A Tangible, Defensible Path to Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information
Preparing for CMMC Level 2 can feel overwhelming. Exostar’s CMMC Ready Suite™ brings together secure collaboration technology, identity and access controls, compliance automation, policy generation, and readiness services — aligned to how your organization actually handles CUI.
Organizations that handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) are contractually required to protect it under DFARS 252.204-7012 by implementing the applicable NIST SP 800-171 Revision 2 security requirements. While the Department of War has suspended the planned expansion of CMMC third-party assessments, organizations must still secure where CUI is stored, processed, and transmitted, complete required self-assessments where applicable, maintain documentation, and submit affirmations through SPRS.
Designed to help Defense Industrial Base organizations move faster toward CMMC Level 2 readiness — reducing complexity, lowering total cost of ownership, and avoiding the burden of building and managing a compliant environment in-house.
A GUIDED PATH TO CMMC READINESS
Simplifying the journey to CMMC Level 2
Defense contractors need to protect Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), understand which systems are in scope, document how security controls are implemented, close gaps, organize evidence, and prepare for assessment — often with limited time, budget, and internal compliance resources.
CMMC Level 2 is based on NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 2 security requirements for protecting CUI. The CMMC Ready Suite™ combines the technology needed to secure CUI with the services needed to close gaps and prepare for the applicable self-assessment or C3PAO assessment path.
Source: DoD CIO / 32 CFR Part 170. DoD’s CMMC resources include Level 2 scoping and assessment guidance, SPRS affirmation reminders, and other implementation resources.
THE CHALLENGE
CMMC readiness requires more than software
For organizations that support the Department of Defense, readiness is not a checkbox exercise. It affects how teams collaborate, where sensitive information is stored, how users access systems, and how evidence is documented. Many organizations face the same challenges:
Email, unmanaged devices, and standard commercial tools make it difficult to prove how CUI is protected during assessment.
SSPs, POA&Ms, policies, score reports, and evidence are inconsistent and hard to keep current when done manually.
Internal teams may lack the compliance expertise or bandwidth to manage the full CMMC and NIST SP 800-171 readiness process alone.
Preparing for self-assessment or C3PAO assessment takes services and a practical approach to reducing risk — within real budget and resource constraints.
Older dependent platforms and manual processes are difficult to secure, hard to document, and not built for modern controls.
Operational technology and purpose-built systems cannot be easily modified without affecting production or mission requirements.
Security improvements must balance risk reduction with implementation complexity, operational impact, and the realities of day-to-day business.
THE SOLUTION
Technology + services for CMMC readiness
The CMMC Ready Suite™ provides a practical path to CMMC Level 2 readiness by bringing together the core capabilities needed to secure CUI, manage compliance activities, create assessment-ready documentation, and prepare for the assessment process — aligned to the customer’s CUI use case, readiness maturity, and assessment path.
Identity & Access Management
Strong authentication, role-based access, and secure collaboration with internal and external users.
Secure CUI Collaboration
Store, share, and collaborate on sensitive information inside a managed, auditable environment.
Compliance Automation
Guide self-assessments, calculate SPRS scores, generate SSPs and POA&Ms, and track readiness progress.
Automated Policy Generation
Create policies that reflect how you actually operate — not generic templates.
Professional readiness services
Scoped to the customer’s readiness needs — identify gaps, prioritize remediation, organize evidence, and prepare for the applicable self-assessment.
