Buyer guides
A small set of guides for buyers, not vendors. We’d rather publish a handful of useful guides with citations than forty SEO pages. Every section is anchored to a public source with a retrieval date.
- Brief 016 min readChoosingHow to choose a CMMC provider without overpaying
A practical sequence for buyers: define scope first, pick provider categories second, shortlist last. The opposite of how providers want the conversation to go.
Read the brief - Brief 027 min readCost driversWhat moves CMMC Level 2 cost
Two contractors with similar headcounts often pay wildly different amounts. Four scope decisions drive most of the gap.
Read the brief - Brief 035 min readComparisonC3PAO vs RPO vs MSP: a side-by-side comparison
A direct comparison: what each role can do, what it can't, how it's paid, where it conflicts with the others, and what to put in the contract.
Read the brief - Brief 046 min readReadinessGap, readiness, mock: which CMMC assessment do you need?
Three things called “readiness” do three different jobs. A short guide to picking the one that matches where you are.
Read the brief - Brief 058 min readProvider fitRPO vs C3PAO vs MSP vs enclave: who does what
What each provider type can and can't do for you, in plain English, with the questions that separate them at a sales call.
Read the brief - Brief 068 min readDocumentationSSP, POA&M, SPRS: what each one is and where buyers slip
Three documents do most of the work in a CMMC engagement. Buyers consistently confuse them. A plain-English field guide to which one matters when.
Read the brief - Brief 077 min readEnvironmentMicrosoft GCC High vs. CUI enclave: what most buyers get wrong
Migration to GCC High is the most expensive single line item in a typical CMMC engagement. It's also the most over-prescribed. A short guide to deciding.
Read the brief - Brief 087 min readQuote sanitySeven red flags in a CMMC engagement quote
Patterns that show up in quotes from rushed, junior, or scope-padding shops, with the questions to ask to confirm or rule each one out.
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