Ready or Not! CMMC Phase 1 Starts November 10: Here’s What to Do

Christopher Souza | CEO

The Department of Defense (DoD) has made it official! The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) rollout is no longer coming soon… it’s here. With the final rule published in the Federal Register, the long-anticipated compliance mandate has entered its first formal phase. According to the rule, CMMC Phase 1 will begin November 10, 2025, and every defense contractor and subcontractor in the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) must be prepared.

What Does This Mean for You?

With the publication of the CMMC rule in 48 CFR and DFARS 252.204-7021, contractors now face several real-world implementation timelines. Within 1 to 60 days of publication, the rule will officially take effect and trigger the long-anticipated beginning of CMMC Phase 1.

From that point on, all new DoD solicitations and contracts will include CMMC requirements. And while many organizations have relied on self-assessments in the past, that era is quickly winding down. CMMC Level 2 requires a third-party assessment by a Certified Third-Party Assessor Organization (C3PAO) and will be required for contractors handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).

“The CMMC program ensures accountability and reinforces the DoD’s commitment to safeguarding sensitive defense information,” — 32 CFR Part 170, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.

Keep in mind that this final rule doesn’t overhaul compliance requirements. Rather, it enforces the policies already codified under 32 CFR Part 170, which has been in effect since December 2024. If your organization has been aligning with NIST SP 800-171, you’re on the right track, but certification readiness is no longer optional nor something you can afford to ignore. It’s now necessity to keep operations running for thousands of organizations.

The Clock is Ticking and Timing is Critical

With CMMC Phase 1 beginning in less than two months, there’s no more room for waiting. Once the final rule takes effect, all new DoD solicitations and contracts will include CMMC requirements. For many, that means Level 2 certification will be essential, not optional.

Organizations that delay risk getting caught unprepared as demand for assessments increases and the pool of available C3PAOs becomes more congested. Early movers will have a clearer roadmap, buffer time to prepare, and a better chance to correct gaps before contracts require demonstration of full compliance. The sooner you begin, the more leverage organizations have to map out resources, influence timelines, and avoid scrambling under a tight deadline that no company has time for or wants to endure.

New Contract Language: No Room for Guesswork

At Technical Support International (TSI), we don’t just consult, we partner. Our services are built to help DoD contractors not just understand the CMMC / NIST SP 800‑171 requirements, but to implement them fully and with confidence. Here’s how we bring that to life:

• Comprehensive CMMC 2.0 Support Plans. TSI offers full technical, administrative, and consultative assistance through program tiers aligned to Level 1 through Level 3. We cover everything from access control, identity & access management, to vulnerability scanning, firewall & malware protection, network monitoring, and ongoing reporting.
• NIST SP 800‑171 Compliance Services. Since many CMMC Level 2 requirements build on NIST SP 800‑171, we’ve developed workflows for readiness assessments, creating System Security Plans (SSPs), developing Plans of Action and Milestones (POAMs), and helping to improve your SPRS score.
• Program Management & CTO/vCISO‑Level Strategic Support. Beyond our assortment of tools and controls, TSI provides strategic oversight: developing your compliance roadmap, ensuring proper policy documentation, incident response planning, strategic forecasting, and quarterly reviews to keep things on track.
• Domain‑by‑Domain Coverage. TSI ensures that all fourteen mandatory security domains are addressed from Access Control, Audit & Accountability, Configuration Management, to System & Communications Protection and more. For each domain, we not only recommend best practices, but help implement supporting technology, craft required documentation, train users, and of course: monitor compliance.

Ongoing and Future Readiness. Compliance isn’t a one‑and‑done checkbox. TSI supports continuous monitoring, regular updates to your documents, adapting to evolving CMMC requirements, and maintaining your posture so you’re ready for assessments whenever they become mandatory.

Contact Us Today to Avoid Costly Delays

The official rollout has begun. The requirements are clear. The timelines are set.

Now is the time to ensure your organization is ready. It’s not just about staying compliant but staying competitive, too. By acting now, you’ll be better positioned to:

• Secure future DoD contracts
• Avoid last-minute headaches
• Bypass long waits for backed-up C3PAO assessments
• Protect your position in the defense supply chain

We’re ready when you are. Schedule Your CMMC Readiness Call Today. Your next contract may depend on it.

About Technical Support International

TSI is 37-year old cybersecurity (MSSP) and IT support (MSP) company specializing in helping DIB organizations address their NIST 800-171 and CMMC compliance obligations. As a CMMC-AB Registered Provider Organization (RPO), TSI offers a complete NIST 800-171 and CMMC support solution to help guide our clients toward a successful certification audit and provide the assurance that they’re adhering to these expansive compliance requirements.