HANDS-ON SUPPORT
Professional Readiness Services
Scoped to your needs — identify gaps, prioritize remediation, organize evidence, and prepare for the applicable self-assessment or C3PAO assessment process.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Technology components
The suite brings together technology components and readiness services that can be aligned to the customer’s CUI use case, readiness maturity, and assessment path.
| COMPONENT | ROLE IN THE SUITE | CUSTOMER BENEFIT |
| Managed Access Gateway | Authentication, MFA, user management, company and user proofing, and access control for users. | Helps ensure only authorized, verified users can access the CUI collaboration environment. |
| Managed on Microsoft 365™ | A managed, auditable enclave for storing, monitoring, sharing, and securing CUI and ITAR/export-controlled documentation. | Protects CUI while reducing the need to bring local endpoints and broader systems into scope. |
| Managed Secure Desktop™ | A controlled virtual workspace for accessing and working with CUI inside the managed enclave. | Reduces local device exposure and supports a clearer CMMC scope boundary. |
| Secure Exchange™ | Controlled inbound and outbound CUI exchange through approved workflows inside the managed environment. | Reduces reliance on standard email attachments and unmanaged file-sharing for CUI. |
| Certification Assistant™ | Self-assessment, SPRS score calculation, SSP generation, POA&M tracking, and evidence organization. | Reduces manual effort and helps teams stay organized for assessment readiness. |
| PolicyPro™ | Automates cybersecurity policy creation and maintenance across CMMC domains. | Produces more accurate, consistent, assessment-ready policies from real operational inputs. |
IDENTITY & ACCESS · MAG
Secure identity and access for CMMC applications
Exostar’s Managed Access Gateway (MAG) provides the identity and access foundation for CMMC Ready Suite™ — the secure front door for users accessing Exostar’s CMMC-related applications and managed collaboration environments. It combines secure authentication, MFA, company and user proofing, and application-level access workflows so only authorized users with the appropriate credentials can enter.
- User onboarding – Streamlined account creation and enrollment
- Authentication & MFA – One-time password credentials, PKI certificates, third-party credentials such as CAC/PIV, and company credentials through Enterprise Access Gateway
- Access workflows – Centralized gateway for application access, terms and conditions, and single sign-on
- Company proofing – Verification of organizational identity and affiliation
WHAT”S INCLUDED
Services components
- Preparation for CMMC Assessment. Works with CMMC experts on gap analysis, remediation support, documentation and evidence preparation, and readiness planning — giving teams a clearer path to readiness and greater confidence before the applicable assessment begins.
Exostar readiness and assessment support services help customers prepare for and navigate the assessment process. Certification decisions are made through the applicable CMMC assessment process and authorized assessment entities.
SECURE CUI COLLABORATION · MANAGED ON MICROSOFT 365™
A managed, auditable enclave for CUI
At the center of CMMC Ready Suite™ is Exostar’s Managed on Microsoft 365™ — a managed enclave for organizations that need to store, monitor, share, and secure CUI and ITAR/export-controlled documentation without turning their entire corporate network into the compliance boundary. It combines MAG, Microsoft 365 GCC High, and Security Operations Center monitoring so users work in familiar Microsoft tools while Exostar provides identity, governance, monitoring, and managed service capabilities.
Key capabilities
-
Microsoft 365 GCC High enclave managed by Exostar
- Microsoft Teams collaboration for internal & external users
- SharePoint web-based secure document storage & sharing
-
MAG authentication, MFA, company & user proofing
- External org approval, team creation & user invitations
- Role-based access: Sponsor Admins, Team Managers, Members, Partners
- Domain allowlisting & controlled external collaboration
- Compliant File Drop for secure inbound/outbound CUI email
- Download restrictions & controlled data-movement workflows
- Centralized reporting & audit log exports
- 24/7 monitoring via Exostar’s Security Operations Center
AVAILABLE MICROSOFT 365 APPLICATIONS
Familiar tools, security-controlled
Collaboration is supported through a limited, security-controlled set of Microsoft 365 applications:
-
Microsoft Teams
- Microsoft Lists
- SharePoint Online
-
Planner
- Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio & OneNote (web)
MANAGED SECURE DESKTOP™
Controlled access to CUI without expanding endpoint risk
Managed Secure Desktop™ gives users a controlled virtual workspace for accessing and working with CUI inside the managed enclave. Employees, suppliers, and partners can work with sensitive information without CUI spreading across local laptops, inboxes, or unmanaged systems — keeping activity within a more controlled boundary while using familiar Microsoft tools.
