Identify Gaps. Fix What Matters.

Struggling to meet SOC 2, ISO 27001, or NIST 800-171 requirements? Our Gap Assessment helps you pinpoint weaknesses, eliminate inefficiencies, and ensure a smooth path to compliance. We evaluate your current security posture, identify areas for improvement, and provide clear, actionable steps—so you can reduce audit fatigue and stay ahead of evolving standards.

Stay Audit-Ready

CMMC Compliance Without the Chaos

CMMC Level 2 certification is mandatory for defense contractors and the clock is ticking. Security Ideals prepares your organization for assessment with evidence quality that makes auditors say "this is the best we've seen."

Start Your CMMC Readiness Assessment

Defense Contractor Specialists
Years of experience preparing DIB companies for CMMC Level 2 assessments. We know NIST 800-171 inside and out.

C3PAO-Ready Preparation
We prepare clients to the standards C3PAO assessors expect with organized evidence and audit-ready controls.

Evidence That Passes
Our evidence packages consistently get assessments completed in 30 minutes instead of 2-hour blocks.

Why CMMC Matters Now

The Department of Defense is phasing CMMC requirements into contracts throughout 2025 and 2026. If you handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), CMMC Level 2 certification isn't optional, it's a contract requirement.

110 Controls to Prove

CMMC Level 2 maps to all 110 NIST SP 800-171 controls. Most organizations have significant gaps they don't know about until assessment day.

Failed Assessments are Expensive

Organizations that fail waste months and hundreds of thousands of dollars on remediation and re-assessment fees.

Evidence Quality Determines Outcomes

No AI system inventory, risk assessment, or answers when customers and regulators start asking questions.

The Process:

From Assessment to CMMC Certification

Assessment & Enclave Design

Evaluate your current security posture against all 110 NIST 800-171 controls and design CUI enclaves that minimize your assessment boundary. You get a control-by-control gap analysis, POA&M, network segmentation design, and prioritized remediation roadmap with cost estimates.

(3-4 weeks)

Control Implementation & Remediation

Implement missing security controls: policies, procedures, security tools, MFA, logging, monitoring, and incident response. We right-size solutions for your organization and focus on what will pass C3PAO scrutiny.

(3-6 months)

Evidence Collection & Organization

Build evidence packages so well-organized that assessors complete sessions in under 30 minutes instead of 2-hour blocks. This is where most organizations fail; not because controls don't exist, but because they can't prove it.

(ongoing during implementation)

Assessment Preparation

Prepare your team for what C3PAO assessors will ask, how to present evidence, and how to handle findings. We conduct internal readiness reviews to catch issues before the official assessment.

(2-4 weeks before assessment)

C3PAO Assessment Support

Official CMMC Level 2 assessment conducted by the chosen C3PAO. Security Ideals provides support throughout to keep things on track.

(1-2 weeks)

Ongoing Maintenance

CMMC requires annual assessments. We help you maintain certification posture with quarterly compliance checks, policy updates, and evidence collection between assessments.

(annual)

The A-LIGN Partnership

Security Ideals partners with A-LIGN, one of the leading C3PAOs (Certified Third-Party Assessment Organizations) authorized to conduct CMMC assessments. Our co-delivery model creates a seamless experience:

Security Ideals prepares you → Gap assessment, remediation, control implementation, evidence organization, and audit readiness.
A-LIGN assesses you → Official CMMC Level 2 assessment conducted by authorized C3PAO assessors.
You get a seamless experience → No handoff confusion, no conflicting guidance, no surprises on assessment day.

Who Benefits from CMMC Preparation?

We work with defense contractors and DIB companies that need CMMC Level 2 certification to maintain or expand their government contract portfolio.

Defense prime contractors and subcontractors handling CUI
Companies in the Defense Industrial Base preparing for first-time CMMC Level 2 certification
Organizations that failed a previous CMMC assessment and need remediation
Companies expanding into government contracts that require CMMC compliance
Organizations with tight timelines who have contract awards or renewals pending on CMMC certification

Common Questions

What's the difference between CMMC Level 1 and Level 2?

CMMC Level 1 (17 controls) is self-attestation only, no third-party assessment required.

CMMC Level 2 (110 controls, mapped to NIST 800-171) requires a C3PAO assessment. Most defense contractors handling CUI will need Level 2.

How long does it take to get CMMC certified?

For organizations starting from scratch: 6-12 months for gap remediation plus 1-2 weeks for the actual C3PAO assessment. Organizations with mature NIST 800-171 programs can move faster, sometimes 3-6 months.

What does a CMMC assessment cost?

C3PAO assessment fees typically range from $30,000 to $100,000+ depending on organization size and systems in scope. Preparation costs (gap remediation, tools, consulting) vary widely—anywhere from $50,000 to $500,000+. Smart enclave design significantly reduces both.

Do we need to put all our systems in scope for CMMC?

No—only systems that process, store, or transmit CUI need to be in scope. Proper enclave design isolates CUI to a defined network boundary, keeping non-CUI systems out of scope. This dramatically reduces assessment scope and ongoing compliance burden.

