For many organizations, the hardest part of CMMC isn’t implementing security controls — it’s figuring out what exactly the security controls are asking for.
The language of NIST 800-171 can be dense and confusing, and organizations are often left guessing what’s required of them. This is why many turn to external consultants, but this is a costly investment that might not always be possible.
Understanding NIST 800-171 without hiring costly consultants is possible, though, with GRC tools that have built-in guidance (the right kind) embedded into them.
Understanding the Problem
At first glance, CMMC controls might seem straightforward enough.
For instance, “limit unsuccessful logon attempts.” Simple, right?
But how strict does that limitation need to be? Is locking an account after 10 failed attempts enough? What if the system doesn’t technically “lock,” but delays access? Does that meet the requirement? What qualifies as evidence? Do you need a configuration setting, a policy document, or both?
This lack of clarity, unfortunately, is the case for many of CMMC’s 110 controls and 320 objectives. Without clear direction, most organizations are forced to interpret requirements based on whatever context they can find. Sometimes that comes from previous experience, and sometimes from forums, outdated articles, or half-answered Reddit threads.
And while consultants or internal staff who have assessor-level experience can help answer these questions, not every organization has those resources available. So then what happens?
In most cases, CMMC turns into a guessing game. You don’t realize where you fall short until you’re already being assessed, which leads to a scramble to remediate findings and generate POA&Ms. This reactive approach introduces stress, delays, and risk — especially for companies with DoD contracts that can’t afford last-minute surprises.
Finding Guidance Online
You might think you can solve this with a quick Google search. But most online resources are high-level, outdated, or inconsistent. You’ll often find recycled summaries of NIST 800-171 that simply restate the control language without interpreting it. Other times, you’ll find one-off examples from community forums that don’t apply to your environment.
There’s also no easy way to verify that the information is accurate. Guidance from a random blog post might sound good in theory, but if it doesn’t align with how certified assessors are trained to evaluate the control, it won’t help you during your actual assessment.
The Solution: a GRC Tool with Built-in Guidance
Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) tools are typically used to manage cybersecurity frameworks like CMMC. They help you centralize documentation, track control implementation, and collect evidence. But what if a GRC tool could also walk you through every control with the same level of detail you’d expect from a consultant?
That’s exactly what CUIComply is designed to do.
For each of the 110 NIST 800-171 controls, CUIComply provides a detailed walkthrough — created by Certified CMMC Assessors — that includes:
- A breakdown of the overall meaning and intent of the control
- Insights into how assessors interpret the control
- A list of implementation examples of ways to meet the control
- Specific evidence/artifacts to prepare for assessors
- Connections to related or overlapping controls
Unlike most resources out there, CUIComply’s guidance isn’t just repackaged NIST language. Instead, it’s real-world guidance from assessors who have evaluated dozens of environments and know what separates a passing implementation from a failing one.
An additional advantage to CUIComply’s built-in guidance is that it’s embedded directly into your workflow on the platform, so your team doesn’t have to leave the tool or search externally for answers.
And because it’s baked into the workflow, it supports consistency across the organization. You don’t have to rely on tribal knowledge or try to keep track of one-off answers someone found in a Slack thread six months ago.
Why it Matters
CUIComply’s built-in guidance cuts through the gray area of CMMC.
With a step-by-step walkthrough for every control, CUIComply enables you to spend less time guessing and more time making real progress. Whether your team lacks internal expertise or simply wants clearer answers, CUIComply helps level the playing field by putting expert support directly at your fingertips.
Here are some of the ways organizations benefit from CUIComply’s guidance:
- Spend less time guessing and more time executing
- Avoid over- or under-interpreting the requirements
- Prepare faster and with more confidence
- Build shared understanding across technical and non-technical teams
What the Guidance Looks Like
Here’s a video example of what you can expect. You’ll learn how assessors interpret the control, how to implement it in your environment, what evidence you need to collect, and more.
Prefer written guidance? CUIComply has that too — here’s an example.
Get Started
If you’re tired of guessing what controls mean or wondering whether your approach is satisfactory, it’s time to get support. Try CUIComply for free to see how the platform and its built-in guidance works.