Get ahead of DoD cybersecurity requirements.
At CyberFoundry, we help defense contractors and suppliers build cybersecurity programs that are credible, compliant, and ready to be assessed. The Department of Defense requires all members of the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) to meet the standards in DFARS 252.204-7012/7019/7020/7021 and the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). These aren’t optional IT checklists — they are binding contract terms that directly affect your ability to win and keep DoD business.
Our services guide you through every stage: from mapping your current practices against NIST SP 800-171, to building the policies and technical controls you’ll need, to preparing for third-party CMMC Level 2 assessments. Most companies with a preexisting program still require 12–24 months to become fully assessment-ready. Starting early avoids costly delays, contract risk, and last-minute fire drills.
Resources for Your CMMC Journey
To support your path to compliance, we’ve created a library of practical resources designed for business leaders and technical teams alike. Here you’ll find executive briefs that explain requirements in plain language, scoping checklists to define your assessment boundary, and evidence templates that prepare you for assessors. These resources are designed to highlight where you stand today, what gaps remain, and how to build a realistic timeline toward certification. Whether you’re at Level 1 (FCI) or Level 2 (CUI), the right resources will save you time, reduce uncertainty, and give you a clear roadmap toward compliance.
CMMC Executive Summary
The Department of Defense (DoD) has embedded a set of cybersecurity clauses into every defense contract. These clauses are not optional IT requirements — they are binding contract terms with direct impact on revenue, cost, and eligibility for future awards.
Together, DFARS 252.204-7012, 7019, 7020, and 7021 form a phased progression:
- 7012 (Today): You must already safeguard Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) using NIST SP 800-171 and report cyber incidents to DoD within 72 hours. This is a current contractual obligation, enforceable now.
- 7019 (Today): You cannot win new DoD work unless you have a current cybersecurity score (SPRS) on record. This score is based on your implementation of NIST SP 800-171.
- 7020 (Today): DoD has the right to audit your systems and verify your score. Subcontractors must also have scores on file.
- 7021 (Starting Nov 2025): You must hold an official CMMC certification (third-party validated) to receive contracts. Self-attestation will no longer be enough.
Why CEOs and CFOs should care
- Revenue risk: Without compliance, your company will be ineligible for new DoD awards. This can cut off critical revenue streams.
- Cost exposure: Non-compliance discovered mid-contract can create delays, re-competition, or termination, with associated financial penalties.
- Budgeting: Achieving compliance requires investment in people, process, and technology. Early budgeting avoids last-minute remediation costs and lost opportunities.
Why CIOs and CISOs should care
- Operational risk: You must implement and maintain all 110 controls of NIST SP 800-171 and prepare for formal third-party audits.
- Incident readiness: You must be capable of detecting, reporting, and preserving evidence for cyber incidents within 72 hours.
- Supply chain risk: Subs and partners must also be compliant. Weak links in your supply chain can disqualify you or increase oversight.
Bottom Line
This is not just an IT issue — it is a business survival issue for any company in the Defense Industrial Base. Leadership must understand that:
- These clauses are already in effect and apply to current contracts (not just future ones).
- Compliance gaps today create scope uncertainty, audit risk, and contract delays tomorrow.
- Preparing now for CMMC certification is significantly less expensive than scrambling later under contract pressure.
Reading and acting on this document is essential for protecting both DoD revenue streams and your organization’s long-term position in the defense supply chain.
CMMC 2.0 Level 2 Pre-Assessment Scoping Exercise
Start Here: Your First Step Toward CMMC Readiness
If you’re preparing for CMMC compliance, this is where your journey begins. Our CMMC 2.0 Level 2 Pre-Assessment Scoping Exercise is designed to give you and your leadership team a clear picture of what CMMC means for your business, how broad your assessment scope may be, and what evidence you’ll need to gather before engaging a third-party assessor.
This document will help you quickly identify whether you handle FCI (Level 1) or CUI (Level 2), highlight gaps in your current compliance posture, and set expectations for the evidence required to formally become an Organization Seeking Certification (OSC). Most companies — even those with mature programs — require 12–24 months of work to be fully assessment-ready, so starting here ensures you don’t lose valuable time.
Download the guide, review the questions, and use it as your roadmap to scope definition. From there, CyberFoundry will partner with you to close gaps, streamline your program, and build the documentation needed to succeed when it’s time for your official CMMC assessment.
