CMMC Advisory Services

We know what
assessors look for.

Most contractors don't know what they don't know. Our advisors have been inside C3PAO assessments, on both sides. We know what documentation holds up under scrutiny and what fails on day one, and we help you close the gap before your assessor finds it.

1% of DIB contractors are fully prepared for a C3PAO assessment
69% claim DFARS compliance; only a fraction meet third-party standards
110 NIST SP 800-171 requirements, every one documented and defensible
14 CMMC domains, with every control mapped to its evidence

Know exactly where you stand.

Before you can fix your compliance posture, you need an honest picture of it, not a self-assessment optimized to look good, but a structured review against what C3PAO assessors actually verify. We measure your current environment, documentation, and controls against all 110 NIST SP 800-171 requirements and hand you a prioritized gap report. This is not a compliance checksheet. It's an honest assessment from people who know what passing looks like.

Environment review

We map your CUI data flows, in-scope assets, and system boundaries, identifying where your CMMC boundary actually is versus where you think it is.

110-requirement analysis

Every NIST SP 800-171 requirement reviewed against your actual implementation, not self-reported status. We document what holds up and what doesn't.

SPRS score calculation

Your honest SPRS score based on actual implementation, not what you've posted. We show you the delta and the point-weighted path to improvement.

Prioritized gap report

A written report with every gap categorized by SPRS impact and POA&M eligibility, a clear remediation roadmap before assessment day.

Schedule a gap assessment

Documentation that holds up under scrutiny.

The System Security Plan is the first document your C3PAO assessor reads. A generic SSP, one that reads like a template rather than a document about your organization, puts you behind before the assessment begins. We review your SSP against the evidentiary standard assessors apply and identify every statement that will generate a finding, so you can fix it before your assessor sees it.

Statement-by-statement review

Every implementation statement in your SSP evaluated against the CMMC Assessment Guide, the same document your C3PAO assessor follows.

Evidence gap identification

For each requirement, we identify what evidence an assessor will ask for and whether your current artifacts actually satisfy it.

POA&M credibility review

Open POA&M items reviewed for realistic timelines, credible interim mitigations, and named ownership, the attributes that make a POA&M defensible.

Rewrite recommendations

Specific, written recommendations for every statement that won't survive assessment, not vague guidance, but concrete language you can implement.

Get your SSP reviewed

No surprises on assessment day.

A C3PAO assessment is not a documentation review. It's a structured verification process, interviews with personnel, examination of system configurations, and observation of controls in operation. Our assessment prep engagements put your team through the process before your assessor does, using the actual CMMC Assessment Guide questions, so you arrive with no surprises.

Mock assessment interviews

We interview your personnel using the exact questions C3PAO assessors ask, domain by domain, and identify gaps between what people say and what the documentation claims.

Evidence walkthrough

For every in-scope requirement, we walk through the evidence you'd produce on assessment day, verifying it's accessible, organized, and actually satisfies the objective.

Control observation

We observe your security controls in operation, watching how access controls, audit logging, configuration management, and incident response actually function.

Pre-assessment findings report

A written findings report with every issue we identified, the same report your C3PAO assessor would write, delivered before your assessment so you can fix it first.

Schedule assessment prep

How we engage.

No sales process. An honest conversation about where you are and what you actually need, followed by written deliverables you own.

01
Initial conversation

We talk through your current posture, contract situation, and timeline. An honest conversation about where you are and what you actually need.

02
Scoping and planning

We define your CUI boundary, identify which advisory services apply to your situation, and agree on a realistic engagement scope and timeline.

03
Advisory engagement

We conduct the work, whether gap assessment, SSP review, or assessment prep, on-site or remotely depending on your environment and preferences.

04
Written deliverables

Every engagement produces written deliverables: gap reports, SSP recommendations, and findings reports that you own and can act on immediately.

Who advisory services are for.

Contractors approaching a C3PAO assessment

If your assessment is scheduled or imminent, pre-assessment prep is the highest-value engagement we offer. Organizations that go through a structured prep arrive without surprises.

Organizations with existing documentation

If you have an SSP and policies but aren't certain they'll hold up, an SSP review gives you an honest answer before your assessor does, with time to fix what's wrong.

Contractors starting from scratch

If you don't know where to start, a gap assessment establishes your baseline, a clear picture of where you are and a prioritized path to where you need to be.

Primes screening their supply chain

If you're a prime responsible for CMMC flow-down and need to assess subcontractor posture, we can conduct structured assessments of your supply chain.

Organizations with a failed assessment

If you received findings from a C3PAO assessment, we help you understand what assessors cited, build a credible POA&M, and remediate before your next assessment.

MSPs serving DIB clients

If you're an MSP managing compliance for defense contractor clients, we provide advisory support that complements your technical services with CMMC-specific expertise.

Your SSP. Not a template.

1TEN generates your System Security Plan from your actual documented control implementations. C3PAO-ready.

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