Embedded CMMC Compliance Specialists
Hire US-Based Senior CMMC Readiness Consultants and Technology Compliance Specialists
CMMC readiness is not a documentation exercise. It is a technical remediation and evidence-building effort that must stand up to formal third-party assessment. When timelines are fixed and contract risk is real, organizations need senior specialists who understand both the 110 CMMC Level 2 practices and how they are actually implemented inside modern enterprise environments.
i3solutions provides US-based senior CMMC consultants who embed directly with your team to remediate control gaps, implement required safeguards, and build assessor-ready evidence across Microsoft and hybrid environments. Our specialists work inside your systems, configuring controls, validating implementation, and aligning documentation to real operational behavior.
Whether you are approaching an initial assessment, responding to identified gaps, or rebuilding a failed readiness effort, our embedded CMMC specialists bring execution-level expertise that reduces compliance risk, accelerates preparation, and protects your ability to operate within regulated defense and federal supply chains.
Be Ready for Your CMMC Level 2 Assessment
i3solutions delivers senior CMMC practitioners who embed with your team, close control gaps in Microsoft 365 and Azure, and build assessor-ready evidence. No theory. No slide decks. Just execution that stands up to a C3PAO review.
Build SharePoint Environments You Can Govern with Senior Microsoft Specialists
Compliance Note:
i3solutions provides advisory and implementation services to support CMMC technology readiness and alignment to applicable requirements (including NIST SP 800-171 where relevant). We do not act as a C3PAO, we do not perform certification assessments, and we cannot guarantee certification outcomes. Final certification determinations are made by accredited assessors based on your environment and evidence available at the time of assessment. This content is for informational purposes and is not legal advice; consult your compliance and legal stakeholders for program decisions.
When to Hire CMMC Technology Compliance Consultants
CMMC readiness becomes urgent when timelines are fixed, evidence is incomplete, and internal teams cannot absorb the technical and documentation workload required. These signals indicate when external CMMC specialists are no longer optional, but necessary to reduce assessment risk and execute remediation correctly.
Your assessment timeline is fixed, but your readiness isn’t
You have a C3PAO engagement scheduled or a prime contractor deadline, and your internal gap assessment shows significant work remaining. You can’t slip the date, and you can’t staff the work internally.
Your IT team lacks specialized CMMC knowledge
Your team maintains systems and supports operations; they’re not compliance specialists who’ve mapped NIST SP 800-171 controls to Microsoft configurations across multiple engagements. This is why organizations often hirei3solutions’ NIST 800-171 compliance specialists when timelines are tight and assessment readiness matters.
Your Microsoft environment has known compliance gaps
SharePoint permissions are sprawled. Power Platform apps are ungoverned. Audit logging is incomplete. Conditional access policies have holes. You know the problems; you need expertise to fix them properly.
Your existing documentation doesn’t reflect your actual environment
Your System Security Plan was written years ago or copied from a template. It doesn’t describe your current systems, and you can’t produce the evidence it claims you have.
Your prime contractor is asking questions you can’t answer
Flow-down requirements are arriving. Questionnaires need responses. You’re being asked to demonstrate readiness, and you’re not confident in your answers.
Previous remediation attempts haven’t worked
You’ve tried to address CMMC internally or with general IT consultants, but gaps remain. Controls were configured but not documented. Documentation was created, but controls weren’t implemented. Progress stalled.
Your internal team can’t absorb the workload. Even if your team has the knowledge, they don’t have the bandwidth. CMMC technology readiness competes with operations, other projects, and daily responsibilities. Something has to give.
Is This the Right Engagement for You?
This engagement is built for organizations that need to move from uncertainty to execution, fast.