CMMC 2.0 Level 2 Pre-Assessment Data Flow Diagram Questions
When and How to Use the CMMC Data Flow Diagram Questionnaire
If your organization handles Federal Contract Information (FCI) or Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), the road to CMMC 2.0 compliance starts with a clear understanding of where that data lives, how it flows, and who touches it. One of the most effective tools for this is a data flow diagram — but before you can draw the picture, you need the facts.
That’s where our CMMC Pre-Engagement Data Flow Diagram Questions come in.
This document is designed to guide you through the scoping process: gathering the contract details, system boundaries, user access, and third-party relationships that define your compliance obligations. By answering these questions up front, you will:
- Establish which contracts and data types put you in scope.
- Identify the people, processes, and systems that interact with FCI/CUI.
- Clarify your role as prime contractor or subcontractor, and understand your flow-down obligations.
- Document retention, destruction, and incident reporting requirements that may be hidden in the fine print.
- Build a defensible foundation for your CMMC readiness, gap analysis, and eventual assessment.
When to Use This Document
- Before starting a CMMC readiness project — to define scope and avoid wasted effort.
- Before engaging with an assessor — so you can explain your environment with clarity.
- Whenever you receive a new DoD contract or subcontract — to determine if obligations or scope have changed.
How to Use It
- Share the questionnaire with your contracts manager, IT/security lead, and compliance officer.
- Collect input across teams to ensure no data flow or clause is overlooked.
- Use the responses to build your data flow diagram — a visual map that supports both internal understanding and external assessment.
In short, this document is both a checklist and a conversation starter. It ensures your organization knows what’s in scope, where sensitive data flows, and how compliance responsibilities are distributed across your enterprise and supply chain.
CMMC 2.0 Level 2 Pre-Assessment Inventory
Before an organization can prove compliance with CMMC 2.0 Level 2, it must first define scope: which contracts, systems, applications, users, vendors, and data flows are in play when handling Federal Contract Information (FCI) or Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). Getting this wrong means wasted effort, hidden gaps, or scope creep that drags the project off course.
That’s why, during every engagement, we begin with a Pre-Assessment Data Inventory Spreadsheet.
Why This Spreadsheet Comes First
The spreadsheet is the foundation for your CMMC journey. We use it in the pre-assessment phase to:
- Document all systems, contracts, and data flows that might be in scope.
- Clarify your role (prime vs. subcontractor) and flow-down obligations.
- Capture how FCI and CUI enter, move through, and leave your environment.
- Build a sustainable record that will ultimately form part of your official Level 2 Assessment Scope Document.
In short: before we can evaluate your cybersecurity posture or map gaps against NIST 800-171, we must know exactly what’s inside the fence line.
How We Use It Together
Here’s how the spreadsheet fits into the pre-assessment process:
- Client Input – You complete the spreadsheet tabs with information about your contracts, systems, applications, facilities, users, and data flows. Each tab has clear instructions so your team knows what’s needed.
- Scoping Review – We review your entries, validate them against contract requirements, and confirm which items fall inside the official CMMC boundary.
- Scope Document Creation – We take this inventory and develop your formal CMMC Level 2 Assessment Scope Document, which defines the OSC (Organization Seeking Certification) boundary.
- Posture Evaluation – Once scope is locked, we evaluate your current posture against CMMC requirements and identify gaps to be remediated.
- Sustaining Evidence – The spreadsheet itself becomes a living document, updated as contracts or systems change, and serves as part of your final evidence package for assessors.
Benefits for Your Organization
- Clarity – You’ll know exactly what contracts, systems, and flows are in scope before spending time on remediation.
- Efficiency – Avoid wasted effort on out-of-scope assets.
- Confidence – Show assessors that your scope was determined systematically and documented from day one.
- Sustainability – Maintain a single source of truth for contracts, systems, and data throughout your CMMC lifecycle.
The CMMC journey starts with scope. This spreadsheet ensures that scope is defined, documented, and defensible — before we move on to posture evaluation and gap analysis.
Public Resources
CMMC 2.0 Level 2 Scoping Guide
CMMC 2.0 Level 2 Assessment Guide
NIST SP800-171 Revision 2, NIST SP800-171A