Aerospace Manufacturer Achieves CMMC L2 with TSI’s Proven Compliance Approach

Christopher Souza | CEO

TSI is proud to announce the successful CMMC Level 2 certification of a large aerospace manufacturer delivering advanced, mission-focused technical solutions to government and defense-adjacent customers. 

As the organization expanded its engagement within the federal marketplace, achieving CMMC compliance became a critical milestone to meet regulatory obligations and demonstrate trustworthiness in safeguarding Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). 

The client partnered with TSI to design, implement, and sustain an audit-ready cybersecurity and compliance program aligned with CMMC Level 2, NIST SP 800-171, and DFARS 252.204-7012 requirements. Rather than treating CMMC as a one-time checkbox, both teams approached certification as a long-term security initiative focused on operational maturity, resilience, and accountability—ultimately resulting in a successful third-party assessment and certification outcome. 

The Obstacles

Like many growing organizations entering the defense industrial base (DIB), our client faced the challenge of formalizing and proving security practices that were already partially in place. While the company demonstrated strong technical capability, CMMC required something more demanding: documented, repeatable, and provable processes across the organization. 

Key challenges included:

• Translating day-to-day technical practices into clearly documented policies and procedures
• Aligning staff roles and responsibilities to specific CMMC controls
• Strengthening governance and evidence collection to meet C3PAO scrutiny
• Ensuring logging, system hardening, and accountability mechanisms were consistently implemented
• Preparing leadership and staff for the rigor and expectations of a formal CMMC assessment

Our client needed a partner who understood not just the controls themselves, but how assessors validate them in practice. 

TSI’s Approach

TSI specializes in managed IT, cybersecurity, and compliance services for organizations operating in regulated environments. Our CMMC support services are built around a core principle: do the work correctly, document it clearly, and be ready to prove it at any time.

For our client, TSI delivered a structured, hands-on engagement focused on readiness, evidence, and sustainability. 

The Right People and the Right Conversations

One of the most important success factors was ensuring the correct stakeholders were involved at the right time. TSI worked with our client to bring technical owners, operational leaders, and decision-makers into the same conversations. This ensured procedures reflected reality and responsibilities were clearly defined. 

This alignment kept everyone on the same page, eliminated ambiguity, and ensured that documentation accurately described how security tasks were actually performed.

Control Areas of Emphasis

Based on our client’s environment and risk profile, several CMMC domains required deeper focus:

• Audit and Accountability (AU): Centralized logging, log retention, and review processes
• Incident Response (IR): Defined response procedures, roles, escalation paths, and evidence of testing
• Security Assessment (CA): Ongoing self-assessments, POA&M management, and continuous improvement
• Configuration Management (CM): Baseline configurations, change control, and system hardening

TSI guided our client through both the technical implementation and the documentation required to fully satisfy these control families.

Documentation-First Readiness

The System Security Plan (SSP) proved to be the most heavily scrutinized artifact during the assessment process. TSI emphasized a disciplined approach:

• Clearly define who performs each task
• Specify how often the task is performed
• Identify exactly where evidence is stored
• Ensure the SSP precisely matches real-world practices

If the SSP stated that a task occurred every two weeks, there needed to be logs, reports, or records proving it. This “write what you do, and do what you write” philosophy became a cornerstone of our client’s readiness.

Technical Validation and Evidence

Several technical areas required deeper effort to meet assessor expectations:

• Centralized logging and log review
• System and configuration hardening
• Evidence of ongoing monitoring and maintenance

TSI worked closely with our client to ensure these controls were not only implemented, but also supported by consistent, well-organized evidence.

The Assessment Experience

The C3PAO assessment focused heavily on validation. Assessors compared the SSP line-by-line against real evidence, looking to confirm that every stated activity was actually occurring and could be proven.

This reinforced a key lesson for both teams: documentation gaps—even small ones—create risk. Success depended on tight alignment between policy, procedure, and proof.

The Results

Our client emerged from the engagement with a significantly stronger security and compliance posture, supported by processes that will scale with the business.

Key Outcomes Included

• A CMMC-aligned security program grounded in real operational practices
• Clear ownership and accountability across security responsibilities
• Audit-ready documentation mapped directly to evidence
• Improved logging, hardening, and control validation
• Increased confidence engaging with federal customers and partners

Just as importantly, our client now has a framework for maintaining compliance over time rather than scrambling to prepare for future audits.

Lessons Learned: Documentation is Mission Critical

While technical controls matter, this engagement reinforced a truth that applies to every CMMC project: documentation is not optional.

Key takeaways included:

• Start documenting early. Trying to capture everything at the end only leads to gaps and extra work.
• Every control needs both technical implementation and written support
• Clear ownership keeps documentation accurate and current
• Strong documentation dramatically reduces assessment stress

These lessons are now embedded into TSI’s approach for all future CMMC readiness engagements.

Advice for Organizations Pursuing CMMC

CMMC is not a quick fix or a guaranteed outcome. It is a comprehensive security program that affects nearly every part of an organization from IT and engineering to HR and executive leadership.

Organizations should be cautious of vendors promising fast or guaranteed certification. Only a C3PAO can certify an organization, and success depends entirely on actual practices and evidence instead of marketing claims.

The organizations that succeed are those that:

• Commit time, resources, and leadership support
• Focus on building a lasting culture of security
• Partner with experienced, reputable CMMC specialists like our team at TSI

Ready to take the next steps of your compliance journey? Contact us today to learn more!

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.