Authorized C3PAO
Your CMMC Level 2 assessment, run by an authorized C3PAO
CyNtell is an authorized Certified Third-Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO) conducting official CMMC Level 2 certification assessments for defense contractors and subcontractors across the Defense Industrial Base, the assessment itself, not a rehearsal for it.
Authorized on the Cyber AB Marketplace
Verify CyNtell authorization to conduct CMMC Level 2 certification assessments in the official Cyber AB directory.
Verify CyNtell on the Cyber AB Marketplace →Start here · 2 min
Where do you stand?
Where your organization sits today: FCI only, CUI in scope, or already mid-assessment.
Watch on YouTube →80,000+
companies in the Defense Industrial Base expected to need CMMC Level 2
110
Level 2 practices, drawn from NIST SP 800-171
103
authorized C3PAOs nationwide as of March 2026, CyNtell is one
~1,000
organizations at Final Level 2, roughly 1 percent of the DIB
3 yrs
certification cycle, with annual affirmation in SPRS
Scope
Do you need a C3PAO at all?
The data you handle sets your level, and your level decides who is allowed to assess you. Only Level 2 is assessed by a C3PAO. Level 1 you attest to yourself, Level 3 is assessed by the government.
| Level | Data in scope | Practices | Who assesses | Cadence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1Foundational | Federal Contract Information (FCI) only | 17 basic cyber-hygiene practices | You do, self-assessment, subject to random DoW review | Annual self-assessment and affirmation in SPRS |
| Level 2C3PAO territory | Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), plus FCI | 110 practices from NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2 | An authorized C3PAO, this is what CyNtell does | Certification assessment every 3 years, affirmed annually |
| Level 3Expert | CUI on the most sensitive programs | Level 2 plus 24 selected NIST SP 800-172 requirements | The government (DCMA DIBCAC), not a C3PAO | Every 3 years, after a Final Level 2 status is in place |
If a contract flows down DFARS 252.204-7012 and you create, receive, store, or transmit CUI on your systems, including as a subcontractor or an MSP holding a client CUI, plan on Level 2 and a C3PAO assessment.
Assessor independence
Two doors. Pick one, not both.
CMMC rules keep preparation and certification apart: the organization that gets you ready cannot be the organization that certifies you. CyNtell assessment practice is walled off from its advisory work, and we tell you which side of that wall you are on before anything is signed.
Door A · Readiness advisory
Prepare with us
- NIST SP 800-171 implementation and SSP authoring
- Gap assessment against the 110 practices
- Controls build-out, CUI enclave design, POA&M burn-down
- Mock assessment and evidence rehearsal
Door B · Authorized C3PAO
Be assessed by us
- Scoping review and assessment plan
- Certification assessment of all 110 practices
- Findings, limited POA&M close-out, final report
- Results submitted to the DoW system of record
What this means in practice: if CyNtell built or remediated your environment, another C3PAO assesses it, and we will name candidates for you. If CyNtell is assessing you, our advisory side stays out of your program entirely. No consulting sold from the assessor chair.
The engagement
How a CyNtell assessment runs
Five phases, in order, because each one depends on the last. Most Level 2 assessments run four to eight weeks from kickoff to final report, depending on enclave size and evidence readiness.
Scoping and quote
We map your CUI boundary, assets, enclaves, external service providers, CMMC asset categories, and price the assessment against it. A wrong boundary is the single most common reason assessments stall.
Assessment plan and readiness review
Your lead Certified CMMC Assessor builds the plan: sampling, interview roster, evidence requests, and dates. We review your SSP and evidence index for completeness, not to fix it, but so nobody discovers a hole on day one.
Evidence collection
Documents, configuration exports, screenshots and demonstrations, gathered against each of the 110 practices. Three sources per practice is the working standard: what you say, what you wrote, and what the system shows.
Assessment
The assessment team scores every practice as MET, NOT MET, or NOT APPLICABLE against the CMMC assessment objectives, on site or remote. Daily out-briefs mean you hear findings as they happen, not in a surprise at the end.
Result, POA&M window, submission
Meet the threshold with a clean sheet and you reach Final Level 2. Fall short on eligible practices and you enter Conditional status with 180 days to close the POA&M, then a close-out assessment. Results are submitted to the DoW system of record.
Door A · Readiness track
Not ready for an assessment yet?
Then do not buy one. Our advisory side takes organizations from "we think we handle CUI" to assessment-ready, and hands you to an independent C3PAO at the end.
Step 1
NIST SP 800-171
Align systems and practices to the 110 requirements that CMMC Level 2 is built on. Foundation first, everything after this is inspection.
Step 2
Gap assessment
Your current state scored against the assessment objectives, with a prioritized remediation plan and an honest SPRS score.
Step 3
Controls implementation
Build the missing controls, enclave, logging, MFA, incident response, with as little disruption to production as the work allows.
Step 4
Readiness assessment
A full mock assessment against all 110 practices, run the way a C3PAO would run it, so the real one holds no surprises.
Why the clock matters
What non-compliance actually costs
Contracts you can no longer win
Ineligibility for DoW awards and task orders, including DoW orders placed under GSA Schedule, OASIS and OASIS+.
