Leverage our extensive federal expertise
As an Authorized C3PAO and CMMC Approved Training Provider, A-LIGN brings federal depth few assessors can match – certifications that hold up under prime and government scrutiny, protecting the DoD revenue your business depends on. Aerospace, defense, manufacturing, and IT services organizations trust A-LIGN for one reason: assessments that are defensible when it counts.
Talk to an expert
Built for scrutiny
False Claims Act settlements rose 233% YoY in 2025. A weak certification is no longer a quality concern, it is a liability. That's why every A-LIGN assessment follows a documented scoping, evidence verification, and control testing methodology purpose-built for compliance defensibility. Our multi-credentialed assessors take the time to understand your business and deliver certifications that hold up to scrutiny.
Built to avoid the bottleneck
Fewer than 600 CCAs. An estimated 80,000 contractors needing Level 2 certification. The math isn't in your favor – and every month of delay narrows the window. A-LIGN kicks off engagements in 8 to 12 weeks, faster than the industry average.
Federal depth with full-program breadth
1,000+ federal assessments since 2013, including FedRAMP and GovRAMP authorizations for the most complex government environments. Beyond federal, A-LIGN brings your full compliance program under one roof – SOC 2, ISO 27001, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and penetration testing (including OT) – so every framework benefits from shared evidence and a single partner.
Achieve CMMC compliance with a top C3PAO
Deep experience across FedRAMP, NIST, and other rigorous federal frameworks means A-LIGN knows what CMMC compliance takes. We help you close gaps proactively, reducing risk and strengthening your cybersecurity posture before the assessment begins.
Contact usReadiness Assessment
A pre-certification simulation that reviews scope, policies, evidence, and procedures, surfacing gaps before the formal C3PAO assessment, when they’re ready for remediation.
Level 1 Advisory
Level 1 self-attestation still carries real accountability. A-LIGN reviews your documentation and supports your annual affirmation, so contractors handling FCI can attest with confidence, not guesswork.
Level 2 Advisory
When your contracting officer permits Level 2 self-assessment, A-LIGN makes sure you get it right – expert guidance through the process, including SPRS scoring and submission, so your score reflects reality and holds up if questioned.
Level 2 Certification
Cyber AB-authorized C3PAO certification for contractors handling CUI; the milestone your DoD contracts depend on. This is the highest-stakes step in the CMMC journey, and the one where your choice of assessor matters most.
CMMC Training
Cyber AB-approved training delivered under A-LIGN’s CAICO ATP authorization. Build CMMC expertise inside your own team so that compliance knowledge lives in your organization, not just your vendor’s.
Interim Assessment
Certification isn’t the end of the road. CMMC requires self-assessments in years two and three, with results reported to the federal government. A-LIGN’s efficient, comprehensive assessments give you objective assurance that your controls still meet the standard, year after year.
A-LIGN by the numbers
Compliance doesn’t end at the assessment
Contact us
The challenge
Throughout the three-year certification cycle, CMMC requires an annual affirmation. This affirmation needs to be signed by a senior official, stating that all CMMC requirements remain fully implemented and maintained. An inaccurate affirmation can create real risk, including False Claims Act exposure, which the Department of Justice has repeatedly pursued with financial penalties in cybersecurity cases tied to overstated compliance.
/ 1
The solution
With our CMMC Interim Assessment, you maintain uninterrupted contract eligibility, legal defensibility, and operational readiness, ensuring you are always prepared for future certification. You gain trusted, credible validation from a leading, high-quality C3PAO, reduce risk and protect your organization from legal ramifications, and safeguard a critical revenue stream to retain your DoD contract.
/ 2
Assessors who understand your environment
From prime contractors to the MSPs and institutions that support them, organizations across the defense supply chain choose A-LIGN as their C3PAO.
“From the beginning, it was evident that the A-LIGN team understood both the technical and governance dimensions of CMMC. A-LIGN offered the perfect balance RHTG required – a fair and rigorous assessment without unnecessary friction.”
Learn moreCEO
Jason Vanzin
Right Hand Technology Group
“We chose A-LIGN for their competitive cost and timing – A-LIGN met the timeline we needed for CMMC certification. The costs were well under some of the other vendors we reached out to. The team was very professional and informed.”
Chief Information Officer
John Corby
The University of Akron
“When CMMC was introduced, ConRes made a goal to become one of the first organizations to obtain certification. Working with A-LIGN from the beginning gave us the confidence to navigate our very first CMMC assessment and ultimately had a profound impact on our certification success.”
Learn moreChief Technologist
Paul Begley
Continental Resources
“What stood out the most was how clearly A-LIGN set expectations during our initial CMMC engagement. Their upfront guidance eliminated surprises and made the entire process smoother and faster than we anticipated.”
Learn moreCEO
Larry Burbano
GRS Technology Solutions
Support for your compliance journey
From guides to whitepapers, we've got the resources to move your compliance program forward.
View resources
Frequently asked questions
Do we need a C3PAO, or can we self-attest?
Only Level 1 (FCI) is self-assessment. Level 2 contracts that involve Controlled Unclassified Information require certification by an Authorized C3PAO, and an affirming official must legally attest to ongoing compliance with personal liability. If your contracts touch CUI, C3PAO certification is the path, not self-attestation.
Are Year 2 and Year 3 assessments mandatory?
The interim annual assessments are technically optional, but the affirming official must sign an annual attestation every year of the three-year cycle, with legal exposure under the False Claims Act. Most leaders want independent validation before signing, which is why annual surveillance has become the practical standard.
We already have an implementation partner. Do we still need readiness?
If your partner has taken multiple clients through successful Level 2 certification, readiness may not add much. If implementation is internal or first-time, an independent readiness assessment surfaces gaps before formal assessment, when remediation is still cheap. A-LIGN remains independent as your C3PAO and can refer remediation to your existing partner.
What happens if we fail the assessment?
Level 2 assessments are not pass-fail in a single moment. Findings are documented control by control, and contractors typically have a defined window to remediate gaps and demonstrate corrected evidence before the final certification decision. A-LIGN’s scoping and evidence methodology is built to identify issues early so you reach certification rather than restart.