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Practitioner-written CMMC compliance content

SSP, POA&M, NIST 800-171, DoD subcontractor compliance. Built by the people doing the work, not pricing it.

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Why Excel fails for CMMC Level 2

Excel is the default place small defense contractors start their CMMC Level 2 work. Six months in, it is also the biggest reason their C3PAO assessment slips. We break down the fou...

May 27, 2026 6 min read
nist-800-171 cmmc cmmc-level-2

NIST 800-171 Rev 2 vs Rev 3 explained

Both revisions are official. CMMC Level 2 is scored against Rev 2 today. We explain the four areas where Rev 3 is materially different, why DoD has not adopted it, and how to archi...

May 27, 2026 5 min read
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How to build an SSP without a consultant

CMMC consultants quote $8,000 to $45,000 to write your SSP. You do not need that. This is the founder-to-founder walkthrough of what an SSP actually is, the five sections assessors...

May 27, 2026 7 min read
cmmc-l2 cui scoping

CUI Scoping: Define Your CMMC L2 Boundary in an Afternoon

Learn how to define a tight CMMC Level 2 assessment boundary in three practical steps, why scoping is your highest-leverage decision, and the mistakes that turn a $40K assessment i...

May 26, 2026 8 min read
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How to Build a CMMC POAM That Survives a C3PAO Assessment

Learn what C3PAO assessors actually check in a CMMC Level 2 POAM, the five most common rejection reasons, POAM scoring caps, and a defensible entry template for small DoD subcontra...

May 26, 2026 8 min read
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NIST 800-171 Rev 3 vs Rev 2: What CMMC Subs Must Know

Rev 3 reshuffled 110 controls down to ~97 and added ODPs. Here's which revision applies to your contract, what actually changed, and how to migrate your SSP before Phase 2 hits.

May 26, 2026 8 min read
cmmc-l2 cui dod-contracts

Microsoft 365 Commercial vs GCC vs GCC High: Which Tenant Does Your DoD Contract Actually Require?

Not every defense contractor needs GCC High. This guide breaks down exactly which Microsoft 365 tenant — Commercial, GCC, or GCC High — maps to your contract type and CMMC level.

May 26, 2026 8 min read
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CMMC Phase 2 Begins November 10, 2026: What DoD Contractors Need to Do Now

On November 10, 2026, CMMC enters Phase 2: Level 2 contracts handling CUI will require C3PAO third-party certification. Here is what changes, the C3PAO bottleneck, and the four-ste...

May 26, 2026 3 min read

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#cmmc #cmmc-l2 #c3pao #dod-contracts #compliance-timeline #cui #microsoft-365 #gcc-high #nist-800-171 #ssp #cmmc-phase-2 #poam #scoping #assessment-prep #cmmc-level-2 #spreadsheet-grc #sprs #rev-3 #controls #system-security-plan

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