CMMC Compliance Accelerator Program (CAP)

Built for Simplicity, Backed by Expertise

When you purchase Drata for CMMC, you gain access to BARR Advisory’s Compliance Accelerator Program (CAP), designed to fast-track your compliance journey by providing a clear, streamlined, and expert-led path to CMMC certification.

We leverage our deep experience in cybersecurity engineering and federal compliance frameworks to save you 60+ hours of internal effort, giving you direct access to CMMC consultants ready to support a full gap analysis, seamless Drata implementation, and more.

You don’t just gain a partner—you gain a trusted advisor who understands your environment, providing continuity throughout your entire CMMC journey.

How It Works: BARR’s CMMC Compliance Accelerator Program

Phase 1: CMMC CAP Kickoff

We’ll collaborate to establish roles and responsibilities, develop a comprehensive project plan, clarify the timeline for setting up Drata, complete an architecture review and policy review, and provide recommendations on next steps.

Phase 2: Drata Health Check

We quickly initialize your Drata tenant, provisioning all necessary users and carefully aligning your Drata Health Check to your IT architecture and CMMC scope. This allows us to establish initial evidence automations to begin measuring compliance against your current-state environment right away.

Phase 3: Cyber Policy Review

Our team conducts a focused review of your existing policy documentation against CMMC specifications. We assist in uploading appropriate policies into Drata to support control implementation, and if we identify any policy gaps, we provide concrete recommendations for correction.

Phase 4: Identify FCI/CUI Framework

Our team thoroughly maps your current business architecture and identifies all locations and flows of Federal Contract Information (FCI) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), allowing us to accurately define your CMMC scope. Afterward, your team will have a clear understanding of exactly what CMMC requirements you are obligated to address.

Next Steps: Build, Assess, and Sustain

By the end of CAP, BARR knows your environment, your data flows, and your use of Drata. When you’re ready for a full gap analysis, implementation support, or an enclave build, you’re not starting from scratch—you’re working with a partner who already understands your business so we can hit the ground running.

After your CAP is complete, BARR is available to support through:

- Continuous monitoring
- Maintenance of assessment-ready posture for annual reviews
- CMMC assessment support
- Engagement with your C3PAO

Why BARR for CMMC Compliance?

We save you 60+ hours of internal effort by helping you quickly define CMMC scope and readiness—and avoid critical mistakes in the certification process.

Our team has 12+ years experience helping clients achieve federal, state, and local government compliance.

We leverage our deep experience in compliance automation to ensure you correctly configure Drata from the start—no trial-and-error required.

We offer comprehensive CMMC consulting services for every phase of the compliance journey, from pre-assessment to post-certification.

Our solutions are tailored to secure contracts and position your business for long-term success.

We provide one-on-one guidance to put you on the path to success—whether that means remediating existing systems or building a dedicated enclave.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does CMMC compliance mean?

The DoW works with a network of tens of thousands of private companies that collectively make up the defense industrial base (DIB). These companies handle sensitive government information, and if that data falls into the wrong hands, it could threaten national security. To mitigate this risk, CMMC was developed to ensure all DoW contractors follow cybersecurity best practices based on the level of risk their work involves.

CMMC was specifically designed to protect two types of sensitive information:

Federal Contract Information (FCI): This includes communications related to government contracts, such as contract details, RFPs, and other collaborative documents.
Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI): This includes sensitive but unclassified government information, such as technical schematics, research data, and procedural documents. While not technically classified as “secret” or “top-secret,” CUI still presents a national security risk if exposed.

By enforcing cybersecurity maturity across the DIB, CMMC ensures that companies working with the U.S. military take cybersecurity seriously.

Who needs CMMC compliance?

CMMC compliance is required for all defense contractors and subcontractors in the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) who work with the Department of Defense (DoW). This includes organizations that handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) or Federal Contract Information (FCI). Achieving CMMC compliance ensures these organizations meet the necessary cybersecurity and data protection standards outlined by the DoW to safeguard sensitive information and maintain eligibility for defense contracts.

What is a CMMC consultant?

A CMMC consultant is an expert who specializes in guiding organizations through the process of achieving CMMC compliance. They provide services such as readiness assessments, gap analysis, and remediation planning to ensure that contractors meet the required security framework standards and are prepared for an official CMMC audit. BARR’s expert CMMC consultants are experienced in guiding clients through their CMMC compliance journey. Our team assists clients with a full range of CMMC consulting needs, from pre-assessment to post-certification.

Is NIST 800-171 the same as CMMC?

No, while the two are related, NIST 800-171 and CMMC are not the same. NIST 800-171 is a voluntary framework that outline cybersecurity best practices for protecting CUI. CMMC uses NIST 800-171 as a baseline, building the best practices and additional requirements into a tiered maturity model. CMMC also requires third-party assessments by a Certified Third-Party Assessor Organization (C3PAO) to ensure compliance.

What are the three levels of CMMC compliance?

The CMMC framework establishes three levels of compliance, each incorporating security requirements from existing regulations and guidelines:

Level 1 requires organizations to complete an annual self-assessment and an annual affirmation of compliance with the 15 security requirements outlined in FAR clause 52.204-21.
Level 2 requires an annual affirmation and verification of compliance with the 110 security requirements in NIST SP 800-171. Organizations at this level must also undergo a self-assessment or external assessment by a CMMC Third-Party Assessor Organization (C3PAO) every three years, depending on what the DoW requires in their contract.
Level 3 requires organizations to undergo an assessment every three years by the Defense Contract Management Agency’s Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Assessment Center (DIBCAC). Organizations at this level must also provide an annual affirmation verifying compliance with the 24 identified requirements from NIST SP 800-172, which expand on the requirements outlined in NIST SP 800-171.

How do I start the CMMC compliance process?

Even if you don’t yet have a government contract, beginning the CMMC readiness process now—including conducting a gap assessment and understanding how your environment aligns with the DoW’s requirements—can help you secure future opportunities.

With deep expertise in cybersecurity and government contracting, BARR Advisory simplifies the CMMC process with end-to-end consulting, including gap analysis, implementation support, and ongoing compliance maintenance. Our expert CMMC consultants guide you every step of the way, helping you meet DoW standards and grow your government contracting opportunities.

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