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Choosing the Right CMMC Compliance Software

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Listen: Choosing the Right CMMC Compliance Software
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EXECUTIVE BRIEF

Looking for ways to simplify your Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) compliance journey? The right software can turn a daunting task into a streamlined process.

  • CMMC compliance software can help accelerate remediation, automate reporting, and guide implementation. These tools reduce the manual burden and help prepare your organization for audits with greater ease.
  • There is no one-size-fits-all solution. The most effective approach often involves using a combination of tools that align with your organization's size, structure, and cybersecurity maturity.
  • Vendor support plays a critical role. The right partner will provide training, updates, and long-term guidance to keep your compliance strategy on track.
  • We recommend exploring our curated list of software partners. These solutions are designed to integrate with existing systems and support major compliance frameworks such as NIST, SOC 2, and ISO.

Ready to go from reactive to ready? Dig deeper below.

Key Features to Look for in CMMC Compliance Software

Not all compliance software is created equal. While there’s no universal solution that fits every organization, there are core capabilities to look for when evaluating potential tools.

  • Real-Time Dashboards
    A visual interface that gives your team instant insight into compliance progress, outstanding tasks, and upcoming milestones.
  • Internal Notifications and Alerts
    These features keep teams informed about deadlines, updates, or areas needing attention to avoid falling behind on requirements.
  • Plug-and-Play Templates
    Pre-built frameworks for policies and procedures that can be tailored to your environment. While customization is still necessary, these templates provide a valuable starting point.
  • Evidence Collection and Tracking
    Simplifies the process of organizing and cataloging artifacts for assessment readiness.
  • Plans of Action and Milestones (POA&Ms) Generation
    Some platforms support the initial generation of POA&Ms based on your assessment results. More advanced tools also help track progress, updates, and closure of each POA&M item over time to support the CMMC requirement to demonstrate ongoing remediation and lifecycle management of identified gaps.

The most effective solutions support NIST SP 800-171 requirements, align with CMMC’s evolving model, and provide structured oversight into your remediation journey.

Explore how ISI partners with vetted tools to ensure full-spectrum coverage: Our Software Partners.

Understanding CMMC and Its Compliance Needs

The CMMC was designed by the Department of Defense to standardize cybersecurity practices across the Defense Industrial Base. With CMMC 2.0 now approaching full enforcement, DoD subcontractors must ensure their systems, processes, and data handling protocols meet all necessary requirements.

It’s important to understand that there are different types of software available to support your compliance efforts:

  • Compliance Management Platforms like FutureFeed offer workflow tracking, evidence collection, and centralized dashboards that help manage the entire certification process.
  • Security-Enhancing Tools like PreVeil provide secure communication and data storage in environments that support compliance with CMMC requirements.

Each solution plays a different role. While one may help track compliance activities, the other may help fulfill specific control requirements. Knowing the difference is key to building a software stack that works for you.

Assessing Your Current Security Posture

Before choosing a compliance solution, it's critical to understand where your organization currently stands.

Start with a Gap Analysis

Using resources like the NIST SP 800-171 self-assessment and evaluating your SPRS score can help uncover gaps between your current posture and where you need to be. This assessment will help guide which type of software is most relevant for your needs.

For example:

  • If your team needs help tracking tasks, deadlines, and documentation, a project management-style compliance platform may be most helpful.
  • If you’re storing or transmitting CUI and need to secure that data, a communication or file-sharing tool designed for compliance may be a better fit.

Gap analysis isn’t just about identifying issues—it helps map your path forward with the right tools.

Streamlining Compliance with Automation

Automation features in compliance software help reduce the time and complexity involved in certification. While these tools aren’t perfect (and still require human oversight), they can significantly enhance your internal processes.

What Automation Can Do:

  • Run basic gap assessments that identify where controls are missing or insufficient
  • Track remediation progress and status
  • Trigger alerts for deadlines and overdue tasks
  • Generate POA&Ms based on defined weaknesses or audit findings
  • Provide visibility into changes and updates to CMMC requirements as they evolve

While some software platforms offer support for basic documentation generation like POA&Ms, fully automating SSPs or individualized policies is rare. Keep expectations grounded and look for tools that enhance—not replace—your internal compliance strategy.

Evaluating Vendor Support and Long-Term Benefits

Strong vendor support is critical to maximizing the value of your software investment. While software alone can’t implement security controls, it can be an effective guide when paired with consistent service and clear onboarding.

Key Areas to Evaluate:

  • Software Setup Support
    Look for vendors that help configure the platform to align with your existing workflows.
  • Live Help and Ticketing
    Ensure timely assistance is available when technical questions arise.
  • Ongoing Training and Resources
    A good platform should include up-to-date training modules, documentation, and webinars.
  • Compliance Certifications

If you’re seeking a software to store data, make sure the solution you choose also meets compliance requirements (i.e. FedRAMP Moderate Baseline or its equivalency).

Also consider scalability. As your organization grows or requirements evolve, the software should be able to expand its capabilities without starting over.

Integrating Compliance Software into Your Organization

Successful compliance efforts depend on how well your chosen solution fits into your existing ecosystem.

Integration Considerations:

  • System Compatibility
    Ensure the software integrates smoothly with tools you already use for IT operations and documentation.
  • Data Security
    Confirm that your vendor’s platform is hosted in a FedRAMP Moderate Baseline or equivalent environment to protect sensitive data.
  • Team Readiness
    Look for tools with intuitive interfaces and training resources that enable quick adoption across departments.

Long-Term Benefits of Choosing the Right Software

The benefits of selecting the right CMMC compliance software extend well beyond certification.

  • Improve visibility into your cybersecurity maturity
  • Reduce time spent on compliance tasks and manual reporting
  • Strengthen your ability to detect and remediate security issues early
  • Support continuous improvement across your security program
  • Position your company to secure new contracts and renew existing ones with confidence

The right software not only simplifies certification, it helps embed cybersecurity resilience into your organization for the long haul.

FAQs

Is Google Workspace CMMC compliant?

Google Workspace is not inherently CMMC compliant. Google Workspace provides the FedRAMP authorized base required of Cloud Service Providers by CMMC, however just opening a tenant isn't enough. To be CMMC compliant, a security configuration hardening must occur.

What is Fortinet’s stance on CMMC compliance?

Fortinet provides security infrastructure that can support CMMC requirements, such as endpoint protection, network segmentation, and secure access. However, it’s not a standalone compliance solution, but part of a broader compliance ecosystem.

How does Open Security Controls Assessment Language (OSCAL) facilitate FedRAMP automation?

OSCAL standardizes how security controls are represented and assessed. It helps automate documentation and assessment processes, which is increasingly useful for FedRAMP and related frameworks, making compliance faster and less error-prone.

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