- Reduce risk of CUI on unmanaged devices
- Support users actively working with CUI
- Separate CUI workflows from corporate systems
- Enable partner & supplier collaboration safely
- Reduce IT burden of securing every endpoint
- Support a clearer CUI access model
The workspace
Users open a managed virtual desktop instead of working on a local machine.
The files
CUI is opened, edited, and stored inside the enclave — no local copies.
The boundary
Endpoints stay out of scope, so the assessment boundary is clearer.
SECURE EXCHANGE™
Controlled CUI exchange without risky email workarounds
Readiness depends not only on where CUI is stored, but on how it moves between people, teams, partners, and suppliers. Secure Exchange™ helps organizations move CUI through approved inbound and outbound workflows inside the managed environment — instead of standard email attachments or unmanaged file-sharing. CUI can still move when business requires it, but with more structure, control, and visibility.
Inbound
Partners deliver CUI through an approved intake workflow.
Managed enclave
Files land in the secure environment, logged and access-controlled.
Outbound
CUI leaves only through approved, traceable exchange processes.
COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT · CERTIFICATION ASSISTANT™
Assess, document, and track readiness
Certification Assistant™ provides a centralized compliance management platform that guides organizations through NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC self-assessment activities — calculating and tracking the SPRS score, generating key documents, managing POA&Ms, uploading evidence, and monitoring progress over time. It replaces scattered spreadsheets and manual scoring with a structured, centralized process.
- Guided CMMC & NIST SP 800-171 self-assessment
- Automated SPRS score calculation
- SSP generation based on inputs
- POA&M creation & tracking
- Evidence upload & role-based access
- Task assignment & accountability
- MSP & external expert collaboration
- Downloadable reports & readiness artifacts
| WITHOUT | WITH CERTIFICATION ASSISTANT™ |
| Scattered spreadsheets and manual scoring | Guided workflow with automated SPRS scoring |
| Evidence spread across inboxes and drives | Evidence organized against each control |
| SSPs and POA&Ms rebuilt by hand each cycle | Living SSP and POA&M, ready for affirmation |
ASSESSMENT-READY POLICIES · POLICYPRO™
Policies that reflect how you actually operate
Policies are among the most time-consuming aspects of CMMC readiness, and generic templates often fail to reflect how the business operates. PolicyPro™ uses guided questionnaires to capture how the organization handles security practices across CMMC domains, then generates policies from those operational inputs — producing documentation that is more consistent, easier to maintain, and better aligned to real-world processes.
- Guided questionnaires across CMMC domains
- Structured data capture tied to requirements
- Automated policy generation
- CSV export for offline SME collaboration
- Bulk import of SME responses
- Progress tracking by domain
- Integrated policy editing & ingest existing policies
- Ongoing maintenance as the environment evolves
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Expert support where software can’t reach
Technology can accelerate readiness, but customers still need help interpreting requirements, defining scope, validating documentation, prioritizing gaps, organizing evidence, and preparing teams for assessor review. Exostar’s CMMC Assessment Readiness Professional Services support the full journey — from current-state review through assessment preparation.
- CMMC Level 2 readiness review
- Gap analysis
- Control implementation guidance
- SSP and POA&M support
- Evidence review and organization
- Remediation planning
- Shared responsibility guidance
- Policy and documentation review
- Assessment preparation & readiness conversations
HOW CMMC READY SUITE™ WORKS TOGETHER
Supporting the full readiness lifecycle
- Control user access. MAG and MFA support secure authentication for internal and external users.
- Secure the CUI environment. Managed on Microsoft 365™ provides the enclave; Managed Secure Desktop™ limits CUI activity on local devices.
- Assess current readiness. Certification Assistant™ guides the organization through self-assessment and readiness tracking.
- Generate and organize documentation. Generate SSPs, manage POA&Ms, track scores, upload evidence, and organize readiness artifacts.
