A useful readiness checklist starts with scope, identity, endpoints, backups, vendor access, and simple evidence. Fabricators and machine shops usually make progress faster when they review those areas in that order.
CMMC Readiness Checklist for Fabricators and Machine Shops
CMMC stands for Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification. It is a U.S. Department of Defense program intended to help ensure that contractors and subcontractors appropriately protect sensitive federal information.
The best checklist is the one a business will actually use. For fabricators and machine shops, that means focusing on the handful of systems and workflows that control customer data, contract information, and day-to-day access.
This article is for practical readiness guidance only. It is not legal advice, and Sun Life Tech does not guarantee certification, affirmation, or contract outcomes.
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Checklist section 1: Scope and ownership
- List the users, devices, and business systems that touch FCI
- Document who owns each system and who approves access
- Identify outside vendors with remote access or admin privileges
Checklist section 2: Security baseline
- Enable MFA and remove shared logins where possible
- Confirm endpoint protection and patching are active everywhere in scope
- Verify backup jobs and at least one restore test
- Review firewall ownership and admin access
Checklist section 3: Evidence and next steps
Save screenshots, reports, policy documents, and ticket examples as you improve the environment. Sun Life Tech uses that same practical approach when supporting CMMC Level 1 Readiness and a CMMC Level 1 Readiness Review.
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If you want the checklist turned into a real action plan for your shop, start with a structured readiness review instead of a generic template.
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FAQ
Quick answers to common questions.
Yes. A practical readiness checklist helps surface gaps before the team starts answering assessment questions.
The business details differ, but the core readiness areas are usually the same: scope, identity, endpoints, backups, vendor access, and evidence.
That is still useful. The goal is to prioritize the highest-risk gaps first and make the current position supportable over time.
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