To say CMMC certification is a monumental task to plan, implement changes for all 320 CMMC assessment objectives, and eventually have assessed would be an understatement.  Summit 7’s managed GRC Advisory service, Commander, is a one-stop shop that changes CMMC from a “you” problem to a “we” problem. 

Commander Case Study 

One of our favorite examples of what Commander can do is one of our first. In 2021, RIB U.S. Cost, a long-standing leader in construction cost estimating for federal projects, experienced a breach. A hard drive tied to an affiliate was compromised. No data was lost, but the incident involved Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and was costly and destabilizing. 

“We spent more in a month with forensics than I spend in a year now with Summit 7,” said Suzanne Moltzen, CEO of RIB U.S. Cost. “That was the moment I realized, we can’t afford not to take this seriously.” 

Though RIB U.S. Cost had already implemented many best practices, most of its compliance know-how lived in Suzanne’s head. That became a liability as they faced increasing pressure to meet CMMC Level 2 requirements. Suzanne knew what needed to be done but lacked the structure and resources to scale it. 

“Even if we’re doing the right things, we need to be able to show that we’re doing the right things,” she explained. “Commander Managed GRC helped us translate that into policy and documentation.”  

Commander Managed GRC: Your Trusted Guide for CMMC Certification 

Commander is Summit 7’s new Managed Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) advisory solution, empowering DoW Contractors to build a fully compliant and sustainable cybersecurity program. With dedicated guidance, Commander offers in-depth support while clearly defining responsibilities. Your organization remains responsible for compliance, but expert consultants provide direct support and strategic oversight to meet every requirement. 

For many DoW contractors, compliance feels like climbing Everest alone, with countless steps, a complex map, and uncertainty about where to start. Even when those steps are broken down, the path forward can remain overwhelming. (There’s a joke in here somewhere about us helping you reach the summit, but we’ll spare you.) 

Commander is your trusted guide for compliance: offering step-by-step oversight through the entire compliance journey. At any given moment, you’re not alone in navigating CMMC and NIST SP 800-171. 

We’ll stick with you all the way to the top. Summit 7 will even join you to support during your assessment.  

Unifying Technology, Security, and Compliance Under One Program 

Many contractors manage compliance with a patchwork of vendors: an MSP on one side, a security provider on the other, and a rotating cast of consultants in between. When something goes wrong, it’s hard to identify who is accountable for what issue; the result is confusion, delays, and finger-pointing. 

Commander turns scattered compliance efforts into one streamlined program. 

It brings together your technology, security operations, and compliance oversight under a single, structured program so there’s no ambiguity about who’s responsible for what. 

With Commander, you gain unified direction, shared responsibility, and coordinated execution across all 320 CMMC assessment objectives. 

Built to Support the Entire Journey 

Commander follows a five-phase path that takes organizations from uncertainty to certification: 

1. Discovery – Uncover your current compliance posture 
2. Evaluation – Benchmark your maturity against all 320 CMMC L2 assessment objectives 
3. Planning – Develop a strategic POA&M with timelines and roles 
4. Remediation – Execute the changes needed to close gaps 
5. Affirmation & Maintenance – Prepare for assessment and sustain performance afterward 

Commander worked closely with RIB U.S. Cost’s internal cybersecurity analysts, tailoring documentation and practices to reflect how the company actually operates instead of just what auditors expect. 

“The Commander team made sure the policies and procedures flowed with how we do business,” Suzanne said. “It was the biggest sigh of relief when we got that certificate.” 

Why Invest in Compliance Support Beyond Getting a Cert? 

CMMC certification is not a one-time milestone. Most people think the only hard part is getting certified, but don’t overlook the ongoing burden of maintaining compliance. 

Commander continues to provide strategic value beyond the initial certification by supporting contractors through what we call the Affirmation and Maintenance phase. Essentially, now that you’re certified, you have to make sure that you maintain that compliance boundary. 

