You just landed your first DoD contract opportunity. The technology is solid. The team is ready. The proposal looks fantastic. Then you see it buried in the requirements: CMMC 2.0 Level 2 compliance mandatory.
Suddenly, you're drowning in acronyms, NIST SP 800-171, CUI, SSP, POA&M, C3PAO, and wondering if you just bit off more than you can chew. Here's the truth: only 1% of defense contractors are fully prepared for CMMC enforcement right now. Most startups either underestimate the timeline, blow their budget on consultants, or worse, lose the contract entirely because they couldn't prove compliance in time.
But it doesn't have to be that way.
The Startup CMMC Trap
New defense suppliers face a brutal catch-22. You need contracts to grow, but you need CMMC compliance to win contracts. Traditional compliance paths cost anywhere from $50,000 to $200,000+ and take 6-12 months minimum. For a startup operating on tight margins and tighter timelines, that's a death sentence.
Phase 1 enforcement is happening right now (through November 2026), and Phase 2, which requires third-party assessments, kicks in this fall. That means your window to get compliant and competitive is shrinking fast. Waiting until summer 2026 to start your compliance journey? You're already too late.
Most startups make one of three fatal mistakes:
- They try to DIY it using generic checklists and YouTube videos, only to fail their assessment
- They hire expensive consultants who deliver 300-page documents but no actual working controls
- They go with cloud-only solutions that leave gaps in physical security, insider threats, and operational procedures
Any of these paths burns months and tens of thousands of dollars, and you still might not pass.
Enter the New Defense Supplier Startup Package
We've been doing NIST and CMMC compliance since 1993, before most of these frameworks even existed. Over three decades, we've refined a methodology that gets new defense suppliers from zero to CUI-ready in just 2 weeks for $999.
Yes, you read that right. Two weeks. Under a grand.
The New Defense Supplier Startup Package (NDSSP) isn't some watered-down compliance starter kit. It's a full-spectrum, battle-tested approach that gets you operationally ready to handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) using our proven "Crawl, Walk, Run!" methodology.
The "Crawl, Walk, Run!" Approach Explained
Here's how we get you from startup to CUI-ready in 14 days:
Crawl: Operational Security Foundation (Days 1-5)
We start with operational security procedures: the human and process side of CMMC compliance. This includes:
- Access control policies and role-based permissions
- Incident response procedures tailored to your startup's size
- CUI handling protocols including proper labeling, storage, and disposal
- Security awareness training for your entire team
- Password management and multi-factor authentication (MFA) implementation
- Audit logging requirements and evidence collection procedures
This isn't theoretical documentation. We implement working processes that your team can execute immediately. You'll have defensible evidence of operational controls before we ever touch hardware.
Walk: Physical Security Deployment (Days 6-10)
Once your team knows how to handle CUI properly, we deploy the physical infrastructure. This is where most startups stumble: trying to cobble together commercial-grade equipment and hope it meets NIST SP 800-171 requirements.
Instead, we provide Enclave Establishment Security Reference Architecture-enabled hardware: purpose-built systems designed specifically for CMMC 2.0 Level 2:
- FIPS 140-2 validated encryption at rest and in transit
- Hardware-based security modules that resist insider threats
- Air-gapped CUI storage completely isolated from the internet
- Physical tamper detection and environmental controls
- Native file transfer performance (no cloud latency or subscription fees)
We ship preconfigured, audit-ready systems. Your team plugs them in, follows the operational procedures from Week 1, and you're protecting CUI the same day.
Run: Assessment Preparation (Days 11-14)
The final phase prepares you for formal assessment. We help you compile:
- System Security Plans (SSP) with architecture diagrams and data flows
- Asset inventories tied to specific security controls
- Evidence artifacts showing each control is operational
- POA&M documentation (if applicable, though our approach minimizes gaps)
- Risk management and continuous monitoring procedures
You're not just compliant on paper: you're operationally ready. When the C3PAO assessor shows up, your team can demonstrate working controls, not just promises and plans.
Why $999 and 2 Weeks Isn't Too Good to Be True
We know what you're thinking. If traditional compliance takes 6 months and costs $100K+, how do we do it in 2 weeks for under a thousand dollars?
Three reasons:
1. We've done this thousands of times. Since 1993, we've been implementing NIST frameworks for defense suppliers. We know every control, every assessment criteria, and every shortcut that doesn't compromise security. Our methodology is scientifically tested and audit-proven.
2. We built purpose-specific infrastructure. Our hardware and software aren't general-purpose IT systems retrofitted for compliance. They're designed from the ground up to meet NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC 2.0 Level 2 requirements. No customization. No workarounds. Just compliance.
3. We eliminate waste. Traditional consultants bill hourly and drag projects out. We deliver fixed-scope, fixed-price packages because we know exactly what you need and how long it takes. No surprises. No scope creep.
Unbreakable Since 1993
Here's something we're proud of: we've never had a client fail an assessment when they've followed our methodology. Not in 1993. Not in 2003. Not in 2026.
That's because we don't do compliance theater. We don't create pretty documents that crumble under audit scrutiny. We build operational, defensible security architectures that protect your client's data, your reputation, and your contracts.
Our systems have survived:
- DoD wartime readiness evaluations
- Third-party penetration testing
- Insider threat scenarios
- Natural disaster simulations
- Supply chain attacks
They're not just compliant. They're unbreakable.
What Happens After the 2 Weeks?
The NDSSP gets you CUI-ready, but CMMC compliance isn't a one-time checkbox: it's continuous. That's why most of our NDSSP clients transition to our CPE Level 2 solution, which provides:
- Full CMMC 2.0 Level 2 coverage across all 110 requirements and 320 objectives
- Ongoing monitoring and updates as NIST Rev. 3 and DoD policies evolve
- AI-obfuscated data workflows using our Yoo-Jin AI (no Big Tech data harvesting)
- Audit-ready documentation maintained automatically
- 24/7 threat intelligence updates and security patching
Monthly pricing starts at $1,299 for up to 20 users with our standard 4-week deployment. Choose an 8-week deployment and save $100/month.
But even if you're not ready for the full enclave yet, the NDSSP gives you everything you need to bid on and win your first CUI contract. You'll have operational controls, physical security, and documentation that satisfies contract requirements and primes.
The Clock Is Ticking
Phase 2 enforcement begins in November 2026. That's nine months away. If you wait until summer, you'll be scrambling: and likely priced out by the flood of startups all trying to get compliant at once.
Act now, and you'll have working CMMC compliance before most of your competitors even understand the requirements. You'll be bidding on contracts they can't touch. You'll be building relationships with primes who need CUI-ready subs. You'll be growing while they're still figuring out their gap assessments.
The defense industrial base needs innovative startups like yours. Don't let CMMC compliance become the barrier that keeps you out.
Get Started Today
The New Defense Supplier Startup Package is available now. For $999 and 2 weeks of focused implementation, you'll be CUI-ready and contract-competitive.
Contact us:
📧 CMMC@PLANETSECURITY.NET
📞 702-508-2338
🌐 planetsecurity.net/new-defense-supplier-startup-package
We've been doing this since 1993. We're unbreakable. And we're ready to help you win that first defense contract without letting CMMC compliance kill your momentum.
Crawl. Walk. Run. Let's get you moving.
Planet Security Inc. | CYBER • ENERGY • WATER
Proven compliance solutions for defense suppliers since 1993