Frequently Asked Questions

Most organizations need 12-18 months to achieve full certification. The process includes 3-6 months implementing military-grade security controls through our proven implementation framework. Then, as outlined in our maturity requirements guide, you must demonstrate these practices are embedded in your culture - typically requiring 3-6 months of documented operational evidence. Only then can you begin the formal assessment process.

Self-certification is only available for CMMC Level 1 and requires annual renewal with a senior official affirmation. Our certification requirements guide explains why Level 2 requires third-party assessment from an authorized C3PAO assessor, while Level 3 mandates direct government evaluation. The DoD implemented these stricter requirements after finding only 10-15% of self-assessed companies actually met compliance standards.

No. The Final Rule is published and deadlines are set for 2025.

After the Final Rule takes effect December 16, 2024, non-certified contractors lose DoD contracts immediately. Our military-grade compliance solutions ensure you maintain contract eligibility.

Third-party CMMC assessments are now mandatory because self-certification proved unreliable - DoD audits found only 10-15% compliance. Review our assessment requirements guide and learn how our C3PAO certification process ensures compliance.

While CMMC 2.0 reduces levels from five to three, it demands more sophisticated controls than ISO 27001 or HIPAA. See the complete version comparison and learn how our military-grade implementation addresses these elevated requirements.

CMMC enforces NIST SP 800-171 and 800-172 requirements through verification. Review our NIST compliance guide and see how our Zero Trust architecture streamlines both frameworks.

Yes, but our unique approach can help. While flow-down typically requires matching certification levels, our subcontractor compliance guide explains how our Zero Trust architecture can eliminate this requirement.

Most internal IT teams lack the specialized expertise for CMMC security controls. Our managed IT brings proven security control frameworks that map directly to certification requirements. While basic security tools focus on alerts, we prevent breaches through automated remediation and continuous compliance validation.

After hundreds of defense contractors achieve certification, we've seen how costly DIY CMMC compliance mistakes can be. The DoD found only 10-15% of self-assessed companies actually met requirements. Learn which mistakes fail certification and how to prevent them.

The most critical errors include:

• Trusting DIY assessments when CMMC deadline 2025 requires expert guidance
• Missing CUI boundary documentation that auditors require for CMMC compliance contractors
• Treating compliance like an annual event instead of continuous monitoring, which the December 16 Final Rule demands

After December 16, 2024, CMMC compliance becomes mandatory for DoD contractors. See critical timeline mistakes contractors make during implementation.

A CMMC Registered Provider Organization (RPO) is a company authorized by the CMMC Accreditation Body to provide consulting services for organizations seeking CMMC certification. Yes, Ridge IT is a certified RPO, which means we're authorized to help defense contractors navigate the complexities of CMMC compliance. Unlike typical consultants, our military-grade CMMC methodology delivers both compliance and security through continuous monitoring rather than point-in-time assessments. Ready to start your certification journey? Our RPO services include gap analysis, remediation planning, and implementation support with our 15-minute response guarantee.

Most providers let technical debt accumulate as you grow. Our managed IT starts with architecture that scales from 50 to 1000+ users without rework. We design and implement solutions that grow with you, preventing the costly rebuilds and security gaps that come from outgrowing your infrastructure.

Rather than managing multiple security tools independently, our managed IT creates a unified security fabric. We integrate identity management with network and endpoint security, so one tool's detection triggers automated responses across your entire security stack. This integration provides Fortune 500 protection without Fortune 500 complexity.

Instead of endless security tools, our managed IT starts by making your business harder to target. We use advanced scanning and remediation to eliminate exposed services, while hiding critical assets behind multiple security layers. By "going dark" to attackers while maintaining business operations, we reduce your risk of becoming a target.

Our managed IT adapts to your company. We can integrate existing tools into our security architecture while adjusting our pricing to accommodate current contracts. This lets you transition to better security without paying twice or disrupting operations.

Unlike providers that just alert you to problems, our managed IT includes complete incident response. Our rapid response team isolates threats, prevents spread, and restores operations - all while maintaining detailed documentation for compliance and insurance requirements.

Our managed IT integrates security from day one. While traditional MSPs focus on uptime and helpdesk tickets, we prevent breaches by building security into every service. When you split MSP and MSSP providers, you risk security gaps and finger-pointing during incidents. Our integrated approach delivers compliance with 15-minute response times - all through a single provider.

Traditional security assumes everything inside your network is safe - that's why 94% of breaches start with compromised credentials. Our managed IT implements Zero Trust to verify every access request, reducing your attack surface by 90%. By preventing lateral movement through segmentation and continuous monitoring, we stop basic breaches from escalating into six-figure disasters.

