Yes, there are Managed Service Providers (MSPs) that have achieved Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC).
No, that does not mean your company is automatically compliant by working with them.
This is one of the most common misconceptions we see in the Defense Industrial Base (DIB).
An MSP’s certification reflects their internal environment, not yours.
If your organization handles Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), you are responsible for implementing and documenting all 110 National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-171 controls within your own environment.
CMMC does not “flow down” from your MSP. It applies to the Organization Seeking Assessment (OSA). That’s you.
It is also important to distinguish between contractual compliance under Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 252.204-7012 (which requires NIST SP 800-171 implementation and Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS) reporting) and CMMC certification under Title 32 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 170. These are related but distinct regulatory mechanisms.
Dig deeper below to learn what MSP certification really means and where the line of responsibility sits.
When an MSP earns CMMC Level 2 certification through a Certified Third-Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO), it means:
That certification applies to:
It does not automatically apply to:
An MSP can be secure themselves. That does not mean they have fully implemented controls inside your environment.
Under CMMC scoping rules, many MSPs function as External Service Providers (ESPs). Even if an MSP is certified, the services they provide to you may still fall within your CMMC Assessment Scope depending on how your CUI Assets, Security Protection Assets, or Contractor Risk Managed Assets are defined.
Under Title 32 of the Code of Federal Regulations (32 CFR) Part 170, CMMC certification is tied to your specific environment(s) that store, process, or generate CUI.
If you handle CUI, you must:
SPRS houses your NIST 800-171 DoD assessment score. If a contract requires CMMC, certification is a separate validation requirement (and the CMMC status is recorded in SPRS as well)
An MSP that has achieved Level 2 certification may have practical experience with C3PAO assessments and evidence expectations. However, that experience does not alter your organization’s independent responsibility for scope definition, implementation, and certification outcome.
Your MSP cannot submit that score on your behalf, and they cannot pass that certification on to you.
We often hear: “Our MSP is CMMC certified, so we’re covered.”
In certain hosted enclave architectures, storing CUI within a certified MSP environment can reduce your internal technical scope.
But scope is determined by how CUI is processed, stored, transmitted, and protected, not by the MSP’s certification status alone.
An MSP may:
But you must still ensure:
Certification is about implementation and documentation. Not association.
CMMC assessments are based on formally defined asset categories, including:
An MSP’s certification does not automatically remove assets from your scope. Assets are included or excluded based on how they interact with CUI and must be properly categorized and documented in accordance with CMMC scoping guidance.
In Microsoft 365 and other cloud-based environments, CMMC operates under a shared responsibility model. An MSP may configure security tooling, but your organization remains responsible for:
An MSP’s certification does not validate your tenant configuration, user management, or administrative controls.
The right MSP can dramatically accelerate readiness.
Especially if they:
Provide a security stack that has been assessed and vetted. As we noted in our 2025 readiness outlook, CMMC 2.0 in 2025: What Defense Contractors Are Doing Now, demand for C3PAO assessments is increasing. Contractors are narrowing environments and formalizing remediation now and a knowledgeable MSP should be part of that strategy.
An MSP being CMMC certified is a positive signal as it shows they understand the framework and they passed their assessment.
It does not mean your organization has:
CMMC is environment-specific. You cannot outsource accountability, but you can outsource expertise. And that’s where the distinction matters.
Not automatically. If your CUI is stored and processed within a logically separated MSP-hosted enclave that has achieved its own Level 2 certification, your internal technical footprint may be reduced. However, that MSP environment is still treated as an ESP and remains part of your CMMC Assessment Scope. The MSP’s certification does not remove the environment from scope; it allows the assessor to rely on the MSP’s validated controls as part of the documented shared responsibility model.
Yes, they can support technical explanations during an assessment. However, the Organization Seeking Assessment remains responsible for documentation accuracy and control ownership.
It is a strong indicator of maturity, but certification alone is not enough. You should evaluate whether the MSP understands scoping, documentation, POA&M management, and how to prepare you specifically for a third-party assessment. Finding Level 2 certified service providers who also have achieved Registered Provider Organization status is the surest way to confirm a company’s expertise in CMMC.
No, but it should be concerning if your MSP is not seeking their own certification. If your MSP stores, processes, or transmits your CUI—or provides security protections for your CUI environment—they may also be subject to contractual DFARS flow down requirements and potentially CMMC requirements, depending on the structure of your agreements.