- Create assessment-ready policies. PolicyPro™ automates policy creation using real operational inputs across CMMC domains.
- Identify & close gaps. Professional services evaluate gaps, prioritize remediation, and support control implementation.
- Prepare for the assessment path. Readiness services organize evidence and align SSP content, policies, and supporting artifacts so they are complete and consistent.
- Maintain readiness over time. Ongoing compliance management, policy updates, secure collaboration, and documentation maintenance.
CMMC READY SUITE™ PACKAGES
A flexible technology + services model
Every organization’s CMMC journey is shaped by how CUI moves through the business. The suite is designed to align to the customer’s actual CUI use case and readiness needs — so customers don’t overbuy or navigate the process alone.
Technology packages — based on how CUI is used
| TECHNOLOGY PACKAGE | BEST FIT & WHAT SCALES |
| Tier 1 Up to 10 Users | Same secure technology stack, sized for small teams |
| Tier 2 Up to 20 Users | Same secure technology stack, sized for growing teams |
| Tier 3 Up to 50 Users | Same secure technology stack, sized for larger organizations |
Professional services packages — based on readiness complexity
| SERVICES PACKAGE | BEST FIT & WHAT SCALES |
| Tier 1 Simple CUI data flow | All CUI stored, processed, and transmitted within the Exostar solution. |
| Tier 2 Defined external data flows | For broader CUI workflows and moderate remediation needs. Small organizations with one or two CUI data flows outside the enclave. |
| Tier 3 Complex, multi-site scope | In-depth engagement: scoping how CUI moves, training, assessment, remediation, and support. |
GETTING STARTED
How Exostar recommends the right package
Exostar recommends the right combination of technology and services based on the customer’s CUI workflows, scope complexity, readiness maturity, internal resources, and assessment timeline. The goal is to help customers understand why CMMC complexity affects scope, effort, and cost — without forcing them to overbuy or navigate the process alone.
KEY BENEFITS
Why organizations choose CMMC Ready Suite™
Faster path to readiness
Less time stitching together tools, consultants, and infrastructure.
Lower total cost of ownership
Bundled technology and services reduce fragmented, surprise costs.
Reduced compliance scope
Isolating CUI in a managed enclave limits systems in scope.
Assessment-ready documentation
SSPs, POA&Ms, policies, evidence lists, and score reports.
Secure partner collaboration
Work with primes, subs, suppliers, and partners under stronger controls.
Less internal IT burden
Exostar manages key platform operations so you do’t have to.
IDEAL USE CASES
Built for organizations that…
- Handle or expect to handle CUI
- Need to prepare for CMMC Level 2
- Support DoD contracts or subcontracting
- Collaborate securely with primes & suppliers
- Want to reduce CUI exposure across their environment
- Don’t want to build their own GCC High environment
- Need help generating SSPs, POA&Ms, policies & evidence
- Have limited internal cybersecurity resources
- Want a predictable, packaged path to readiness
- Need both technology and services support
WHY EXOSTAR
A trusted partner to the Defense Industrial Base
Exostar is a trusted partner for organizations operating in highly regulated industries and complex partner ecosystems. With deep experience supporting the Defense Industrial Base, Exostar delivers purpose-built solutions that help organizations collaborate securely, manage identity and access, and simplify compliance. CMMC Ready Suite™ reflects that experience — bringing together secure collaboration, identity, compliance automation, documentation and policy generation, and professional services in one readiness-focused solution.
A tangible, defensible path to CMMC readiness.
Exostar’s CMMC Ready Suite™ gives Defense Industrial Base organizations a tangible, defensible path by combining the technology needed to protect CUI with the services needed to close gaps, organize documentation, and support ongoing self-assessments and affirmations. With tiered technology and services, Exostar helps customers align the right package to their CUI workflows, scope complexity, readiness gaps, and internal resources — without overbuying or navigating the journey alone.