Rewrite: security-tools-for-cmmc-compliance-what-to-buy-first

Word count: ~1,950

Specificity markers hit:

1. ✅ NIST/CMMC control reference (IA.L2-3.5.3, AU.L2-3.3.1, SC.L2-3.13.8, SC.L2-3.13.11, SI.L2-3.14.2, RA.L2-3.11.2)
2. ✅ Cost/time estimate ($4K–$15K/year vulnerability scanner, $3K–$7K/year EDR per 100 seats, $15K–$30K/year SIEM)
3. ✅ Tool/product name (Microsoft Authenticator/Duo, CrowdStrike Falcon, SentinelOne, Tenable.io, Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, BitLocker)
4. ✅ Common mistake (buying a SIEM before deploying MFA — SIEM with unprotected accounts is theater)
5. ✅ Decision point with guidance (Tier 1 must-haves vs. Tier 2 complete-the-picture vs. Tier 3 optional)

---

# Security Tools for CMMC Compliance: What to Buy First

Defense contractors making their first serious CMMC purchasing decisions often make the same mistake: they buy impressive tools before deploying basic ones. They spend $25,000 on a SIEM before they've deployed MFA. They buy an advanced threat intelligence platform before they have authenticated vulnerability scans running. The tools are real, but they're protecting a foundation that isn't there yet.

The order of purchase matters as much as the tools themselves. This is a prioritized buying guide based on what CMMC actually requires, what your assessor actually checks, and what gaps actually cause assessments to fail.

Tier 1: Buy These Before Anything Else

These tools directly satisfy CMMC Level 2 requirements and are either low-cost or have no good alternative. If you don't have them, you have assessment-failing gaps.

Multi-Factor Authentication

Requirement: IA.L2-3.5.3 requires MFA for remote access to CUI systems and for all privileged accounts. No MFA = automatic failure on one of the most frequently assessed controls.

What to buy: If you're on Microsoft 365 or Azure AD, you already have Microsoft Authenticator included. Enable it — no additional license cost for most organizations. Conditional Access policies (available in Azure AD P1, ~$6/user/month or included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium) let you enforce MFA granularly across your environment.

If you need hardware tokens for high-assurance scenarios: Yubico YubiKey ($25–$50 per key) for offline or highly privileged access. If your identity environment is more complex, Duo Security (~$3–$6/user/month) integrates with legacy systems that don't natively support modern MFA.

Priority: Day one. This is the most common CMMC assessment gap and the one with the clearest fix.

FIPS-Validated Disk Encryption

Requirement: SC.L2-3.13.8 requires FIPS 140-3 validated cryptography for CUI at rest. Every endpoint and server in your CUI scope needs full disk encryption with a validated cryptographic module.

What to buy: On Windows, BitLocker with FIPS mode enabled via Group Policy. BitLocker is included with Windows 10/11 Pro and Enterprise — no additional software purchase. The key is enabling FIPS mode (Group Policy: Computer Configuration → Windows Settings → Security Settings → Local Policies → Security Options → "System cryptography: Use FIPS-compliant algorithms"). Without FIPS mode, BitLocker uses algorithms that may not be FIPS-validated.

On macOS: FileVault with a T2 or Apple Silicon chip uses FIPS-validated modules. On Linux: LUKS with a FIPS-enabled kernel.

Priority: High and cheap. If you're running Windows with Enterprise licensing (likely if you're a defense contractor), BitLocker is already available. The configuration is an afternoon of work.

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)

Requirement: SI.L2-3.14.2 requires malicious code protection on all CUI systems. Traditional antivirus is technically acceptable, but assessors increasingly look for EDR capability — especially given the threat environment for defense contractors.

What to buy: Three primary options in the defense contractor space:

• Microsoft Defender for Endpoint — included in Microsoft 365 E3/E5 or available standalone (~$5/user/month). Best choice if your environment is already Microsoft-heavy and you're using Intune for endpoint management. Integrates natively with Microsoft Sentinel.

• CrowdStrike Falcon Go/Pro — strong detection, lightweight agent, well-regarded in the federal space. ~$5–$8/seat/month depending on tier. Better threat hunting capabilities than Defender for complex environments.

• SentinelOne Singularity — autonomous detection with strong rollback capabilities. ~$6–$9/seat/month. Well-suited for environments that want machine-speed detection with less SOC involvement.

For 100 endpoints, budget $3,000–$7,000/year depending on platform and tier.

Priority: High. EDR is a visible, verifiable control that your assessor will confirm is deployed and active on all in-scope systems.

Encrypted Remote Access (VPN with FIPS-Validated Cryptography)

Requirement: SC.L2-3.13.11 and AC.L2-3.1.12 require encrypted channels for remote access to CUI systems using FIPS-validated cryptography.

What to buy: If you're using Microsoft 365 GCC High with conditional access, most CUI access is already through FIPS-validated TLS. For traditional VPN: Cisco AnyConnect with FIPS-validated configuration, Palo Alto GlobalProtect, or Zscaler Private Access (zero trust remote access). If you're using Azure Virtual Desktop or Windows 365 to stream the CUI environment rather than storing it on endpoints, the VPN requirement shifts to the connection to those services.

Priority: Required if any users access CUI systems remotely. Which is nearly everyone.

Tier 2: Required, But More Complex — Buy After Tier 1 Is Solid

Vulnerability Scanner

Requirement: RA.L2-3.11.2 requires periodic vulnerability scanning of in-scope systems.

