CMMC isn't optional anymore. This is the exact stack a veteran-run shop uses to lock down its network, satisfy the controls, and stay eligible for DoD work — without an enterprise budget or a six-figure consultant.
Each product below maps to a control family your assessment actually grades. Build the layers, document them, keep the contract.
Control what touches your network. A real firewall logs and segments — the ISP box can't.
SC / System & CommsEncrypted, versioned, recoverable data — so ransomware or a dead drive never ends a contract.
MP / Media ProtectionPhishing-proof MFA and managed credentials — the controls assessors fail people on most.
AC · IA / Access & IDSanitize, shield, and account for every device that stores or moves controlled data.
PE / Physical ProtectionThe tools below secure you. This gets you documented and compliant — the part that actually wins and keeps the contract. A done-for-you CMMC / NIST 800-171 kit: SSP, the 20 required policies, a POA&M template, and your SPRS scorer.
Your first control and your best dollar. Segmentation and logging the ISP router simply can't do.
Multi-gig firewall with VLAN segmentation, intrusion detection, and an audit log you can hand an assessor — no monthly fee. The single best move most small shops can make.
Firewall, network controller, and NVR in one rack unit. The dashboard bigger contractors already standardize on when they add seats.
Fanless appliance for a self-hosted pfSense/OPNsense firewall. Total control and full logging for the shop that wants zero black boxes in its boundary.
Encrypted, versioned, recoverable. The control that turns a ransomware hit from a lost contract into a Tuesday.
Encrypted volumes, versioned snapshots, and off-site sync — a private, auditable backup target that no subscription can lock you out of.
NAS-rated drives built for 24/7 duty. Buy in pairs and mirror them — redundancy is what "recoverable" actually means on paper.
Hardware-encrypted, rugged, pocket-sized. Your encrypted off-site copy that satisfies the "protect media in transit" line item.
MFA and managed credentials — the control family assessors fail small shops on more than any other.
Phishing-proof hardware MFA that directly satisfies the multifactor requirement. Buy one per user plus spares for the safe.
Where every unique, managed credential lives — with access logs and provisioning you can show an assessor. Pairs with the YubiKey.
Offline storage for recovery keys, root secrets, and crypto — keys that never touch an internet-connected machine. The definition of "protected."
Sanitize, shield, and account for anything that stores or moves controlled data.
Old drives are a breach in a drawer. Standalone NIST-standard wipe before any device is reused, returned, or retired — with a log to prove it.
Fully blocks cell, GPS, WiFi, and Bluetooth — device control for travel, teardown, or any endpoint that needs to go dark instantly.
Cheap insurance against contactless badge, card, and CAC skimming. The one pick everyone on the team should carry.
Hardware locks the network; software monitors it and covers the human layer. These do the heavy lifting — and keep protecting you every month.
Encrypts every connection off your network — job sites, hotels, remote work. The baseline "transmission protection" control for anyone touching CUI on the road.
Managed credentials with access logs, provisioning, and breach alerts — the identity backbone of your access-control evidence.
Real-time monitoring of the owner's and team's identity, credit, and dark-web exposure — with insurance. The safety net behind everything above.