April 18, 2025
If you're doing business with the Department of Defense and handling any kind of government information, this matters to you.
A lot.
In fact, it could be the difference between keeping your government contracts or losing them forever.
Here's what you'll learn today:
CMMC stands for Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification.
It's the Department of Defense's way of making sure contractors protect sensitive government information.
Think of it as the government saying, "If you want to play with our data, you need to prove you can protect it."
The DoD created CMMC because they got tired of contractors saying they were secure when they weren't.
Too many breaches happened.
Too much sensitive information got stolen.
So now, instead of pinky promises about security, you'll need actual certification.
CMMC has three levels, and they build on each other like a security pyramid.
Level 1: The Basics
This is for companies that only handle Federal Contract Information (FCI).
You need to implement 15 basic security controls.
Think of these as the security equivalent of locking your front door and not leaving your keys in the car.
If you're only dealing with basic contract info and not the sensitive stuff, this is your level.
Level 2: The Standard
This is where most contractors will land.
It applies if you handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).
You'll need to implement all 110 requirements from NIST SP 800-171.
This is serious security - like having an alarm system, security cameras, AND a guard dog.
Level 3: The Heavy Hitter
This is for the elite few handling the most sensitive CUI.
Only about 1% of defense contractors will need this level.
You'll need 134 security controls to protect against Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs).
This is for when nation-states might be trying to hack you.
Short answer: If you want DoD contracts, yes.
Starting in early 2025, the DoD will require CMMC certification for anyone handling government information.
Here's a quick way to figure out your situation:
About 63% of defense contractors will only need Level 1.
Less than 1% will need Level 3.
The rest fall into Level 2.
I won't sugarcoat this.
No certification = no contracts.
It's that simple.
The DoD is serious about this.
For small businesses especially, this presents a stark choice: get certified or perish.
Security is always inconvenient.
It will complicate your users' lives.
But the alternative is losing your government business entirely.
CMMC certification isn't something you can throw together in a week or two.
Many organizations have vastly overestimated their compliance level through rose-colored self-assessments.
The DoD estimates certification costs will vary widely depending on:
For small businesses, the challenge is twofold:
CMMC is coming, whether you're ready or not.
The DoD has made it clear: protect our information properly, or don't handle it at all.
The smart move is to start preparing now.
Begin by figuring out which level applies to you.
Then assess where your gaps are.
And remember, most organizations discover they're much less compliant than they thought.
The clock is ticking toward early 2025.
Will you be certified, or will you be sidelined?
The choice—and the work—is yours.