Fortwise pairs expert CMMC advisors with an AI platform that finds every gap, generates assessment-ready evidence, and keeps you continuously ready — without ever storing your CUI.
Led by credentialed CMMC practitioners
advisors who’ve been through the assessment
The challenge
Most defense contractors hit the same three walls. Fortwise clears all three.
110 controls, dense language, and no obvious starting point — teams stall before they begin.
Hourly engagements that drag on while contract deadlines close in.
Screenshots in folders. When the assessor asks, nothing maps cleanly to a control.
From single-site subcontractors to distributed enterprises — Fortwise meets defense contractors wherever they are on the path to CMMC.
Meet the CMMC flow-downs your prime requires — without the guesswork.
Roll compliance up across distributed facilities and business units.
Protect CUI on the shop floor and in engineering with audit-ready proof.
One system of record for controls, evidence, and assessments — so nothing falls through the cracks before your C3PAO arrives.
Fortwise tracks each artifact by metadata, hash, and link — mapped to the exact control it satisfies. Your sensitive files stay where they are; the assessor still gets a complete, verifiable trail.
Score all 110 NIST 800-171 controls and watch readiness climb in real time.
110controls tracked
The platform scores your environment against the framework and flags what's blocking certification — prioritized by risk.
Plain-English tasks with owners and due dates. No security jargon, no guesswork.
Generate your SSP and POA&M on demand — formatted the way C3PAOs expect to receive them.
Your dedicated advisor
Credentialed CMMC practitioner
Fortwise is led by people, not a portal. Every engagement is run by a dedicated CMMC advisor who knows the controls, the assessors, and what “good” looks like — while the platform handles the evidence, documentation, and tracking behind the scenes.
The Fortwise difference
A readiness program designed around how CMMC assessments are really conducted — so the work you do holds up when the assessor arrives.
Step-by-step roadmaps map every control to proof a C3PAO will accept — not generic advice or a checklist you're left to interpret.
No auditor conflicts. Our only stake is your readiness, so the whole program is engineered around passing the assessment.
A long-term model that survives staff turnover — and keeps your CUI inside your environment, so your exposure stays low year after year.
Why it matters
As CMMC requirements roll into DoD contracts, certification is becoming the price of admission across the supply chain. The contractors who get ready first are the ones still bidding.
An advisor-led readiness assessment maps your environment against every applicable control, so you know exactly where you stand.
Close gaps with a prioritized roadmap. The platform generates your SSP and POA&M while your advisor keeps the work moving.
A mock assessment pressure-tests your evidence the way a C3PAO will — so there are no surprises on assessment day.
Continuous monitoring keeps controls and evidence current through staff turnover, audits, and reassessment.
110
NIST SP 800-171 controls we get you ready for
320
assessment objectives mapped to evidence (800-171A)
14
control families, baseline to assessment
2
CMMC 2.0 levels supported — Level 1 & Level 2
NEWS · JUL 2, 2026
Phase 2 of the CMMC rollout begins November 10, 2026 — and third-party Level 2 assessments start appearing in new DoD solicitations. Here's what changes, who it hits first, and the backward timeline to certify.
ARTICLE · JUN 24, 2026
The DoD says roughly $105K. Consultants quote wildly different numbers. Here's an honest breakdown of what actually drives CMMC Level 2 cost — and the levers small contractors can pull to bring it down.
ARTICLE · JUN 10, 2026
Tens of thousands of contractors need a Level 2 assessment. Only a few dozen organizations can perform one. Here's how bad the C3PAO bottleneck is, how early to book, and how to be the client assessors say yes to.
CMMC, answered
Plain answers to the questions defense contractors ask us most.
CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) is the U.S. Department of Defense program that verifies defense contractors protect sensitive government information. It requires contractors in the Defense Industrial Base to implement and prove specific cybersecurity practices before they can win or keep DoD contracts. CMMC 2.0 has three levels, with Level 1 covering Federal Contract Information (FCI) and Level 2 covering Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).
Any company that handles Federal Contract Information or Controlled Unclassified Information under a DoD contract needs CMMC — including subcontractors. If CMMC requirements appear in your contracts or your primes are asking about your status, you need a certification path now.
CMMC Level 2 is the certification level required for contractors that handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). It covers 110 security requirements aligned with NIST SP 800-171 and, for most contracts, requires a third-party assessment by a C3PAO every three years, with annual affirmations in between.
Most contractors need 6 to 18 months from a standing start, depending on their current security posture and which level they need. A structured readiness program with clear deliverables — SSP, POA&M, and an SPRS plan — shortens this significantly.
A C3PAO (CMMC Third-Party Assessment Organization) is a company authorized by the Cyber AB to conduct official CMMC Level 2 assessments. Fortwise is deliberately not a C3PAO — that independence means no conflict of interest, and you can certify with any authorized assessor you choose.
SPRS (Supplier Performance Risk System) is the DoD database where contractors report their NIST SP 800-171 self-assessment scores. Contracting officers check SPRS before awards, so an accurate, defensible score directly affects your eligibility for DoD work.
A POA&M (Plan of Action and Milestones) documents the security requirements you haven't fully implemented yet, along with how and when you'll close each gap. Under CMMC 2.0, limited use of POA&Ms is allowed at assessment, but items must be closed within 180 days.
An SSP (System Security Plan) describes your system boundary, how CUI flows through your environment, and how each NIST SP 800-171 requirement is implemented. It is the foundational document assessors review first — without a credible SSP you cannot pass a CMMC Level 2 assessment.
Book a call and we’ll map your gaps and hand you a clear path to CMMC certification — with an expert advisor, not a sales pitch.
One-on-one with a CMMC advisor · No obligation · We never store your CUI