Engage i3solutions if you are:
- A defense contractor or subcontractor facing a CMMC Level 2 assessment deadline and need to accelerate readiness
- An IT or compliance leader who needs specialized expertise that your internal team lacks, particularly in Microsoft environments
- Operating a Microsoft-heavy environment (M365, SharePoint, Power Platform, Azure, Dynamics, Entra ID) that must meet CMMC Level 2 requirements
- Preparing for a C3PAO assessment and need gap remediation, evidence preparation, and team preparation support
- Behind schedule on CMMC technology readiness, and need to accelerate without cutting corners, which will cause assessment failure
- Looking for hands-on implementation support, not just advisory recommendations
This engagement is not the right fit if:
- You need a C3PAO to perform your official certification assessment. We support readiness; C3PAOs certify compliance. These are complementary but distinct roles.
- You’re primarily seeking the lowest-cost option or offshore delivery. Our team is US-based and senior-led, and we compete on expertise and results, not rate minimization.
- You want a vendor to guarantee certification outcomes. We prepare you thoroughly, but certification decisions belong to your assessor. Be skeptical of anyone promising otherwise.
- You’re not prepared to provide access to your environment and stakeholders. Effective CMMC technology readiness requires working in your actual systems with your actual team.
- You’re still determining whether CMMC applies to your contracts. That’s a legal and contractual question worth resolving first; we engage once you know you need to act.
Why CMMC Technology Readiness Stalls
Most organizations underestimate what CMMC Level 2 requires. The 110 practices aren’t just checkboxes, as they require implemented controls, documented procedures, and evidence you can produce on demand during a live assessment.
Bandwidth, Not Knowledge, Is the Bottleneck
Your IT team may understand the requirements, but CMMC technology readiness competes with operations, other projects, and daily responsibilities. Timelines slip not because people don’t care, but because no one has the capacity to make CMMC their full-time focus.
Generic technology consultants don’t understand Microsoft technology controls
CMMC frameworks are platform-agnostic, but your implementation isn’t. Technology consultants who don’t know SharePoint permission inheritance, Power Platform DLP policies, Azure security baselines, or Entra ID conditional access architecture waste time asking basic questions instead of solving problems. They may recommend controls that don’t align with how Microsoft actually works.
Evidence preparation is harder than expected
You may have implemented good controls operationally, but if you can’t prove it to an assessor with artifacts (configuration exports, audit logs, policy documents, screenshots, demonstrated procedures), it doesn’t count for assessment. Evidence preparation is consistently underestimated.
Scope creep and ambiguity
Organizations struggle to define CUI boundaries clearly. Without a defined scope, remediation becomes unfocused. You fix things that aren’t in scope while missing gaps that are. Assessors will ask about your scope definition and test whether your controls align with it.
Time runs out
Assessment slots with C3PAOs are limited. Prime contractor deadlines are fixed. Every week spent figuring out what to do is a week not spent doing it. Organizations that wait too long find themselves choosing between rushed, inadequate preparation and missed deadlines.
Prior efforts didn’t stick
Some organizations have attempted CMMC technology readiness internally or with consultants who didn’t follow through. Controls were configured but not documented. Documentation was created, but controls were never implemented. The SSP describes an environment that doesn’t exist. Starting from a failed prior effort adds complexity.
Your internal team can’t absorb the workload. Even if your team has the knowledge, they don’t have the bandwidth. CMMC technology readiness competes with operations, other projects, and daily responsibilities. Something has to give.
What You Get When You Engage i3solutions
MMC readiness is not solved with a single role or a generic checklist. Successful preparation requires coordinated technical implementation, evidence development, and assessment preparation led by consultants who understand both the framework and Microsoft environments.
Senior CMMC Technology Compliance Consultants
Not junior staff learning from your project. Our consultants have direct experience with CMMC requirements, NIST SP 800-171 control mapping, and Microsoft environment security. They’ve worked across multiple defense contractor engagements and bring pattern recognition, as well as knowledge of what assessors look for, having prepared organizations for assessment repeatedly.
Microsoft Platform Expertise
We know where CMMC breaks in real Microsoft environments. SharePoint permission inheritance that creates unintended access. Power Platform connector governance gaps. Entra ID conditional access misconfigurations. Azure security baseline drift. Audit logging that doesn’t capture what assessors need. We implement controls tailored to your specific Microsoft configuration, rather than generic recommendations that require translation.
