CMMC C3PAO Assessment Services
CMMC certification is no longer theoretical—it’s actively showing up in contracts, subcontracts, and is required across the Defense Industrial Base.
Why Experience Matters When Choosing a C3PAO
If your organization handles Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), a C3PAO assessment is the gatekeeper to winning and retaining DoD contracts.
At SSE, we bring something most firms cannot—We’ve lived CMMC from every side of the table:
- As a CMMC Level 2 certified DoD contractor responsible for protecting CUI
- As a Registered Practitioner Organization (RPO), helping other DoD contractors prepare for compliance
- And now, as a C3PAO, authorized to perform Level 2 certification assessments
Perspective and experience matter.
Our expertise comes from supporting hundreds of clients prepare for their CMMC certification assessments, as well as achieving our own CMMC Level 2 certifications. Our team brings deep technical knowledge of every control and objective in addition to the myriad of ways to effectively implement them to every certification assessment. That knowledge and experience is the key to your success and timely completion of the assessment process.
What is a C3PAO & Why Does it Matter for Certification?
Understanding the Role of a C3PAO
A Certified Third-Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO) is the only entity authorized to perform official CMMC Level 2 certification assessments. For certain select programs, the DoD also has the authority to conduct government-led assessments through DCSA/DIBCAC.
If your contract requires Level 2 certification, a C3PAO is not optional.
A C3PAO:
- Reviews your System Security Plan (SSP), policies, and procedures
- Validates your implementation of all 110 practices including all 320 objectives
- Confirms objective evidence exists—not just intent
- Submits results to support certification
This is not a checklist exercise. It is a formal, evidence-based assessment that verifies the cybersecurity practices and maturity for CMMC Level 2 compliance.
Why Independence is Critical
The CMMC framework deliberately separates the advisory role of an RPO from the assessment role of a C3PAO—and for good reason. An organization that helps you prepare for certification cannot also serve impartially as the organization that certifies you. This separation protects the integrity of the certification process and ensures that assessments reflect objective findings, not a consultant’s prior work.
The Cyber AB clearly enforces this distinction: RPOs provide consulting and preparation support, while C3PAOs conduct the official assessment. These roles cannot overlap for the same client for at least three years.
We maintain strict independence in our C3PAO role. Although SSE also operates as an RPO for separate clients seeking preparation support, we do not provide advisory services to any organization we will assess as a C3PAO.
When you engage SSE as your C3PAO, you receive an impartial, evidence-based assessment conducted by assessors whose sole obligation is to evaluate your program accurately and fairly.
Are You Ready for a CMMC Assessment?
Key Indicators of Readiness
If any of these elements are incomplete, certification risk increases significantly. SSE can perform a mock assessment to help you evaluate where you stand before committing to a formal certification timeline.
Before engaging a C3PAO, you should have the following in place:
System Security Plan
A complete and accurate System Security Plan (SSP) that clearly documents your system environment, CUI data flows, and the implementation status of all 110 practices.
Policies and Procedures
Fully implemented and approved policies and procedures that are actively used—not merely drafted, awaiting approval, or sitting on a shelf.
Objective Evidence
Objective evidence—not assumptions—that supports each practice. This may include logs, screenshots, configurations, records, and documentation that demonstrate controls are operational.
System Boundaries
Clearly defined system boundaries and CUI data flows that are documented and understood by your team.
Self-Assessment Score
An objective, evidence based self-assessment score as submitted to the Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS), if applicable, that is consistent with your current security postureSSE’s CMMC Assessment Process
Our assessment methodology follows the official CMMC Assessment Process (CAP) defined by the Cyber AB and DoW. Every step is designed to be predictable, thorough, and documented, giving you a clear understanding of what to expect throughout the assessment.
Our primary goal is to identify potential non-met controls before the certification assessment begins, helping you avoid significant and costly delays. If it becomes evident early in the planning phase that the assessment score will be less than 88, SSE can refer you to several RPOs that can provide consulting and remediation support before the certification assessment is conducted. If transparency and efficiency matter to your organization, SSE is ready to serve as your C3PAO partner.
To protect the impartiality of the assessment, SSE identifies and mitigates any potential conflicts of interest (COI) at the outset. SSE also works with you to ensure that the appropriate non-disclosure agreements are in place.
A successful certification assessment begins with preparation. During this phase, SSE aligns with your organization on scope, documentation, timeline, and expectations before any assessment activity begins.
During Phase 1, SSE will:
- Confirm the assessment scope and system boundaries, including in-scope assets and CUI data flows.
- Review your SSP for completeness and accuracy.
- Identify the documentation and evidence that must be available before the assessment begins.
- Establish a clear assessment timeline and align expectations with your team.
False starts are costly. Organizations that enter Phase 2 without adequate preparation face extended timelines, remediation delays, and, in some cases, failed assessments. Phase 1 is designed to prevent those outcomes
This is the official CMMC Level 2 certification process. SSE conducts a structured, control-by-control evaluation of your security program in accordance with the CMMC Assessment Process (CAP) documentation.
Phase 2 includes:
- On-Site or Virtual Assessment: SSE conducts the formal evaluation of your environment and controls.
- Evidence Collection and Validation: SSE verifies that supporting evidence exists, is current, and is consistent with your SSP.