Once you're certified, you're in a binding agreement with the government, asserting that your environment will stay compliant and secure for the duration of your contract. Any deviation from that posture could mean penalties, lost business, or reputational damage.  

This ongoing investment in compliance includes:  

• Scheduled Compliance Activities: Regular check-ins and validation that your environment remains secure and control implementations haven’t degraded.  

• Continuous Monitoring: Continuously testing the controls ensures they're still effective in real-world, changing conditions.  

• Risk, Change, and Vulnerability Management: These programs mature after certification and require constant oversight. Vulnerabilities don’t stop appearing just because you passed an assessment.  

• Preparation for Future Updates: Standards like NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3 are already on the roadmap and bring more controls and complexity. Organizations that invest now are better positioned to adapt later.  

Commander is structured to provide ongoing value throughout a multi-year agreement not just to get you certified, but to help you stay certified and secure, especially as compliance landscapes shift and adversaries evolve. The goal isn’t a one-time win; it’s operational resilience.  

Don’t Risk Losing Your Certification and Your Contracts 

• Every year, a senior company official must affirm that all 320 CMMC assessment objectives are still being met. 

• Every three years, your organization must undergo re-certification by a C3PAO. 

Without continuous support, documentation updates, and internal accountability, companies risk falling out of compliance without even realizing it. 

That’s why Commander was designed not as a one-time engagement, but an ongoing partnership. It prepares contractors for future assessments, supports triannual affirmations, and continuously strengthens their security posture. 

Sustainable Compliance Should Be a Shared Responsibility 

By integrating with Summit 7’s Guardian (MSP) and Vigilance (MSSP), Commander adds a third and essential pillar: long-term compliance leadership. 

Your cybersecurity stack now has aligned technology, active defense, and sustainable governance all working together. 

Commander solves this through real-time governance development. The service builds and maintains policies, defines ownership, and documents execution in ways that stand up to audits, all without disrupting day-to-day operations.

This is made possible through Summit 7’s Shared Responsibility Matrix (SRM), which defines the ownership model across all 320 assessment objectives. 

Commander influences, supports, or owns 100% of the required controls. Not one objective is carried by your organization alone. 

What You Get with Commander 

Commander includes: 

• Total lifecycle support across CMMC Level 2 

• Step-by-step guidance to build and maintain compliance 

• A defined ownership model via Shared Responsibility Matrix (SRM) 

• Embedded support for all 320 assessment objectives 

• Active preparation for annual affirmations and triannual assessments 

• Seamless integration with Guardian MSP and Vigilance MSSP 

In short, the Managed GRC advisory approach makes compliance a collaborative asset, not just a “you” problem. 

Is Commander Managed GRC Right for My Company? 

Commander is designed to work in tandem with Summit 7’s managed IT and security services, Guardian and Vigilance. These services are a prerequisite, forming the operational and technical foundation needed to support a compliant environment. Once in place, Commander sits on top, aligning your security, IT, and compliance functions into a single, cohesive program. 

If your organization already uses Guardian and/or Vigilance, Commander is the natural next step to build a complete and sustainable compliance program. It brings governance and oversight to the foundation already in place, closing the gap between technical controls and audit readiness. 

If you're new to Summit 7’s managed services, consider how Guardian, Vigilance, and Commander work together as an integrated solution covering your IT, security, and compliance needs in a unified, purpose-built model. 

For RIB U.S. Cost, Commander transformed compliance from a reactive scramble into a proactive program. It turned scattered, undocumented practices into an auditable system that not only achieved compliance, but sustains it. 

If you’re a DoW contractor trying to make sense of or manage CMMC requirements, Commander gives you structure, support, and staying power. 

Learn more about Commander

About Summit 7 

Summit 7 is the trusted partner for DoD cybersecurity, compliance, and managed services, with the largest team of certified experts in the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). Specializing in NIST 800-171 and CMMC compliance, Summit 7 supports proactive, excellence-driven federal contractors in securing their systems and achieving regulatory readiness.