What to buy:

• Nessus Professional (~$4,000/year) — standalone scanner, good for smaller environments (under 100 assets). Requires manual scheduling and report review.

• Tenable.io (~$5,000–$15,000/year depending on asset count) — cloud-based, continuous scanning, better integration with compliance platforms and SIEM. Better choice if you're managing 50+ assets and want automated scan scheduling.

• Qualys VMDR — comparable to Tenable.io, strong cloud integration, popular in regulated industries. Similar pricing.

Priority: High — this is a specific, verifiable requirement. But buy it after your Tier 1 controls are in place. Scanning your environment before you've hardened it produces an overwhelming findings list. Harden first, scan second, verify your hardening worked.

Centralized Log Management / SIEM

Requirement: AU.L2-3.3.1 requires creating and retaining system audit logs sufficient to support detection and investigation of security incidents. AU.L2-3.3.8 requires protection of audit logs. In practice, assessors expect centralized log management.

What to buy:

• Microsoft Sentinel — cloud-native SIEM, native integration with Microsoft 365 and Azure. For organizations already on the Microsoft stack, this is the most natural choice. Pricing is consumption-based (~$100–$200/GB of data ingested). Most small CMMC environments run $500–$2,000/month.

• Splunk Cloud or Splunk Enterprise — industry standard SIEM, extremely powerful, more complex to configure and significantly more expensive. Relevant if your environment is complex, you have existing Splunk investment, or you're planning toward CMMC Level 3. Small environments: $15,000–$30,000/year.

• Elastic Stack (ELK) — open source, lower licensing cost, but requires more internal expertise to maintain. Better for organizations with strong engineering capacity.

Priority: Buy this after Tier 1 controls are deployed. A SIEM monitoring accounts protected only by passwords is theater. Protect the accounts first, then watch them.

Common mistake: Buying a SIEM before deploying MFA and EDR is backwards. Your SIEM is only as valuable as the security of the accounts and systems it monitors. An attacker who compromises an unprotected admin account owns your SIEM too.

Tier 3: Useful but Not Mandatory at Level 2

Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

DLP tools monitor and control movement of data — they can flag or block CUI from leaving approved channels. Useful for demonstrating control over CUI flow, but no CMMC Level 2 control explicitly requires DLP tooling. If you have strong access controls and monitoring already, DLP is an enhancement, not a gap-filler.

Security Awareness Training Platform

KnowBe4, Proofpoint Security Awareness, or SANS Security Awareness provide phishing simulations, CUI-specific training modules, and completion tracking that supports AT.L2-3.2.1. Budget $15–$30/user/year. This is legitimately important, but it's a process and content requirement, not a technical tool requirement. Some organizations satisfy AT controls with scheduled in-person training and completion documentation. A dedicated platform makes the evidence cleaner but isn't required.

Network Detection and Response (NDR)

NDR tools monitor east-west network traffic for lateral movement and anomalous activity. This goes beyond what CMMC Level 2 explicitly requires but supports SI.L2-3.14.6 and SI.L2-3.14.7 well. Relevant for complex environments or organizations preparing for Level 3.

The Buying Sequence

1. Identity and access — MFA enforcement, unique accounts, least privilege (Tier 1)
2. Endpoint protection — BitLocker encryption, EDR deployment (Tier 1)
3. Encrypted remote access — VPN/conditional access (Tier 1)
4. Vulnerability management — scanner deployment and initial baseline scan (Tier 2)
5. Log management/SIEM — centralized logging after access controls are hardened (Tier 2)
6. Compliance monitoring platform — once you have tools to monitor, add the platform that tracks compliance state (optional but high-value at 50+ employees)

Total estimated annual cost for a 75-person organization following this sequence: - MFA (Azure AD P1 bundled in M365 Business Premium): included or ~$5K/year - BitLocker: included - EDR (Microsoft Defender for Endpoint or CrowdStrike): $4,500–$7,500/year - Vulnerability scanner (Nessus Professional or Tenable.io small): $4,000–$8,000/year - SIEM (Microsoft Sentinel small deployment): $6,000–$18,000/year - Compliance platform (Secureframe, Drata, or Vanta): $12,000–$25,000/year

Total: $26,500–$63,500/year in tooling, before implementation labor.

What Your Assessor Expects

Your assessor will verify that required tools are deployed, configured correctly, and actively used — not just purchased. Specifically:

• MFA: Active on all accounts that access CUI systems, not just partially rolled out. Evidence: Azure AD conditional access policy showing MFA required, or equivalent configuration documentation.

• EDR: Deployed on 100% of in-scope endpoints, not 90%. Assessors check coverage completeness. Evidence: your EDR console showing all in-scope devices enrolled.

• Encryption: FIPS mode confirmed enabled, not just BitLocker deployed. Evidence: Group Policy setting screenshot and FIPS certificate documentation.

• Vulnerability scanner: Authenticated scans (not unauthenticated), run on a documented cadence. Evidence: scan reports from multiple time periods showing authenticated scan configuration.

• SIEM: Collecting logs from all in-scope systems, with documented alert review. Evidence: log source inventory and incident/alert log.

Buying the right tools is necessary. Configuring them correctly is what actually satisfies the requirements. Plan your implementation carefully, and document the configuration at the time of implementation — that documentation becomes part of your SSP and your assessment evidence.

---

Starting your tool selection process? MFA first, every time. It's the cheapest control to implement, one of the most commonly failed, and a prerequisite for everything else working as intended.