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February 4, 2025

A guide to CMMC compliance

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Given the increasing frequency of cyber threats and the need for stronger data protection, the Department of Defense (DoD) introduced the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). This framework establishes baseline cybersecurity requirements for any organization handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) within the DoD’s supply chain. 

Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) refers to sensitive but unclassified data that requires protection due to legal, regulatory, or policy-based restrictions. This can include financial records, legal documents, export control data, infrastructure details, and intelligence reports—all of which, if exposed, could pose a risk to national security. 

Unlike previous self-assessment models, CMMC requires third-party certification, reinforcing the need for robust data security measures. Since CUI encompasses financial, legal, infrastructure, and intelligence data, organizations must proactively identify, classify, and secure sensitive information across their cloud environments, endpoints, and data repositories. 

What is CMMC Compliance? 

CMMC is designed to protect CUI by ensuring that DoD contractors and vendors follow standardized cybersecurity practices. The framework incorporates processes, practices, and maturity levels that assess a vendor’s ability to protect sensitive data across 17 capability domains. 

The capability domains are as follows: 

Access Control (AC) 

Incident Response (IR) 

Risk Management (RM) 

Asset Management (AM) 

Maintenance (MA) 

Security Assessment (CA) 

Awareness and Training (AT) 

Media Protection (MP) 

Situational Awareness (SA) 

Audit and Accountability (AU) 

Personnel Security (PS) 

System and Communications Protection (SC) 

Configuration Management (CM) 

Physical Protection (PE) 

System and Information Integrity (SI) 

Identification and Authentication (IA) 

Recovery (RE) 

The certification process is tiered, meaning organizations must meet the requirements of their designated maturity level before being granted access to DoD contracts. 

What are the CMMC levels? 

The five CMMC maturity levels are based on NIST controls and ensure that organizations progressively strengthen their cybersecurity defenses. 

Here are the five CMMS levels: 

  • Level 1: Basic Cyber Hygiene – Requires implementation of 17 NIST 800-171 rev1 controls. 
  • Level 2: Intermediate Cyber Hygiene – Adds 48 additional NIST 800-171 rev1 controls plus 7 new controls. 
  • Level 3: Good Cyber Hygiene – Encompasses the final 45 NIST 800-171 rev1 controls plus 13 additional requirements. 
  • Level 4: Proactive Cybersecurity – Introduces 11 new NIST 800-171 rev2 controls and 15 additional security requirements. 
  • Level 5: Advanced Cybersecurity – Implements the final 4 NIST 800-171 rev2 controls plus 11 additional measures. 

Each level builds on the previous one, and requires organizations to adopt comprehensive security controls across 17 capability domains spanning access control, risk management, and data protection. 

Who must comply with CMMC? 

Any company working with the DoD, whether as a prime contractor, subcontractor, or foreign supplier, must obtain CMMC certification.  

This includes: 

  •  Small and mid-sized businesses 
  •  Vendors across all tiers of the supply chain 
  •  Commercial item contractors 

The only exception applies to companies that exclusively produce Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) products. 

The certification process is overseen by the CMMC Accreditation Body (CMMC-AB or the Cyber AB), which works with Third-Party Assessment Organizations (C3PAOs) to evaluate compliance. Any organization failing to meet CMMC requirements will be ineligible for new DoD contracts. 

Why data discovery and classification are important for CMMC 

One of the biggest challenges DoD contractors face is knowing where sensitive data resides and making sure that it is classified and protected appropriately. CUI is often scattered across multiple environments, making it difficult to maintain visibility and enforce security policies. 

Without automated data discovery and classification, organizations risk: 

  • Inadvertent exposure of sensitive information 
  •  Non-compliance with CMMC requirements 
  •  Data sprawl and unauthorized access 

Organizations seeking CMMC compliance must have a structured approach to locating, classifying, and securing CUI—an area where AI-driven data security solutions can be highly effective. 

How to prepare for CMMC 

CMMC compliance should not be perceived as merely passing an audit. It requires organizations to incorporate strong data security practices into their daily operations.  

The best approach involves: 

1️. Conducting a data inventory – Identifying where sensitive data resides, how it moves, and who has access. 

2. Automating data discovery and classification – Leveraging AI-driven solutions to locate and protect CUI effectively. 

3. Aligning security controls with CMMC requirements – Mapping existing cybersecurity strategies to the necessary compliance controls. 

4. Implementing continuous monitoring – Using data security platforms to detect policy violations, access anomalies, and potential risks in real time. 

How Concentric AI supports CMMC readiness 

Concentric AI’s AI-powered data security governance solution helps organizations get closer to CMMC compliance by providing four key functions that also improve their data security posture.  

With Concentric AI, organizations get: 

Automated data discovery: Detects and classifies CUI across structured and unstructured environments. 

Intelligent risk analysis: Identifies misclassified or overexposed data, minimizing insider threats and accidental leaks. 

Access control visibility: Flags excessive permissions, unauthorized sharing, and data movement risks. 

Ongoing compliance monitoring: Provides real-time insights to ensure continuous adherence to security frameworks. 

With Concentric AI, DoD contractors can reduce compliance complexity, speed up the certification process, and improve their overall data security. 

The Bottom Line 

CMMC is a critical compliance mandate for protecting national security data. With the growing complexity of modern IT environments, organizations must proactively secure their sensitive data by investing in automated data discovery, classification, and risk monitoring. 

For defense contractors, the best security strategy is one that goes beyond compliance—ensuring long-term resilience against cyber threats, data leaks, and unauthorized access. 

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