Defense Contractor Achieves CMMC Level 2 with SigmaSRC

A defense technology company achieved CMMC Level 2 certification in just 4 months, opening access to DoD contracts worth over $50 million.

Company Overview

Industry: Defense Technology Size: 150 employees Specialization: Aerospace systems engineering Challenge: CMMC Level 2 certification for DoD contracts

The Challenge

Situation

This aerospace engineering firm provides critical systems engineering services to defense prime contractors and directly to DoD programs. With CMMC requirements becoming mandatory for contract eligibility, they needed to achieve certification quickly or risk losing significant business.

Pain Points

Looming Deadline:

Key contracts requiring CMMC compliance
Competitors already certified
Risk of losing incumbent positions
Timeline pressure from prime contractors

Complex Requirements:

110 NIST 800-171 requirements
Limited understanding of CUI boundaries
Legacy systems with security gaps
Documentation not audit-ready

Resource Limitations:

Small IT team (3 people)
No dedicated compliance staff
Engineering focus, not compliance
Limited CMMC expertise

Business Impact

$50M+ in contracts at risk
Competitive disadvantage growing
Prime contractor pressure increasing
Potential loss of DoD market access

The Solution

Why SigmaSRC?

The company selected SigmaSRC after evaluating options because:

CMMC Expertise - Deep understanding of CMMC and NIST 800-171
Complete 110 Control Mapping - All NIST 800-171 requirements pre-mapped
SPRS Score Tracking - Built-in score calculation and tracking
CUI Boundary Documentation - Tools for defining and documenting CUI scope
C3PAO Preparation - Audit-ready evidence and documentation
Fast Implementation - Could meet aggressive timeline

Implementation

Month 1: Foundation

Scoping workshop to define CUI boundaries
Gap assessment against 110 NIST requirements
Initial SPRS score calculated
Integration with key systems:
- Microsoft 365 / Azure AD
- AWS GovCloud
- GitHub Enterprise
- CrowdStrike Falcon
- Jamf Pro

Month 2: Gap Remediation

High-priority gaps addressed first
Policy and procedure updates
System Security Plan (SSP) developed
Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) created
Technical controls implemented

Month 3: Hardening and Evidence

Control implementation verified
Evidence collection automated
SPRS score improved to target
Internal assessment conducted
Remediation of remaining gaps

Month 4: Assessment Preparation

C3PAO selected and engaged
Evidence packages prepared
Mock assessment conducted
Final remediation completed
Assessment passed

The Results

Compliance Achievements

Metric	Before SigmaSRC	After SigmaSRC
NIST 800-171 Controls Implemented	45%	100%
SPRS Score	32	110
Documentation Completeness	30%	100%
Evidence Automation	0%	85%
Assessment Readiness	Not ready	Certified

Business Outcomes

CMMC Level 2 Certification Successfully achieved CMMC Level 2 certification, verified by accredited C3PAO assessment.

$50M+ Contract Eligibility Now eligible to compete for and retain DoD contracts requiring CMMC Level 2 compliance.

Competitive Advantage One of the first companies in their niche to achieve certification, creating competitive differentiation.

Prime Contractor Confidence Prime contractors now view them as a lower-risk subcontractor due to verified compliance.

Key Capabilities Used

NIST 800-171 Complete Mapping

All 110 security requirements mapped
Control implementation tracking
Evidence linked to each requirement
Gap identification automated

SPRS Score Management

Real-time score calculation
Score improvement tracking
POA&M impact visualization
Historical score trending

System Security Plan

SSP template and guidance
Automated population of details
Control description documentation
Continuous SSP updates

CUI Boundary Documentation

Data flow mapping tools
System boundary definition
CUI asset tracking
Scope documentation

C3PAO Assessment Support

Evidence packages by requirement
Auditor collaboration portal
Interview preparation materials
Finding remediation tracking

Technical Implementation Highlights

Access Control (AC Family)

Implemented MFA across all systems
Deployed privileged access management
Configured role-based access control
Automated access reviews

Audit and Accountability (AU Family)

Centralized logging implemented
SIEM configured and tuned
Log retention policies established
Audit review procedures documented

System and Communications Protection (SC Family)

FIPS-validated encryption deployed
Network segmentation implemented
Boundary protections configured
Communication encryption verified

Testimonial

"We were facing a real business crisis—CMMC was going to determine whether we stayed in the defense market. SigmaSRC not only helped us achieve certification in record time, but gave us a sustainable compliance program we can maintain going forward. The investment paid for itself immediately."

— CEO

Lessons Learned

Success Factors

Executive Priority - CEO made CMMC the top company priority
Dedicated Resources - Temporarily assigned engineering staff to compliance
Clear Scope - Defined CUI boundaries early to limit assessment scope
Expert Guidance - Leveraged SigmaSRC expertise throughout
Continuous Monitoring - Maintained compliance, not just achieved it

Recommendations for Defense Contractors

Start CMMC preparation early—don't wait for contract requirements
Scope carefully—limiting CUI reduces compliance burden
Invest in proper documentation from the start
Use automation to maintain compliance sustainably
Consider enclave strategies to reduce scope

About SigmaSRC for Defense Contractors

SigmaSRC helps defense contractors:

Achieve CMMC Certification - Level 1, 2, and 3 support
Implement NIST 800-171 - Complete 110-control coverage
Track SPRS Scores - Real-time score management
Prepare for C3PAO - Audit-ready documentation
Maintain Compliance - Continuous monitoring

Learn More About Defense Solutions

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