April 18, 2025
But here's the problem: cybersecurity compliance often feels like it's designed for companies with deep pockets and dedicated IT teams.
What about the little guys?
Statistics show that about 50% of small businesses that suffer a major cyberattack are out of business within a year.
Yet the cost of compliance can seem just as threatening to your survival.
Today, I'll show you how to navigate CMMC 2.0 without draining your bank account.
Here's what you'll learn:
Let's face it: CMMC 2.0 isn't optional if you want to keep doing business with the DoD.
It's estimated that a small company might need $60,000 or more to achieve compliance.
For many small or cash-strapped organizations, this might as well be $60 billion.
Either way, it feels impossible.
But what choice do you have?
The federal government is making CMMC a requirement for organizations to do business with them.
Defense contractors will soon see this requirement on contracts and RFQs.
And if you're a subcontractor, your primes are already applying pressure.
Want to know the single most powerful tool for reducing CMMC costs?
Proper scoping.
Your CMMC scope defines where your controlled documents can be and how they are limited to that area.
If portions of your business are excluded from CMMC, your assessor won't be concerned if you haven't implemented controls there.
The key to cost reduction is minimizing assets within the CMMC scope.
That means fewer computers needing expensive services and fewer employees requiring per-user licenses.
Think of it like renovating a house – why pay to remodel rooms you don't use?
Cost-Effective Technology Solutions
You don't need enterprise-grade solutions with enterprise-grade prices.
Here are some budget-friendly options that satisfy CMMC requirements:
For Identity & Access Management:
For Antimalware:
For Multi-Factor Authentication:
For Backup Solutions:
Many of these solutions offer small business pricing or even free tiers for companies under a certain size.
Not everything requires expensive software.
Some CMMC requirements can be satisfied with well-designed templates and spreadsheets.
For IT Asset Management, a simple Excel or Google Sheet can work.
For risk registers and POA&Ms (Plans of Action & Milestones), downloadable templates can save thousands.
Need a configuration management database?
Start with a structured spreadsheet before investing in ServiceNow.
I recently helped a 15-person manufacturing company satisfy their asset management requirements using nothing but Google Sheets and a barcode scanner.
They saved over $15,000 compared to enterprise solutions.
Do all your employees really need access to controlled unclassified information (CUI)?
Probably not.
By limiting which employees have access to CUI, you drastically reduce the number of endpoints and users that fall within your CMMC scope.
This means fewer machines to secure, fewer accounts to manage, and lower costs overall.
It's like having a smaller house to heat in winter.
The savings add up quickly.
CMMC 2.0 compliance doesn't have to be a death sentence for your small business or startup.
With strategic scoping, cost-effective technology choices, and DIY approaches where appropriate, you can achieve compliance without going broke.
Remember that compliance is ultimately about security, not spending.
Focus on the actual requirements, not the most expensive solutions.
And don't forget: the cost of non-compliance is likely much higher than the cost of getting it right.
Are you ready to tackle CMMC 2.0 without breaking the bank?
Your government contracts—and your business—depend on it.