhanced (Level 3)
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System & Communications Protection: 16 requirements (2 Basic, 14 Derived) + 5 Enhanced (Level 3)
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System & Information Integrity: 7 requirements (3 Basic, 4 Derived) + 7 Enhanced (Level 3)
By completing these requirements, your organization will be ready for NIST assessments and CMMC certification. At this point, many organizations choose to run another readiness assessment to confirm all gaps have been closed before beginning the official audit.
Conduct a CMMC or NIST Assessment
The final step in your compliance journey is completing the CMMC assessment or NIST assessment required for your contracts.
For organizations eligible to self-assess, this process is relatively straightforward. The Department of Defense’s Chief Information Officer (DCIO) provides CMMC Level 1 and CMMC Level 2 documentation to guide self-assessments at your own pace.
If a third-party or government-led assessment is required, you’ll need to secure an accredited auditor in advance. For CMMC Level 2 third-party assessments, the Cyber AB (formerly the CMMC Accreditation Body) certifies trusted vendors. The best partners go beyond testing, helping you implement, validate, and optimize controls holistically.
Government-led assessments are still being finalized. While exact requirements remain unclear, the CMMC 2.0 framework emphasizes flexibility, focusing on relative security maturity and continuous improvement over time. Organizations earlier in their cybersecurity journey may not yet be ready for full exposure to Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) or the risks associated with handling it at scale.
No matter your certification level, RSI Security provides expert support to help you prepare, pass, and maintain compliance.
Optimize Your NIST Assessments Today
Organizations pursuing contracts with US government agencies, especially lucrative Department of Defense (DoD) contracts, must often prove their security maturity through CMMC assessments and NIST compliance. The most widely used frameworks across agencies are the NIST guides, with defense contractors specifically required to implement NIST SP 800-171 (and, in some cases, SP 800-172) as part of CMMC 2.0.
At RSI Security, we’ve helped countless organizations prepare for and pass both NIST assessments and CMMC certification audits. Our philosophy is simple: discipline creates freedom. By streamlining assessment processes, we free your internal teams to focus on what matters most, serving your mission.
Ready to secure compliance and win more government contracts? Contact RSI Security today to get started on your next CMMC or NIST assessment.
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