CMMC and NIST 800-171, written for operators.
Plain-English guides for small U.S. defense contractors. No "AI transformation" fluff, no $400/hr consultant jargon — just what the regulation says, what it costs, and what to do this week.
CMMC Level 1 vs Level 2: Which Do You Actually Need?
How to tell if your DoD contract requires CMMC Level 1 or Level 2 in under 5 minutes. The CUI test, the FCI-only test, and what happens if you guess wrong.
NIST 800-171: All 110 Controls in Plain English
The 14 control families of NIST 800-171 r2 explained without jargon. What each family means for a small defense contractor and how to scope the work.
DFARS 252.204-7012: A Plain-English Guide for Small Contractors
What DFARS 7012 actually requires: 72-hour incident reporting, FedRAMP Moderate Equivalent hosting, and the flow-down trap that catches subcontractors.
CMMC 2.0 Cost and Timeline for Small Defense Contractors (2026)
Real CMMC Level 2 cost ranges for sub-50-person shops, where the money actually goes, and a realistic 90/180/365-day timeline to a C3PAO assessment.
FedRAMP Moderate Equivalent vs Moderate: What CMMC Level 2 Actually Requires
DoD's December 2023 memo clarified that CSPs handling CUI must meet FedRAMP Moderate Equivalent — not full authorization. Here's what that means for AWS GovCloud, Azure Government, and your SSP.
SPRS Score Explained: How DoD Sees Your NIST 800-171 Posture
How the SPRS score is calculated (110 minus weighted deficits), what a negative score actually means, and how to post — and improve — yours before a prime asks.
GCC High vs AWS GovCloud: Which Should a Small Contractor Pick?
Microsoft GCC High and AWS GovCloud both meet FedRAMP Moderate for CUI. Here's the honest cost, productivity, and lock-in comparison for sub-50-person defense shops.
How to Choose a C3PAO for Your CMMC Level 2 Assessment
What a C3PAO is, how to verify they're authorized, what to ask before signing, realistic pricing, and the red flags that mean you should walk away.
Responding to a Prime's CMMC Flow-Down Letter (Template Inside)
Got a flow-down letter from a prime demanding CMMC Level 2? Here's how to read it, what's negotiable, and a plain-English response template that protects your contract.
How to Write a CMMC POA&M That a C3PAO Will Accept
Plain-English POA&M structure for NIST 800-171 gaps, what milestones DoD expects, and the 7 mistakes that get plans rejected.
System Security Plan (SSP) Template for Small Defense Contractors
What goes in a NIST 800-171 SSP, a section-by-section outline, and the boundary-diagram every C3PAO will ask for. Free structure you can paste into Word.
CUI Marking Guide: Banners, Portion Marks, and What DoD Actually Checks
How to mark Controlled Unclassified Information correctly: banner lines, portion marks, dissemination controls, and the email/file rules every defense contractor gets wrong.
DFARS 72-Hour Incident Report: What to File and How (with Template)
Step-by-step DIBNet incident report process under DFARS 252.204-7012, what counts as a 'cyber incident,' and a fill-in template you can keep on hand.
CMMC vs ISO 27001: Why ISO Doesn't Get You DoD Compliance
ISO 27001 and CMMC Level 2 overlap in concept but DoD does not accept ISO as a substitute. Here's the control overlap, the gaps, and how to leverage existing ISO work.
Free NIST 800-171 gap analysis
See where you stand on the 110 controls in under 10 minutes. No card, no sales call.
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