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Is My Organization Too Small to Need CMMC?
Perhaps you have heard the thought that there are some organizations who are too small to need CMMC. It’s an understandable reaction. CMMC ( Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) sounds like something built for giant primes with security operations centers, armies of compliance staff, and seven-figure IT budgets. If you run a 10-person machine shop, a niche engineering firm, or a small manufacturing outfit, it’s easy to assume CMMC can’t impact you. That is simply not true.
Size Does Not Matter
The first problem with the “too small” argument is that CMMC was never designed around company size. Its purpose is to protect CUI (Controlled Unclassified Information), so headcount and revenue are irrelevant. The Department of War does not classify suppliers as “big” or “small” when it comes to cybersecurity. it classifies information as Federal Contract Information (FCI) or Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). If you create, store, process, or transmit CUI, you are in scope for CMMC. There is no small business exception written into the rule, no carve-out for subcontractors with fewer than 50 employees, and no free pass because your balance sheet is modest.
Anyone Can Experience a Cybersecurity Incident
There’s a second, even more uncomfortable reality. Small businesses can experience more cybersecurity attacks than larger companies. Large defense contractors tend to have dedicated security teams, advanced monitoring tools, and formalized incident response programs. Smaller suppliers typically do not. That makes them the path of least resistance for bad actors.
Over the past several years, some of the most damaging breaches in the defense industrial base have occurred through smaller vendors that were never the headline name on a contract. From an adversary’s perspective, “too small to matter” often translates to “too small to be well-protected.”
The Sooner the Better
There is also a business risk that small companies can overlook. Some businesses are still hoping they can deal with CMMC later. Increasingly, however, prime contractors are mandating CMMC compliance as part of their subcontractor selection process. If you cannot demonstrate compliance, or at least a credible plan to get there, you may simply be cut out of opportunities before you even get to bid. For a small firm that depends on a handful of contracts, that kind of exclusion can be devastating.
Ironically, the belief that you’re “too small” can make compliance more painful, not less. Companies that wait until the last minute could find themselves rushing, overspending, or making poor decisions under pressure. Proactive planning, by contrast, allows small businesses to implement CMMC in a measured, cost-effective way that fits their scale.
Small and Smart
A healthier mindset for small defense suppliers is “We are small, which means we need to be smart.” That doesn’t mean you need to build a Fortune 500-level security program. CMMC is scalable by design, and Level 1 or Level 2 requirements can be implemented in ways that make sense for lean organizations. What matters is understanding your data, assessing your current security posture, and beginning the journey intentionally rather than reactively.
If you are a small business, where are you in your cybersecurity journey? Are you getting ready for a CMMC assessment? Let’s kickstart the conversation. Contact us today.