False Claims Act exposure
An SPRS score that overstates your posture is a representation to the government. DOJ Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative has settled cases on exactly that.
Flow-down failure
Primes are removing subcontractors who cannot show a status. Your customer compliance deadline becomes your revenue problem.
Queue risk
103 authorized C3PAOs serve a pipeline of tens of thousands of companies. Availability, not readiness, is what pushes award dates.
Request a quote
Get a scoped assessment quote
Six answers is enough for us to price the assessment and give you a realistic start date. If it turns out you need readiness work first, we will say so before you sign anything.
Assessment inquiries go to our C3PAO practice. If we have done advisory work for you, we will route you to an independent C3PAO instead. That is the rule, not a preference.
Questions we get first
CMMC assessment FAQ
What is a C3PAO?
A Certified Third-Party Assessment Organization, authorized by the Cyber AB to conduct official CMMC Level 2 assessments and issue a Certificate of CMMC Status. CyNtell is one. It is the only kind of entity permitted to run a Level 2 certification assessment.
Do I need a C3PAO assessment?
If your contract carries DFARS 252.204-7012 and you create, receive, store, or transmit Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), you generally need a Level 2 certification assessment by a C3PAO. If you handle only Federal Contract Information (FCI), you fall under Level 1, which is a self-assessment.
How long does a CMMC Level 2 assessment take?
Most Level 2 assessments run four to eight weeks from kickoff to final report, depending on the size of your enclave and how ready your evidence is. A clean scope and a complete evidence package are what keep it at the short end of that range.
What does a CMMC Level 2 assessment cost?
The price depends on your scope: the size of the CUI boundary, the number of assets and enclaves, and your external service providers. We map that boundary first, then give you a fixed-fee quote against it. Six answers on the quote form is enough for us to price it and give you a realistic start date.
Can the company that prepared us also certify us?
No. CMMC rules keep preparation and certification apart, so the organization that got you ready cannot be the one that certifies you. If CyNtell did advisory work on your environment, another C3PAO assesses it, and we will name candidates for you. If CyNtell is assessing you, our advisory side stays out of your program entirely.
What happens if we do not meet every practice?
Meet the threshold with a clean sheet and you reach Final Level 2. Fall short on eligible practices and you enter Conditional status, with 180 days to close the POA&M, followed by a close-out assessment. Only certain practices are POA&M-eligible, and some must be MET outright.
How do I find an available C3PAO?
Verify authorization on the Cyber AB Marketplace, then ask about availability, C3PAO waitlists can run months, so availability, not readiness, is often what pushes an award date. Tell us your boundary and your deadline and we will give you a realistic start date, or point you to an independent C3PAO if we should not be the ones assessing you.
Plain language
Key definitions
C3PAO
Certified Third-Party Assessment Organization, authorized by the Cyber AB to conduct official CMMC Level 2 assessments. CyNtell is one.
Cyber AB
The CMMC Accreditation Body. It authorizes C3PAOs and publishes the Marketplace where contractors verify that an assessor is legitimate.
CUI
Controlled Unclassified Information. Government information that is not classified but still requires safeguarding. Its presence is what triggers Level 2.
FCI
Federal Contract Information. Information provided by or generated for the government under contract, not intended for public release.
DFARS 252.204-7012
The contract clause requiring adequate security for covered defense information and 72-hour cyber-incident reporting to DoW.
NIST SP 800-171
The 110 requirements for protecting CUI on non-federal systems. The substance of CMMC Level 2.
NIST SP 800-172
Enhanced requirements for advanced persistent threats. The additional layer at Level 3.
SPRS
Supplier Performance Risk System. Where your self-assessment score, affirmation, and certification status are recorded for contracting officers to see.
POA&M
Plan of Action and Milestones. The tracked plan to close specific gaps. At assessment, only certain practices are POA&M-eligible, with 180 days to close.
DIB
Defense Industrial Base. The companies supplying the Department of War, all of them inside CMMC reach.
OSC
Organization Seeking Certification. You, in assessment paperwork.
Conditional vs Final
Conditional status means you passed with an open POA&M. Final means every applicable practice is MET. Contracts care which one you hold.
Assessment slots move faster than contract deadlines
Tell us your boundary and your date.
We will tell you whether you are ready, what the assessment costs, and when we can run it, or which independent C3PAO to call if we should not be the ones assessing you.
CyNtelligent Solutions, LLC (CyNtell), cybersecurity, compliance, and IT security operations for the federal government, the defense industrial base, and regulated industry.
Assessor independence. CyNtelligent Solutions, LLC (CyNtell) is an Authorized C3PAO, listed on the Cyber AB Marketplace. CMMC certification assessment work and consulting engagements are delivered by separate engagement teams, and never the same personnel on an assessment and the advisory work behind it. Consistent with Cyber AB conflict-of-interest requirements, CyNtell does not perform a certification assessment of an environment it has consulted on.
Page reviewed and updated September 2026 against the CMMC program rule and current Cyber AB Marketplace listings. Copyright 2026 CyNtelligent Solutions, LLC. All rights reserved. Privacy policy. Flying Fox, Fognigma, and The Guard are trademarks of their respective owners.