Plain English · primary sources · no email gates
CMMC Readiness Guides
The questions defense contractors and subcontractors actually ask, answered first — with the numbers, the rule citations (32 CFR 170, NIST SP 800-171, the DoD Assessment Methodology), and free downloadable templates where they help.
NIST 800-171 SSP template
What an SSP must contain per 3.12.4, what assessors flag first, and a free blank template (Markdown or Word) — no email gate.
Read the guide →POA&M template (NIST 800-171)
The 32 CFR 170.21 eligibility rules — 88-point minimum, the never-eligible six, the 180-day clock — plus a worked example and a free blank template.
Read the guide →CMMC Level 2 cost
Real price bands by path — self-serve software, consultant-led, enclave route — with the C3PAO assessment fee separated out honestly.
Read the guide →CMMC Level 1 vs Level 2
The decision rule (FCI → Level 1, CUI → Level 2), a side-by-side comparison table, and a 2-minute quiz that tells you which one you need.
Read the guide →DFARS 252.204-7012 explained
Just got the clause in a contract? The three duties it imposes — safeguard, 72-hour reporting, flow-down — in plain English, plus your first-week action list.
Read the guide →Do I need CMMC certification?
Whether CMMC applies to you, which level, and the part most people miss — self-assessment vs a third-party C3PAO certification — plus four myths that catch contractors out.
Read the guide →CMMC Level 2 requirements (all 110)
Every NIST SP 800-171 Rev 2 requirement grouped by the 14 families, with each control’s SPRS point value, Level 1 membership, and POA&M eligibility — a free, searchable explorer.
Read the guide →DFARS 252.204-7021 explained
The clause that makes CMMC a condition of contract award — what it requires, how it differs from 7012/7019/7020, and what to do when a solicitation carries it.
Read the guide →New guides ship weekly. Every regulatory claim on these pages traces to a primary source — 32 CFR 170, NIST SP 800-171 Rev 2, the DoD Assessment Methodology v1.2.1 — re-verified at least monthly.
Reading is step zero. Your score is step one.
The free assessment computes your SPRS score with the exact DoD methodology and shows which gaps are POA&M-eligible and which must be fixed first.
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