When it's time for your CMMC assessment, it is not just your IT resource who needs to be there.
Plan to include:
IT/System Admins
Security/Compliance leads
HR or Ops (training evidence)
Leadership
External service providers (ESP)
A note on ESPs: some ESPS are Cloud Services Providers, applications that live in the cloud that your company uses. Check with your external services provider, if you use one, and have them help you to verify if the application is in scope. If it is, it is likely that it will need to be FedRAMP that the An ESP is a partner that actively supports your cybersecurity and compliance efforts, often implementing, managing, or monitoring controls tied directly to NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC.
A strong external resource should be doing things like:
✅ Supporting continuous monitoring of security controls
✅ Keeping current on the evolving compliance requirements and helping educate your team
✅ Facilitating change control meetings
✅ Participating in annual security control assessments
✅ Showing up and contributing during your CMMC assessment
✅ Supporting incident response exercises
✅ Participating in risk assessments that identify real-world gaps
If your service provider can’t consistently perform these activities, the risk is yours to bear.
That’s why it’s critical to work with a provider that is also a CMMC Subject Matter Expert. CMMC is nuanced, evolving, and highly procedural. You want a partner who understands not just cybersecurity, but how assessors evaluate evidence, controls, and shared responsibility.
At MNS Group, we serve as an ESP and a CMMC SME, helping organizations align operations, technology, and compliance so there are no surprises on assessment day.
CMMC success is a team sport. Make sure your ESP knows the rules.
Insider Tip:
MNS Group groups the times that your SMEs attend the portion of interviews that are relevant to their responsibilities so that your actual work can still get accomplished during the assessment week!
If you want help identifying which SMEs to prepare, the MNS Group assessment team is here to guide you.