Structured Assessment and Remediation
i3solutions conducts systematic gap analysis against all 110 Level 2 practices and defines a prioritized remediation roadmap that sequences work by risk, dependency, and effort. Technical implementation happens in your environment, and we document as we go. We don’t hand you a spreadsheet of findings and walk away. We can close gaps and prove they’re closed.
Evidence Package Development
We build the evidence your assessor will request: policies and procedures organized by control family, configuration exports that demonstrate implementation, audit logs that prove controls function as intended, assessment-ready SSP and POA&M artifacts, and documentation that answers assessor questions before they’re asked.
Assessment Preparation Support
We conduct mock walkthroughs, interview preparation, and control demonstration practice so your team speaks confidently about your implementation when assessors ask to see controls in action. You shouldn’t face your first control demonstration during your actual assessment.
US-Based Delivery
All of our consultants are US-based CMMC technology compliance experts. For organizations handling CUI with personnel security considerations, this is expected and not optional.
Engagement Models
Every organization enters CMMC readiness from a different starting point. We offer structured engagement options that align to where you are today, whether you need a clear readiness picture, accelerated remediation, or sustained compliance support.
Duration: 3-4 weeks
What we deliver:
- Current-state gap analysis against CMMC Level 2 / NIST SP 800-171
- Risk-prioritized findings report
- Remediation roadmap with effort estimates
- SPRS score documentation based on actual gaps
What you provide:
- Access to the Microsoft environment (read-only for assessment)
- Access to existing documentation (SSP, policies, prior assessments)
- Availability of IT and compliance stakeholders for interviews
Best for:
Organizations that need to understand their current posture before committing to full remediation or engaging a C3PAO. Answers the question: where do we actually stand, and what will it take to close the gaps?
Duration: 8-12 weeks
What we deliver:
- Technical control implementation in your Microsoft environment
- Policy and procedure documentation by control family
- Evidence package: configuration exports, screenshots, audit logs
- SSP and POA&M artifacts
- Assessment preparation support, including mock walkthroughs
What you provide:
- Administrative access to in-scope Microsoft systems
- Stakeholder availability for policy development and review
- Decision-making authority for configuration changes
- Coordination with your C3PAO on assessment timing (if scheduled)
Best for:
Organizations with a known gap list (from our assessment or your own) who are ready to execute remediation and build their evidence package. Executes the work; produces assessment-ready artifacts.
Duration: Monthly retainer
What we deliver:
- Continuous evidence collection and documentation maintenance
- Configuration monitoring and drift remediation
- Policy review and updates as requirements of your environment evolve
- Assessment preparation support as your C3PAO engagement approaches
- Advisory support for new systems, scope changes, or emerging requirements
What you provide:
- Ongoing access to your Microsoft environment
- Regular touchpoints with IT and compliance stakeholders
- Notification of significant environmental changes
Best for:
Organizations that need sustained support to maintain compliance posture between assessments, address ongoing contract requirements, or prepare for multiple assessment cycles.
Duration: Multi-month engagement
What we deliver:
- Dedicated CMMC technology compliance consultant(s) embedded with your team
- Flexible allocation between assessment, remediation, and documentation
- Knowledge transfer to your internal team
- Direct collaboration with your IT and compliance staff
What you provide:
- Integration into your team’s workflows and communication channels
- Clear objectives and workstream ownership
- Stakeholder access and decision-making support
Best for:
Organizations that need extended, flexible capacity, particularly those with large scope, complex environments, or multiple in-flight initiatives that require dedicated CMMC expertise over time.
Choose the Right CMMC Engagement & Then Get to Work
Whether you need a fast readiness assessment, hands-on remediation, or sustained compliance support, i3solutions offers flexible engagement models led by senior practitioners who execute inside your Microsoft environment and prepare you for assessment.
Skills and Roles We Bring
CMMC technology readiness requires more than policy knowledge. It demands hands-on Microsoft security implementation, disciplined documentation, and consultants who understand how assessors evaluate evidence in practice.
