The first step to learning about the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is to understand DoD’s mission. The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Accreditation Body, also known as the CMMC-AB, "establishes and oversees a qualified, trained, and high-fidelity community of assessors. CMMC-AB also manages the ecosystem and oversee all the entities that can deliver consistent and informative assessments to participating organizations against a defined set of controls/best practices within the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Program."

The CMMC Model is both created and managed by the Department of Defense (DoD). The CMMC-AB reviews and combines various trusted cybersecurity standards and best practices and uses them across several knowledge levels that range from basic cyber hygiene to advanced. The CMMC-AB manage the system that ensures OSCs implements recommended controls and processes for a given CMMC level to reduce risk against a specific set of cyber threats. This method aids in both compliance and security that is both cost-efficient and affordable for small businesses.

The CMMC stands by DoD’s mission to secure small businesses in an economically sound way that does not disregard proper compliance and security levels that have been proven to work against cyber attacks that threaten to hack and compromise important data. The CMMC provides a secure framework in which information, such as, FCI/CUI can be protected. The CMMC is evolving and has created pioneering ways to secure important information for small businesses that builds on proven existing frameworks and methods to secure important information while considering affordability and security at the same time.

If you are interested in bidding and serving DoD Contracts or if you are currently a federal contractor and want to continue serving federal contracts, CMMC certification allows your company to continue participation and bid on DoD contracts. Within the CMMC, there are Security Maturity level 1 through 5, five being the highest. Once your company gets CMMC certification, it will be good for up to 3 years.

It is highly recommended by the CMMC-AB that any contractors currently working on DoD contracts, or wanting to bid on them start the pre-assessment of their business security, practices & processes, and have plans to fix any defeciencies or vulnerabilities that are found. All DoD suppliers, and eventually all federal government suppliers will need to comply with the CMMC Certification requirements.