A U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) cybersecurity compliance framework that establishes the security requirements contractors must meet to protect Federal Contract Information (FCI) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). Under the CMMC 2.0 model, contractors are assessed at one of three levels based on the sensitivity of the information they handle: Level 1 requires basic cybersecurity practices for FCI and annual self-assessments; Level 2 aligns with the 110 security requirements of NIST SP 800-171 for CUI and generally requires third-party certification or, in limited cases, self-assessment; and Level 3 adds selected requirements from NIST SP 800-172 for the DoD’s highest-priority programs and requires government-led assessments. As CMMC requirements are incorporated into DoD solicitations and contracts, the appropriate CMMC level becomes a condition of contract award and continued performance.
Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC)
A US Department of Defense cybersecurity framework setting the security levels contractors must meet to protect FCI and CUI.
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Thirty to forty questions. Sometimes a hundred. Capabilities, features, integrations, data handling, FAR and DFARS compliance, export controls, FedRAMP, CMMC, NIST. Almost every answer already exists somewhere in your organisation, written well, reviewed, and approved. The work is not thinking. The work is finding the good version of an answer you have written eleven times before, and rewriting it to fit the way this buyer asked the question.
An independent 3PAO auditor and VisibleThread founders explain CMMC, FedRAMP, and compliance deployment options for federal contractors.
Layer on Davis-Bacon wage provisions, DBE and MBE participation goals, Buy America requirements on federally funded infrastructure, and CUI handling on defense installations, and the document burden bears no resemblance to a commercial RFP. Most proposal software was built to answer questionnaires. AEC teams must dissect solicitations, demonstrate compliance, and carry commitments into delivery.
Related Glossary Terms
The official compilation of permanent U.S. federal laws, providing the statutory basis for many contracting requirements.
A global classification system used to categorize products and services for procurement and spend analysis.
A unique 12-character identifier assigned via SAM.gov to organizations doing business with the federal government, replacing the DUNS number.
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