How To Get Started with CMMC: 7 Helpful Self-Assessment Tips

Preparing for CMMC certification can feel overwhelming, but the right approach makes the process manageable. These 7 essential self-assessment tips help businesses identify compliance gaps, strengthen security, and prepare for a smooth certification process.

What You'll Learn:

• How to evaluate your current cybersecurity posture
• Steps to ensure your organization is ready for CMMC certification
• When to seek expert guidance for compliance support

Why Start with a CMMC Self-Assessment?

Before pursuing CMMC certification, businesses should evaluate their current security posture. A self-assessment helps identify gaps in compliance, allowing organizations to correct deficiencies before an official audit.

Even companies requiring third-party assessments (C3PAO audits) can benefit from internal evaluations to ensure readiness. Below are 7 key self-assessment tips to help your business prepare effectively.

7 CMMC Self Assessment Tips

Tip #1: Identifying Your Required CMMC Level

Before assessing compliance, determine which CMMC level applies to your business:

Understanding your required level ensures your self-assessment focuses on the correct security requirements.

Tip #2: Review CMMC’s Core Security Controls

CMMC compliance is based on core security principles, such as:

• Access Controls: Restricting user access based on roles and permissions.
• Incident Response Plans: Having a clear process for handling security incidents.
• Data Encryption: Ensuring all CUI and sensitive data is encrypted.

Compare your current cybersecurity policies against these controls to identify areas that need improvement.

Tip #3: Conduct a Security Gap Analysis

A security gap analysis helps businesses identify compliance weaknesses by comparing current security practices with CMMC requirements.

A thorough gap analysis prevents last-minute surprises during certification. Working with a cybersecurity expert that specializes in CMMC compliance is recommended to ensure your gap assessment is as thorough as an official assessment. 

Tip #4: Strengthen Employee Cybersecurity Training

Many CMMC requirements focus on employee awareness and training. Businesses should:

• Implement annual security awareness training for all employees.
• Educate staff on phishing risks, password management, and access control.
• Ensure employees understand how to handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) properly.

Cybersecurity training reduces human error, which is one of the biggest risks in CMMC compliance.

Tip #5: Document Your Compliance Efforts

CMMC certification requires detailed documentation of security policies. Businesses should maintain:

• System Security Plan (SSP) – Outlining cybersecurity policies and procedures.
• Plan of Action & Milestones (POA&M) – Documenting any gaps and planned fixes.
• Incident Response Plan (IRP) – Defining response steps for cybersecurity incidents.

Proper documentation not only improves compliance readiness but also helps businesses stay organized for audits.

Tip #6: Test Your Cybersecurity Defenses

Performing internal security tests helps validate whether existing controls are effective.

• Run simulated phishing attacks to evaluate employee awareness.
• Conduct penetration testing to uncover security vulnerabilities.
• Review access control logs for any unauthorized system access attempts.

Testing security controls helps identify weaknesses before an official CMMC audit.

Tip #7: Determine If You Need External Compliance Support

While some businesses can manage CMMC compliance internally, others may benefit from expert guidance. Consider hiring:

• A CMMC consultant to conduct a pre-audit readiness assessment.
• A Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) to help implement required security controls.
• A Certified Third-Party Assessor (C3PAO) if your business requires a formal audit.

Seeking external compliance support can prevent costly mistakes and speed up the certification process.

In Summary: How to Get Started with CMMC Compliance

A self-assessment is the first step toward successful CMMC certification. By reviewing security controls, identifying compliance gaps, and strengthening cybersecurity policies, businesses can avoid last-minute surprises and reduce audit risks.

Key Takeaways:

• Know your required CMMC level before starting compliance efforts.
• Conduct a security gap analysis to identify compliance weaknesses.
• Employee training and security documentation are critical to passing audits.
• Testing security controls and seeking expert guidance can improve compliance readiness.