Let's be real for a second. If you're a small defense contractor staring down CMMC 2.0 Level 2 compliance, you're probably feeling a mix of panic, confusion, and maybe a little bit of "how am I supposed to pull this off?"
You're not alone. 110 security controls across 14 domains. Policies, procedures, technical implementations, employee training, documentation… the list goes on and on. And the clock is ticking.
But here's the thing: there's a smarter way to do this. A way that doesn't involve draining your budget, burning out your team, or spending the next year trying to become a cybersecurity expert overnight.
It's called CPE Level 2, and it's about to become your new best friend.
The CMMC 2.0 Reality Check for Small Businesses
Here's what nobody talks about enough: CMMC 2.0 wasn't designed with small businesses in mind. The requirements are the same whether you're a 10-person machine shop or a massive prime contractor with hundreds of IT staff.
The DoD needs to protect Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and that's completely understandable. But the burden of compliance falls heavy on the little guys: the suppliers, the subcontractors, the specialized manufacturers who make up the backbone of the defense industrial base.
Consider what you're up against:
- 110 security controls aligned with NIST SP 800-171
- At least 6 months of focused effort to achieve compliance (and that's optimistic!)
- Third-party assessments by C3PAOs for contracts involving critical national security data
- Ongoing documentation, monitoring, and annual affirmations
- Significant investment in infrastructure, training, and possibly new hires
Most small businesses don't have a dedicated IT team, let alone a cybersecurity department. So what do you do? Hire consultants? Try to DIY it with guides and YouTube tutorials? Cross your fingers and hope for the best?
The DIY Compliance Trap (And Why It's Costing You More Than You Think)
A lot of small defense contractors start down the DIY path. It seems logical: buy some software, update some policies, train your team, and check the boxes. How hard can it be?
Really, really hard. And expensive. And time-consuming.
Here's what DIY remediation actually looks like:
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Gap analysis – You need to assess your current state against all 110 controls. Do you even know what half of them mean?
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Remediation planning – For every gap, you need a plan. New hardware? New software? New processes? Who's implementing all of this?
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Implementation – Actually deploying technical controls like multi-factor authentication, encryption, network segmentation, continuous monitoring, and more.
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Documentation – Creating a System Security Plan (SSP), policies and procedures, and evidence of implementation. This alone can take months.
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Training – Every employee who touches CUI needs proper training. And you need to document that too.
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Self-assessment – Scoring yourself honestly against the requirements before the real audit.
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POA&M management – Tracking your Plan of Action and Milestones for any gaps that remain.
By the time you add it all up, you're looking at tens of thousands of dollars in consulting fees, plus hardware, plus software licenses, plus countless hours of your team's time. And at the end of it? You're still not 100% sure you'll pass the assessment.
There has to be a better way.
Enter CPE Level 2: The Turnkey Solution That Changes Everything
What if someone handed you a pre-configured, fully compliant environment that already meets all 110 CMMC Level 2 controls?
That's exactly what CPE Level 2 delivers.
CPE Level 2 is a Cybersecurity Protected Enclave: a complete, turnkey solution specifically designed for small to medium defense suppliers who need to protect CUI and achieve CMMC 2.0 Level 2 compliance without losing their minds (or their shirts).
What Makes CPE Level 2 Different?
Let's break down why this isn't just another cybersecurity product:
100% Coverage of CMMC 2.0 Level 2 Requirements – We're not talking about "most" controls or "the important ones." CPE Level 2 covers every single control required for Level 2 compliance. Period.
Pre-Configured and Ready to Deploy – No more piecing together solutions from different vendors. No more hoping everything integrates properly. The enclave arrives configured, hardened, and ready to go.
All-Inclusive Package – Hardware, software, managed security services (MSP/MSSP), security patching, backup, network segmentation, vCISO support, and audit preparation: it's all included.
Audit-Ready in 4 Weeks – You read that right. While most businesses spend 6+ months struggling toward compliance, CPE Level 2 can have you audit-ready in just four weeks.
Verified SPRS Score of 110 – That's a perfect score on the Supplier Performance Risk System. No gaps. No POA&Ms to track. Just clean, verified compliance.
900+ Hardening Steps – The enclave undergoes more than 900 specific cybersecurity hardening steps using a scientific, repeatable methodology.
The Real Cost of Compliance (Spoiler: It's Lower Than You Think)
Here's where things get really interesting for small businesses watching their budgets.
Traditional DIY compliance can easily cost $50,000 to $100,000+ when you factor in consultants, hardware, software, and lost productivity. And that's before you even get to the assessment itself!
CPE Level 2 starts at just $1,299/month for up to 20 users with no upfront cost.
Let that sink in. No massive capital expenditure. No surprise consulting bills. No scrambling to find budget for unexpected requirements.
You get predictable monthly costs for a comprehensive solution that actually works. That's the kind of math that makes sense for small businesses.
Why Local Beats Cloud (Especially for CUI)
A lot of compliance solutions push you toward cloud-based environments. And while cloud has its place, there are serious advantages to the local enclave approach: especially when you're dealing with sensitive defense information:
- Ultra-fast native file transfers – No waiting on internet speeds
- Outage resistance – Your operations don't stop when the internet goes down
- Strict CUI containment – Your sensitive data stays exactly where it should
- Integrated management with AI-driven security – Real-time threat detection and response
- Insider threat resistance – Enhanced controls for internal security
- FIPS encryption – Federal standards compliance baked in
- Optional EMP hardening – For organizations requiring maximum resilience
When a nation-state cyberattack takes down cloud infrastructure, your CPE Level 2 enclave keeps running.
The Competitive Advantage You Can't Ignore
Here's something else to consider: early movers win.
The businesses that achieve CMMC compliance first are going to:
- Secure available C3PAO assessment slots before they're booked solid
- Stand out in contract bids as verified, compliant suppliers
- Demonstrate maturity and reliability to prime contractors and the DoD
- Avoid the last-minute rush when deadlines get tight
Every day you wait, you're falling further behind competitors who are already getting compliant. And with CPE Level 2, you can leapfrog the entire process.
Getting Started Is Easier Than You Think
Feeling overwhelmed is normal. But here's the good news: you don't have to figure this out alone.
The CPE Level 2 deployment process is straightforward:
- Client Onboarding – We learn about your business and specific needs
- CMMC Training – Your team gets up to speed on requirements and procedures
- Operational Security Rollout – Policies and procedures tailored to your organization
- CPE Server Installation – Your enclave gets deployed and configured
- Verification – We confirm everything is working and you're audit-ready
Four weeks from start to finish. That's not a typo: that's the power of a truly turnkey solution.
Stop Struggling. Start Winning.
Small businesses are the heart of the defense supply chain. You deserve a path to compliance that doesn't require you to become a cybersecurity company overnight.
CPE Level 2 gives you enterprise-grade security, complete CMMC 2.0 Level 2 compliance, and audit readiness: all in an affordable, predictable package designed specifically for businesses like yours.
The question isn't whether you can afford to get compliant. It's whether you can afford not to.