Beginning November 10, 2025, the Department of Defense (DoD) will begin incorporating Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) requirements into new and renewed contracts. Once those clauses appear, only contractors who can demonstrate active compliance will be eligible to bid or continue performing on DoD contracts. For defense contractors handling Federal Contract Information (FCI) or Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), CMMC readiness is no longer optional.
Understanding the Requirement
CMMC is the DoD’s unified standard for protecting sensitive data across its supply chain. It outlines three maturity levels:
- Level 1 – Foundational safeguards for FCI.
- Level 2 – Alignment with NIST 800-171, required for most contractors handling CUI.
- Level 3 – Advanced protections for critical national security programs.
Compliance involves implementing more than 110 security controls, documenting evidence, and undergoing an independent audit by a Certified Third-Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO). However, with limited C3PAO capacity, audits are already being scheduled into mid-to-late 2026. Contractors that delay risk missing their certification window—and losing future contract eligibility.
A Smarter Path to Certification
For many small and mid-sized businesses, CMMC preparation is a heavy lift, both financially and operationally. Abacus Technologies’ CMMC Fast Track Solution, powered by Lifeline Data Centers, provides a faster, easier, and more scalable approach. Instead of a year or more of preparation, Abacus helps organizations reach CMMC Level 2 readiness in four to six months—cutting the time in half and saving as much as a third of the cost of reaching compliance independently.
By leveraging Lifeline’s CMMC Level 2-certified, FedRAMP High-aligned, and EMP-protected infrastructure, Abacus clients inherit 60–90% of required controls on day one. Abacus then manages the remaining requirements—policy development, training, monitoring, documentation, and audit readiness—supported by its virtual CISO program.
Compliance for the Full Three-Year Cycle
CMMC certification lasts three years, but maintaining compliance requires continuous oversight and evidence management. Abacus removes that burden entirely, not only guiding you to certification but maintaining your compliance over the full lifecycle. This means you remain audit-ready at all times, without the extensive preparation period that typically precedes re-certification.
The CMMC Fast Track Solution scales seamlessly for contractors of any size, from small manufacturers to large defense suppliers, providing secure virtual desktop environments, 24/7 SOC monitoring, SIEM visibility, and full disaster recovery capabilities.
Abacus Technologies makes CMMC compliance simple, scalable, and sustainable—so you can focus on performance and growth, knowing your compliance is already built in.