Gap Assessment Process

A gap assessment is a systematic evaluation designed to identify the differences between an organization’s current information security practices and the requirements of a specific compliance framework. The process typically involves the following steps:

Define Scope and Objectives

Determine the specific compliance framework(s) to be assessed (e.g., SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST 800-171, CMMC, GDPR, CCPA, etc.)
Identify the key objectives and outcomes desired from the assessment.

Collect Information

Gather relevant documentation, policies, procedures, and records.
Security Ideals CISO's will conduct interviews with key personnel to understand current practices and controls.
Provide actionable recommendations to address identified gaps.
Prioritize recommendations based on risk and organizational priorities.

Review and Analyze

Our CISO's will compare current practices against the requirements of the chosen compliance framework.
Security Ideals will identify areas where the organization meets the requirements and where there are gaps.
Security Ideals will provide a detailed report outlining the assessment findings, identified gaps, and recommended actions.

Compliance Experience — Our CISOs are highly experienced in navigating complex compliance landscapes. With extensive backgrounds in implementing and managing compliance frameworks such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST 800-171, GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and more, they ensure that your organization meets the highest standards of information security. Leveraging their deep expertise, our CISOs provide strategic guidance and practical solutions to help you achieve and maintain compliance seamlessly and efficiently.

Why Conduct a Gap Assessment?

At Security Ideals, our vCISOs personally conduct all Gap Assessments, ensuring direct access to information security experts. You’ll never have to go through a customer service representative or project manager to get the expert analysis and guidance you need.

Is a Gap Assessment Really Necessary?

A gap assessment is essential before conducting an audit to prevent potential failure and avoid wasting money.

Here’s why:

Identify Deficiencies: A gap assessment helps identify deficiencies in your current information security practices compared to the compliance requirements. This allows you to address issues proactively rather than discovering them during the audit.
Save Time and Resources: By identifying and rectifying gaps beforehand, you can streamline the audit process, making it more efficient and less time-consuming. This preparation reduces the likelihood of costly re-audits and remediation efforts after a failed audit.
Enhance Readiness: A thorough gap assessment ensures that your organization is fully prepared for the audit, with all necessary controls and processes in place. This readiness increases your chances of passing the audit on the first attempt.
Mitigate Risks: Addressing gaps before the audit helps mitigate risks associated with non-compliance, such as legal penalties, reputational damage, and financial losses.
Cost-Effective: Investing in a gap assessment upfront is cost-effective compared to the potential expenses of failing an audit and having to undergo extensive corrective actions and re-audits.

Which frameworks + guidelines does Security Ideals work with?

1. SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2)
2. ISO 27001 (Information Security Management Systems)
3. NIST 800-171 (Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Non-Federal Systems and Organizations)
4. GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
5. HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
6. PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)
7. CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification)
8. FISMA (Federal Information Security Management Act)
9. SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley Act)
10. ISO 9001 (Quality Management Systems)
11. ISO 22301 (Business Continuity Management Systems)
12. NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF)
13. NERC CIP (North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection)
14. GLBA (Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act)
15. FFIEC IT Examination Handbook (Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council)
16. COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies)
17. ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library)
18. HITRUST CSF (Health Information Trust Alliance Common Security Framework)
19. FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program)
20. CSA STAR (Cloud Security Alliance Security, Trust & Assurance Registry)
21. ISO 31000 (Risk Management)
22. ISO 20000 (IT Service Management)
23. ISO 14001 (Environmental Management Systems)
24. CobiT (Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies)
25. Basel II/III (International Regulatory Framework for Banks)
26. NYDFS Cybersecurity Regulation (New York Department of Financial Services)
27. MAS TRM (Monetary Authority of Singapore Technology Risk Management)
28. BSA/AML (Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering)
29. CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act)
30. ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems)
31. Australian Government Information Security Manual (ISM)
32. CIS Controls (Center for Internet Security Controls)
33. Cyber Essentials (UK)
34. PDPA (Personal Data Protection Act - Singapore)
35. LGPD (Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados - Brazil)
36. PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act - Canada)
37. Cybersecurity Law of the People's Republic of China
38. TISAX (Trusted Information Security Assessment Exchange - Automotive Industry)
39. AICPA SOC for Cybersecurity
40. FFIEC Cybersecurity Assessment Tool (CAT)
41. Japan’s Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI)
42. Singapore MAS Technology Risk Management Guidelines (MAS TRMG)
43. SWIFT Customer Security Programme (CSP)
44. National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF)
45. ISA/IEC 62443 (Industrial Automation and Control Systems Security)
46. ENISA (European Union Agency for Cybersecurity) Guidelines
47. ANSSI (Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d'information) Cybersecurity Standards
48. ISO 28000 (Supply Chain Security Management Systems)

This comprehensive list covers a wide range of industries and regulatory environments, ensuring that organizations can find the appropriate framework for their specific compliance needs. If you don't see your specific framework, law, or guideline listed, please reach out to us via our Contact Page. Our experienced CISOs work across many verticals and can address bespoke requirements not listed here.