CMMC 2.0 readiness, NIST 800-171 implementation, and custom software development for DoD primes and subcontractors. Veteran-owned. SDVOSB pending. Built for the contractors facing the November 2026 Phase 2 deadline.
AI and compliance engineering for the Defense Industrial Base is the implementation of CMMC 2.0 Level 1–2 controls, NIST 800-171 system security plans, and audit-ready documentation alongside the AI and automation systems that DoD primes and subs need to stay competitive. For mid-tier contractors, it closes the gap between commercial productivity and federal compliance posture.
Autom8ion Lab builds custom software, AI capabilities, and CMMC-aligned compliance documentation for DoD prime contractors and subcontractors handling Federal Contract Information (FCI) or Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). The work spans CMMC 2.0 (Levels 1–2, occasionally 3) readiness and remediation, NIST 800-171 controls implementation, custom software development that maintains CMMC posture rather than breaks it, and AI capabilities deployable in CUI environments — RAG systems, document processing, classification tools. We are software builders with an in-house cybersecurity compliance arm; we engineer the controls and produce the documentation your assessor will need.
Buyer profile: DoD prime contractors and subcontractors of all sizes — from small specialty manufacturers to mid-tier system integrators. Especially small to mid-market subcontractors facing the November 2026 CMMC Phase 2 deadline.
CMMC 2.0 Phase 2 lands November 2026. After that date, prime contractors are required to flow CMMC requirements to their subcontractors handling CUI. If your CMMC posture isn't verifiable when a prime asks, you lose eligibility on contracts that previously stayed open. Most DoD subcontractors discover this during a flow-down conversation — usually 6–9 months after they should have started.
Two traps make remediation harder than it needs to be. Consultant-only firms produce policies and procedure templates but don't implement the controls — you end up with a binder full of paper that doesn't match what your environment actually does. Generic IT shops implement controls but don't understand DFARS 252.204-7012 or how a C3PAO assesses, so the controls they install don't produce the evidence your assessor will look for.
The gap is engineering-led firms with cybersecurity compliance expertise — teams that can configure GCC High, write custom software that maintains CMMC posture, generate the SSP and POA&M as the build progresses, and stay through the assessment. That's the work.
A practical, evidence-based assessment of your current state against the 110 NIST 800-171 Rev 2 requirements. Output is a gap report mapped to specific controls (AC-2, AU-2, CM-3, IA-2, IR-4, SI-3, etc.), a prioritized remediation roadmap, and a scoping document that defines your CUI boundary clearly. Not a compliance vendor's template gap report — a working document your team can hand to engineering.
Implementation across all 14 control families: access control, audit logging, configuration management, identification and authentication, incident response, system integrity, and the rest. We write the technical controls in code, configure the platform settings in your tenant, and document each one with a control narrative an assessor can verify against your environment. Where controls require recurring evidence (log retention, vulnerability scans, access reviews), we automate the evidence collection.
A System Security Plan that reflects your real environment, not a templated document. Each control has an implementation statement that names specific systems, configurations, and responsible roles. The POA&M tracks every gap with realistic remediation milestones. Both documents are the artifacts your C3PAO will read first; we produce them as the build progresses, not at the end.
Microsoft 365 GCC High migration is the most common path for DoD subs handling CUI. We handle tenant setup, conditional access policies, DLP rules, audit log configuration with sufficient retention, identity hardening (MFA, PAM patterns), and the boundary configuration that aligns with NIST 800-171 access control and audit families. Migration from commercial M365 includes data classification and the cutover plan.
Custom internal tools, case management, document workflows, and reporting platforms — built so they don't break the CMMC posture you just paid to establish. That means deployed inside your CUI boundary (not in commercial cloud), integrated with your IdP for SSO and access logging, with data classification baked in and audit trails that line up with the AU control family. Software that auditors won't find a gap in.
RAG systems, document classification, AI-assisted SSP authoring, and automated DoD reporting — all deployable inside CUI environments. Local LLMs (Llama, Mistral, custom fine-tunes), private-cloud-hosted commercial models (Anthropic via AWS Bedrock GovCloud, OpenAI via Azure OpenAI Service in GCC High), or air-gapped deployments. No external data transfer; all activity logged to NIST 800-171 audit families.
Automated generation of recurring DoD-facing documentation: contract deliverables, SPRS submissions, monthly status reports, security incident reports. We build the workflow that pulls structured data from authoritative sources, formats it to the required template, and routes for human approval before submission.
We are not currently a CMMC Registered Practitioner Organization (RPO) or a C3PAO. We engineer systems to NIST 800-171 controls and produce the documentation your assessor will need. We work alongside RPO/C3PAO partners when independent assessment is required, and we can refer you to assessment partners.