CMMC and NIST 800-171 expertise
Direct experience with CMMC Level 2 requirements, NIST SP 800-171 control families, and DFARS compliance. Understanding of assessment methodology, C3PAO expectations, and evidence requirements.
Microsoft security and compliance
Deep experience with Microsoft 365 security configuration, SharePoint governance, Power Platform DLP and environment management, Azure security baselines, and Entra ID identity and access management. We implement controls in your Microsoft environment, not hand you generic guidance that requires interpretation.
Technical implementation
Hands-on configuration of security baselines, conditional access policies, audit logging, DLP rules, sensitivity labels, and governance controls. We do the technical work, and not just advise on what should be done.
Policy and documentation development
SSP creation and maintenance, POA&M development, policy and procedure writing aligned to control requirements. Documentation that assessors accept, not templates that don’t reflect your environment.
Evidence collection and organization
Configuration exports, screenshot capture, audit log retrieval, artifact organization by control family. Evidence packages that answer assessor questions efficiently.
Assessment preparation
Mock assessments, interview preparation, and control demonstration practice. Your team needs to perform during the assessment, and we prepare them to do so.
Project management
Structured delivery with clear milestones, status reporting, risk identification, and stakeholder communication. Remediation projects stay on track.
Typical engagement team composition:
- Lead CMMC technology compliance consultants: assessment, roadmap, evidence strategy
- Microsoft security specialist: technical implementation, configuration
- Documentation specialist: SSP, policies, procedures, evidence organization
- Project coordination: timeline management, stakeholder communication
Team size scales based on engagement scope, timeline pressure, and environment complexity.
Our Delivery Approach
CMMC engagements succeed when work is structured, validated, and tied directly to assessment expectations. Our delivery approach is designed to eliminate ambiguity, maintain momentum, and surface risks early, before they appear in front of an assessor.
Initial Consultation
We discuss your current environment, assessment timeline, known gaps, and objectives. No commitment required, just a focused conversation to determine fit and understand your situation. We’ll tell you honestly whether we can help and what engagement structure makes sense.
Scoping and Proposal
Based on your situation, we propose a specific engagement: assessment, remediation sprint, ongoing support, or embedded team. Clear deliverables, timeline, resource allocation, and investment. No ambiguity about what you’re getting.
Kickoff and Discovery
We establish access to your environment, align with your compliance and IT stakeholders, and confirm CUI boundaries and in-scope systems. We review existing documentation and prior work. Discovery is structured. We will ask specific questions and review specific configurations.
Execution
For assessment engagements: systematic evaluation against controls, gap documentation, and remediation roadmap development.
For remediation engagements: technical implementation, evidence capture, documentation development, and ongoing validation. Regular status updates so you know what’s been completed, what’s in progress, and what’s ahead.
Evidence and Preparation
Evidence compilation and organization. SSP and POA&M finalization. Mock assessments and team preparation. You’re ready to demonstrate controls confidently.
Handoff and Assessment Support
Organized evidence package delivered. Your team is prepared for assessor interviews and demonstrations. We remain available during your C3PAO engagement to help locate evidence, clarify implementation decisions, and support your team within appropriate boundaries.
Quality Gates
- Scoping sign-off before work begins
- Gap assessment review before remediation
- Control implementation validation before evidence capture
- Evidence package review before assessment
- Post-assessment debrief (if findings require response)
We don’t progress past gates without validation. Surprises should happen in discovery, not during assessment.
How We Reduce Delivery Risk
CMMC timelines leave little margin for trial and error. These are the controls we build into every engagement to prevent late surprises, incomplete evidence, and misaligned remediation.
- Structured methodology: We follow a consistent assessment and remediation approach refined across multiple CMMC engagements. Each control family is addressed systematically. Gaps are tracked, remediation is validated, and evidence is captured. No controls slipped through because the methodology was ad hoc.
- Senior-led delivery: Experienced consultants make decisions and solve problems on engagement. You’re not waiting for escalations to someone who hasn’t seen your environment. The people who assess are the people who remediate.
- Evidence as we go: We capture evidence during implementation, not as a scramble afterward. Configuration screenshots are taken when settings are applied. Policy documents are created alongside control implementation. Evidence gaps don’t appear at the end of the engagement.
