Data breach cases have become more common than we’d like. It is estimated that the attacks increase by 10% each year, costing businesses $4.9 million in 2024 alone. And from the trends, cyber-attacks don’t seem to be coming down soon. So, while no business expects the breaches, the time to act is now and stay safe from the ever-rising attacks.
Without strong security protocols, keeping data safe is a challenge. The government understands this and guides businesses handling sensitive government data through cybersecurity frameworks like CMMC. To become eligible for contracts with most federal agencies, your business must meet regulatory requirements. Before being certified, you must conduct audits to ensure the measures are strong enough to guarantee data protection.
Thankfully, qualified third-party assessors (C3PAO) assess the business’s readiness in their data security measures and policies for compliance. If you have an upcoming cybersecurity audit, here are essential steps for a smooth assessment.
1. Understand your CMMC Level and Requirements
As of 2025, there are three main maturity levels under the CMMC 2.0 model. They include:
- Level 1: Foundational – has 17 controls and requires no certification (self-assessed)
- Level 2: Advanced – This level follows 110 controls from NIST SP 800-171. Assessment is done by a third party for critical contracts, and self-assessment for others.
- Level 3: Expert – This level is based on NIST SP 800-172, and certification follows an assessment by DoD only.
So, it’s essential to determine your business’s CMMC level requirement and scope before finding a reputable C3PAO for evaluation. For level 2 compliance, you should comply with access control, accountability, audits, incident response, awareness and training, media protection, maintenance, and many more. Understand the requirements and familiarize yourself with them before the assessment.
2. Gather the Required Documentation
Preparing your documents is a vital preparatory step for the assessment. The primary documents that you should update and keep well include your government and policies documents, security procedures and records, as well as the technical controls that you use. Your C3PAO will need to ensure that you have documented your data security and protection controls, and that’s why it’s important to keep them in order.
3. Carry Out a Self-Assessment
You can assess yourself before the actual assessments start. The self-assessment helps you gauge your cybersecurity readiness to take the right steps to fill any gaps you might notice. One way to access you is to carry out a gap analysis.
You can outsource the assessment to a qualified consultant or do it on your own to know the current state of your business security. If you do it independently, submit your assessment results to SPRS as per the DoD to verify your compliance status.
4. Train Your Team
Training your team ahead of the assessment is smart and highly encouraged before doing the CMMC readiness test. It ensures that each one knows their role and prepares them to easily identify common security pitfalls and how to avoid security incidents. It also helps reduce human error that ends up causing breaches, as mistakes are overlooked.
Therefore, consider hiring a cybersecurity expert to train your employees prior to the assessment. Regular employee training isn’t just necessary for compliance’s sake; it does reduce risks. A robust security system instills more confidence when approaching authorities.
5. Find and Engage with the C3PAO Early Enough
Don’t wait until the last minute to engage a third-party CMMC assessor. The earlier you start the process, the better, because planning it often takes time. Finding a C3PAO who checks the boxes, is qualified, knowledgeable, and readily available can be tricky, depending on demand.
Although they are not permitted to offer formal readiness guidance, their network comes in handy. So, you want to work with an experienced person who knows the ‘why’ and ‘who.’ Once you make a pick, communicate early on what to expect during the assessment.
6. Be Organized
Preparing everything is crucial for a smooth assessment. It starts with keeping your office in order and ensuring everything from documents to systems needed during the audit is accessible. You can also make the assessor’s task easier and save time by properly labeling physical files.
Make sure your employees involved in the audit understand their roles as well. Usually, they might be needed to answer questions, retrieve documents, or offer technical access.
7. Continuously Monitor and Improve
Passing a cybersecurity readiness test doesn’t end with the C3PAO audit- it’s just the beginning. Attaining and maintaining certification is key to ensuring that your business is secure and that you can continue to win more deals. So, even after a successful audit, you should monitor your systems, identify gaps, and improve security controls. And don’t forget to document everything from policy and procedure changes to system updates. It helps you stay ready for upcoming audits.
Conclusion
Preparing for a C3PAO can seem overwhelming when unsure how to proceed. Not anymore! This guide provides powerful insights on preparing for a smooth and successful cybersecurity audit. Start by confirming the CMMC level, and then find a good C3PAO assessor to oversee the audit. Be sure to get the best, qualified, and reputable.
Keeping your office neat and organized also saves everyone’s stress, and once you’re done with the audit, be sure to monitor the systems regularly to position yourself for success in future assessments and, most importantly, enjoy long-term cybersecurity resilience.
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