Specific to how defense industrial base buyers actually evaluate. We don't hide the trade-offs — we tell you when one of the alternatives is the right call.
| Dimension | Autom8ion Lab (engineering) | CMMC RPO / C3PAO consultancy | MSSP / managed security services |
|---|---|---|---|
| What we deliver | Implemented technical controls + System Security Plan + POA&M + evidence package, engineered into your stack | Gap assessment + recommendations + assessment readiness review. Implementation is your team's problem. | Operational monitoring + alerting after the controls already exist. Useful sustainment; not implementation. |
| Role in your CMMC path | We engineer the controls and the documentation. We are NOT a CMMC RPO or C3PAO. We work alongside your assessor when independent assessment is required. | Pre-assessment readiness consulting. Required if you need a registered RPO or C3PAO partner. | Post-implementation operational coverage. Required if you don't have an in-house SOC. |
| Engagement shape | 30-day audit → 4–9 month remediation. Senior engineers stay through assessment prep. | Multi-week assessment + recommendations report + advisory retainer through audit | Monthly retainer; SOC + SIEM + EDR coverage |
| NIST 800-171 control implementation | All 110 controls implemented in your environment, mapped to evidence, documented in SSP form | Identifies gaps; documents what good looks like; hands implementation back to your team | Provides the operational pieces (monitoring, IR, log retention) — not the policy + access-control + system-config controls |
| Federal credentials | Veteran-owned, SDVOSB pending. UEI YY2DR3KSENH7, CAGE 9YCS7. Engineers cleared for unclassified CUI work. | Registered with The Cyber AB. RPO/C3PAO accreditation. | Varies by provider. Many are commercial-only. |
| Best fit | DoD primes and subs that need controls actually implemented and an SSP that survives a C3PAO assessment | Firms that have already implemented controls and need an assessor or pre-assessment review | Firms with controls in place that need ongoing SOC/IR coverage |
Implemented technical controls + System Security Plan + POA&M + evidence package, engineered into your stack
Gap assessment + recommendations + assessment readiness review. Implementation is your team's problem.
Operational monitoring + alerting after the controls already exist. Useful sustainment; not implementation.
We engineer the controls and the documentation. We are NOT a CMMC RPO or C3PAO. We work alongside your assessor when independent assessment is required.
Pre-assessment readiness consulting. Required if you need a registered RPO or C3PAO partner.
Post-implementation operational coverage. Required if you don't have an in-house SOC.
30-day audit → 4–9 month remediation. Senior engineers stay through assessment prep.
Multi-week assessment + recommendations report + advisory retainer through audit
Monthly retainer; SOC + SIEM + EDR coverage
All 110 controls implemented in your environment, mapped to evidence, documented in SSP form
Identifies gaps; documents what good looks like; hands implementation back to your team
Provides the operational pieces (monitoring, IR, log retention) — not the policy + access-control + system-config controls
Veteran-owned, SDVOSB pending. UEI YY2DR3KSENH7, CAGE 9YCS7. Engineers cleared for unclassified CUI work.
Registered with The Cyber AB. RPO/C3PAO accreditation.
Varies by provider. Many are commercial-only.
DoD primes and subs that need controls actually implemented and an SSP that survives a C3PAO assessment
Firms that have already implemented controls and need an assessor or pre-assessment review
Firms with controls in place that need ongoing SOC/IR coverage
No. We are software and AI builders, not assessors. We engineer systems that satisfy NIST 800-171 controls and produce the documentation auditors expect, working alongside your assessor or a partner C3PAO. We can refer you to assessment partners.
Yes. We work with established C3PAO firms when our clients need formal certification assessment. The arrangement is collaborative — we engineer the controls; the C3PAO assesses them.
Most CMMC Level 2 remediation projects run 4–9 months depending on environment complexity, the maturity of existing controls, and the scope of CUI handling. We provide a detailed timeline after a scoping call.
Yes. GCC High migration and configuration is a common engagement type. We handle tenant setup, conditional access policies, DLP rules, audit log configuration, and identity hardening to align with NIST 800-171 access control and audit families.
We can build systems that operate within ITAR-compliant environments (US-person access, controlled boundaries, encryption at rest and in transit). For ITAR registration support and export licensing decisions, we partner with specialized counsel.
Cost varies significantly with environment complexity and existing maturity. We scope each engagement after a discovery call and provide a fixed-price proposal.
Pending. Once certified, we'll be available for SDVOSB-targeted DoD subcontracting opportunities. Many DoD primes have SDVOSB subcontracting goals; we're positioned to support those goals.
We provide additional past performance details and references on a need-to-know basis after a qualifying conversation. See our capability statement for full federal registrations.
Most defense industrial base engagements involve two or three of these working together.
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