- Validation and verification: Implemented controls are tested. Evidence is reviewed for completeness. Mock assessment walkthroughs identify gaps before your C3PAO does. Quality problems surface early when they’re correctable.
- Clear scope definition: CUI boundaries and in-scope systems are defined explicitly. You know what we’re addressing and what’s out of scope. Scope creep doesn’t derail timelines or budgets.
- Stakeholder alignment: We align with your compliance leadership, legal stakeholders, and IT management early. Decisions are made by the right people. Work doesn’t stall because someone wasn’t consulted.
- Transparent communication: Regular status updates. Clear milestone tracking. Risk identification, as it happens, not after it’s become a crisis. You know where the engagement stands.
Security, Compliance, and IP Considerations
CMMC readiness work often involves sensitive systems, regulated data, and contractual security requirements. We structure every engagement around access controls, confidentiality, deliverable ownership, and the boundary between readiness support and certification assessment.
- Data handling: We work in your environment with the access you provide. We do not extract CUI from your systems. Evidence artifacts are created and stored within your environment according to your policies.
- Personnel: Our consultants supporting CMMC engagements are US-based. We can accommodate customer-specific personnel security requirements where contractually required.
- Access controls: We work with least-privilege access appropriate to the engagement. Assessment engagements typically require read-only access; remediation requires administrative access to in-scope systems. Access is scoped to the engagement and revoked at completion.
- Confidentiality: Engagement details, gap findings, and evidence are confidential. We do not share customer-specific information across engagements. Standard confidentiality terms apply; we can accommodate customer-specific NDA requirements.
- Work product ownership: The documentation, policies, procedures, and evidence artifacts we create are your property. You retain full ownership of all deliverables.
- Separation from assessment: We provide readiness support. We do not perform C3PAO assessments, and we maintain appropriate separation from your assessor. If requested, we will coordinate with your C3PAO on timing and scope, but we do not influence their assessment judgment.
Why Choose i3solutions as Your Trusted Partner
CMMC readiness rewards experience and execution discipline. Our approach is shaped by real assessment preparation work, repeated across Microsoft environments where technical gaps, evidence failures, and scope confusion most often derail organizations.
- We implement, not just advise. We configure controls in your environment, build your evidence package, and prepare your team. We don’t hand you a report and disappear when the hard work begins.
- We’re US-based and senior-led. The consultants on your project have the experience to make decisions and solve problems directly, not escalate to someone you’ve never met. All work is performed by US-based personnel.
- We understand Microsoft environments. CMMC technology readiness in Microsoft environments is our specialty. We know the platform’s compliance capabilities and its gaps. We implement controls that work in your environment.
- We won’t promise what we can’t deliver. Certification decisions belong to your C3PAO. We prepare you thoroughly so you can demonstrate compliance with confidence, and we’re honest about what we control and what we don’t.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Many clients engage us to remediate gaps identified in pre-assessments or to prepare evidence packages before their formal assessment begins. We support readiness, and the C3PAO handles certification. These are complementary relationships.
Yes. We help you evaluate your contractual requirements and CUI sensitivity to determine the appropriate Microsoft environment. This is typically addressed early in our assessment engagement when we confirm scope.
That’s exactly when focused remediation matters most. We help you address specific gaps, rebuild your evidence package, and prepare for reassessment. A low score or failed assessment isn’t permanent. It’s a starting point for remediation.
Both. Some clients need a dedicated consultant embedded with their team for several months. Others need a defined project with clear deliverables. We structure engagements based on what you actually need.
C3PAOs perform the official certification assessment, as they evaluate your compliance and make certification recommendations to the CMMC Accreditation Body. We prepare you for that assessment: gap analysis, remediation implementation, evidence development, and team preparation. We support readiness; they certify compliance.
Yes. We coordinate with your existing technology partners as needed. CMMC technology readiness often requires collaboration between compliance-focused expertise (our role) and ongoing operations support (potentially their role). We define roles clearly to avoid overlap or gaps.