- Interviews: SSE confirms operational understanding and consistency across your team and, as necessary, with external service providers and cloud service providers.
- Control-by-Control Evaluation: SSE assesses each of the 110 CMMC practices and 320 objectives for implementation, operation, and repeatability.
- Quality Assurance Review: SSE conducts an internal review of findings before reporting.
- CMMC Compliance Determination: SSE determines the formal assessment outcome based on the findings and evidence.
Throughout Phase 2, SSE holds daily meetings with you to summarize assessment progress and coordinate next steps. If practice deficiencies are identified, SSE clearly documents them for your team.
At the conclusion of Phase 2, SSE delivers a preliminary assessment report documenting its findings across all 110 practices.
After conducting a Close-Out briefing with you, SSE formally submits the Certification Assessment results into eMASS for the DoW. The DoW then transmits the certification results to SPRS, where contracting officers can access them to support the award of contracts.
After the DoW confirms SSE’s submission, SSE will issue your Final CMMC Level 2 Certificate if the assessment was successful with a perfect score of 110. If permitted POA&Ms were identified for remediation and the assessment score was greater than or equal to 88, SSE will issue your Conditional CMMC Level 2 Certificate. At your request, SSE will work with you to perform a Close Out Assessment of any POA&Ms within the prescribed 180 days.
Following the CAP, SSE will support clients through any requested appeals or re-evaluations during the certification assessment process.
Meet SSE’s Experienced LCCA Team
Charlie Sciuto, CISSP
Chief Information Security Officer, Chief Technology Officer, and Lead CMMC Certified Assessor
Charlie Sciuto brings more than 25 years of hands-on information technology and cybersecurity experience to SSE’s CMMC assessment practice. Since joining SSE in 2005 as a Network Engineer, Charlie has advanced through the organization into senior leadership roles where he now serves as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Chief Technology Officer (CTO).
Charlie’s background spans network infrastructure design, systems implementation and management, cybersecurity architecture, and the development of secure information systems. This deep technical foundation is especially valuable in CMMC Level 2 certification assessments, where assessors must evaluate not only whether controls are documented, but whether they are effectively implemented and operating as intended in real-world environments.
As SSE’s CISO and CTO, Charlie has led SSE’s cybersecurity initiatives and compliance obligations across the organization, including SSE’s work focused on CMMC, NIST SP 800-171, and NIST SP 800-53 as a DoD contractor. In addition, over the past 5 years, Charlie has helped hundreds of organizations understand and prepare for CMMC requirements through gap assessments performed following the Certification Assessment Process (CAP) as part of SSE’s registered provider organization services.
Charlie’s combination of technical depth, leadership experience, and assessment expertise gives clients confidence that their CMMC Level 2 certification assessment is being performed by someone who understands the controls, the objectives, and the practical realities of implementing cybersecurity requirements across complex contractor environments.
Charlie is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), as well as a Lead CMMC Certified Assessor (Lead CCA), Certified CMMC Professional (CCP), and Registered Practitioner (RP) with The CyberAB. He holds a current security clearance and earned Bachelor’s degrees in Computer Science and Business Management from Webster University.
Chris Martin
Enterprise Information Systems Security Manager and Lead CMMC Certified Assessor
Chris Martin brings practical cybersecurity, compliance, and information systems security experience to SSE’s CMMC assessment team. Chris has direct experience supporting the implementation and management of NIST SP 800-171 requirements, as well as developing and maintaining the security program for SSE’s NIST SP 800-53 activities. This experience gives him a strong understanding of how cybersecurity requirements are implemented, documented, maintained, and assessed within contractor environments responsible for protecting sensitive government information.
Chris brings a disciplined and mission-focused perspective to cybersecurity and compliance work. His background is especially valuable in CMMC Level 2 assessments involving administrative controls, governance, policy development, documentation, and evidence review. He understands that successful assessments depend not only on technical safeguards, but also on clear policies, repeatable processes, and well-maintained security programs.
Chris leverages his experience with NIST SP 800-53, NIST SP 800-171, and CMMC requirements to support thorough, technically informed, and practical assessment activities. His perspective helps ensure that organizations are evaluated with an understanding of both the assessment objectives and the operational realities of implementing cybersecurity controls in the Defense Industrial Base.
Chris holds the Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) certification and has earned Lead CMMC Certified Assessor (Lead CCA), Certified CMMC Professional (CCP), and Registered Practitioner (RP) with The CyberAB. He holds a current security clearance.
We Don’t Just Understand CMMC. We Live It.
CMMC is no longer a future requirement—it is actively shaping contract eligibility today. Demand for C3PAO certification assessments will continue to rise as the DoD rolls out CMMC across the Defense Industrial Base.
We are already seeing:
- CMMC assessment requirements being applied to new and existing contracts.
- Prime contractors enforcing compliance across their supply chains.
- Real consequences for false claims of compliance.
Choosing a C3PAO is a consequential decision. This is where proven experience matters.
With SSE, you engage a team that has:
- Operated as a DoD contractor responsible for protecting CUI under the same requirements we assess.
- Guided hundreds of companies through CMMC preparation as an RPO.
- Achieved a perfect score of 110 in our own assessments (CMMC Level 2 and DIBCAC High).
- Tenured CCA and LCCA employees with a combined 45 years of experience managing compliance with NIST requirements.
