CMMC Compliance: A Practical Guide for Defense Contractors

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program represents a significant shift in how defense contractors must approach cybersecurity. For small and medium businesses in the Defense Industrial Base (DIB), compliance can seem overwhelming.

What is CMMC?

CMMC is a unified standard for implementing cybersecurity across the defense supply chain. It consolidates various cybersecurity standards and best practices into a single framework with three levels of certification.

Why CMMC Matters

If you handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) or Federal Contract Information (FCI), CMMC compliance isn’t optional—it’s a requirement for bidding on DoD contracts.

The Three Levels

  • Level 1 (Foundational): Basic cyber hygiene practices
  • Level 2 (Advanced): Requires 110 security practices from NIST SP 800-171
  • Level 3 (Expert): Advanced practices to protect against sophisticated threats

Most defense contractors will need Level 2 compliance.

Common Challenges

Small businesses face several obstacles:

  • Limited cybersecurity expertise in-house
  • Cost of infrastructure upgrades
  • Documentation and policy requirements
  • Ongoing monitoring and assessment

XEnclave™: A Practical Solution

Our XEnclave™ platform was designed specifically to address these challenges. Instead of building compliance infrastructure from scratch, contractors can leverage our pre-certified environment to:

  • Isolate CUI in a compliant enclave
  • Reduce the scope of compliance efforts
  • Lower implementation costs
  • Maintain continuous compliance through Active Documentation™

Getting Started

  1. Assess your current state - Understand what CUI you handle
  2. Determine required level - Most need Level 2
  3. Scope your environment - Identify systems that process CUI
  4. Implement controls - Either build or leverage existing infrastructure
  5. Document everything - CMMC requires extensive documentation
  6. Get assessed - Work with a C3PAO for certification

The Bottom Line

CMMC compliance doesn’t have to be a business-ending expense. With the right approach and tools, small defense contractors can achieve certification while keeping costs manageable.

Contact Trexcel to learn how XEnclave™ can accelerate your path to CMMC compliance.