CMMC 2.0 Penetration Testing
NIST SP 800-171 and DFARS evidence for the defense supply chain — testing the boundary that protects controlled unclassified information.
How testing supports CMMC 2.0
CMMC 2.0 now gates the ability to hold DoD contracts. Level 2 aligns to the 110 controls of NIST SP 800-171, several of which — around boundary protection, access control and system integrity — are best evidenced by testing rather than documentation. A single compromised subcontractor is a well-documented path into a larger program, which is exactly why the boundary protecting controlled unclassified information has to be verified.
What a test evidences
A single engagement produces evidence across these areas of CMMC 2.0.
CUI boundary
Testing the segmentation and access controls that separate CUI from the rest of your environment.
Access control (3.1)
Whether the least-privilege and authorization controls 800-171 requires actually work.
System integrity (3.14)
Boundary protection and monitoring, tested from the position of an intruder.
Assessment readiness
Evidence a C3PAO assessor can use, mapped to the relevant 800-171 controls.
Evidence for every framework at once
Most organizations answer to several frameworks, not one.
We scope a single penetration test so its findings and evidence serve CMMC 2.0 alongside the other standards your auditors, customers and insurers ask about — instead of running overlapping engagements for each.
| Finding | Severity | Maps to |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-tenant data access | Critical | CMMC |
| Over-privileged access | High | CMMC |
| Weak session handling | Medium | CMMC |
CMMC 2.0 testing, answered
Is a penetration test required for CMMC?
800-171 does not mandate a penetration test by name, but testing is the most direct way to evidence several boundary and access-control requirements, and assessors look favorably on it. It also finds the gaps before an assessment does.
Can you help subcontractors specifically?
Yes. Subcontractors handling CUI carry the same obligations and are a common attack path into primes. We scope to the CUI boundary regardless of organization size.
Other frameworks we test against
SOC 2
Independent testing evidence for the Common Criteria and the vendor questionnaires that gate enterprise deals.
PCI DSS 4.0
Requirement 11.4 internal and external testing, plus segmentation validation where you rely on it.
HIPAA
The technical half of a Security Rule risk analysis for providers, payers and digital health.
Testing for CMMC 2.0?
Tell us the framework and the deadline. We scope to the evidence your assessor needs.