We transform compliance from annual firefighting into continuous validation. Our managed IT automatically maps your controls to frameworks like CMMC, NIST, and HIPAA. Instead of scrambling before audits, our continuous monitoring and remediation maintains audit-ready documentation, with monthly reports showing your exact compliance status across every framework. Managed services, done right.

The ONE Platform eliminates the complexity of juggling multiple providers and tools. Our managed IT integrates security, compliance and infrastructure management into a single pane of glass. With automated security validation and 15-minute response times, we deliver military-grade protection without enterprise complexity or cost.

Our managed IT leverages CrowdStrike's 99.9% breach prevention rate and user-friendly incident response interface. During an attack, you get clear visibility of affected systems and one-click isolation of compromised devices. Unlike competitors, CrowdStrike's advanced AI detection spots threats other tools miss, making it ideal for businesses without large security teams.

MSP stands for Managed Service Provider - companies that handle your IT infrastructure, networks, and technical support. MSSP stands for Managed Security Service Provider - specialists focused on cybersecurity, threat detection, and incident response.

Our managed IT combines both functions - delivering infrastructure management with proactive security through the ONE Platform. This integration prevents the security gaps and finger-pointing that occur when separate providers handle your technology and security needs. You get enterprise-class infrastructure with advanced threat detection, 15-minute response times, and complete compliance coverage - all through a single provider with clear accountability for both reliability and security.

Unlike traditional Tampa IT services that focus on fixing problems after they occur, Ridge IT's military-grade managed IT prevents issues before they impact your business. Our ONE Platform integrates IT services Tampa businesses need - from zero trust security to 24/7 monitoring with 15-minute response times. As Tampa's #1 ranked MSSP on the Inc 5000, we protect over 500,000 users with battle-tested cybersecurity operations.

Our Tampa IT Services businesses trust go beyond basic antivirus with military-grade zero trust architecture that validates every access request, reducing your attack surface by 90%. Unlike traditional IT providers, we integrate advanced threat detection, 24/7 monitoring, and automated incident response through our ONE Platform. This comprehensive approach results in 98.7% threat prevention rates, protecting Tampa businesses from the ransomware and phishing attacks that bypass conventional security.

Our IT services Tampa businesses can access typically save 40-60% compared to maintaining in-house IT teams, while delivering superior protection and response times. Rather than the industry's common per-device pricing model, our intelligent architecture focuses advanced security only where it's needed, reducing per-user costs by $20 - $60 on average. We offer flexible service tiers based on your specific needs, with transparent pricing that eliminates surprise charges for "extra" services.

Our IT services in Tampa lead with compliance by automating documentation, monitoring, and controls validation for frameworks including CMMC, HIPAA, PCI, and SOC 2. Unlike traditional IT providers that treat compliance as annual projects, our continuous compliance approach ensures you remain audit-ready year-round. This automated documentation has reduced preparation time by 80% for small, enterprise and government interfacing businesses facing regulatory requirements.

Our Tampa IT Services team specializes in secure, phased cloud migrations that minimize disruption while maximizing security and performance. We've helped hundreds of Tampa businesses transform their infrastructure with our cloud-smart approach, which right-sizes cloud resources to your specific needs. This prevents the common pitfalls of cloud waste and security gaps that plague DIY migrations, while our continuous optimization ensures your cloud costs remain predictable.

While in-house IT staff provides familiarity with your business, our IT services Tampa deliver enterprise-level expertise and round-the-clock coverage that would require a team of 8-10 specialists to match internally. Our military-grade security operations center, advanced threat intelligence, and specialized compliance expertise provide capabilities that most Tampa businesses simply cannot afford to build in-house. This comprehensive approach typically delivers 40-60% cost savings while providing superior protection and responsiveness.

Most organizations complete simple migration in 4-6 weeks. Our managed IT accelerates this through automated discovery tools and proven migration frameworks that eliminate manual processes while maintaining business operations. 

Yes, our managed IT specializes in moving complex legacy systems to the cloud. We use advanced containerization to migrate applications without rewriting them, while reducing infrastructure costs to improve performance.

Our managed IT uses parallel environments and automated testing to prevent disruption. Through intelligent synchronization, we maintain business operations during migration, typically limiting downtime to minutes rather than hours.

Our managed IT supports all major providers including AWS and Azure. We help you choose the right platform through comprehensive assessment of your needs, then manage everything through a single interface.

Our managed IT implements military-grade security from day one. Through Zero Trust architecture, we protect cloud workloads with continuous monitoring, encryption, and automated threat response - maintaining compliance while enabling scalability.

Our managed IT ensures smooth transition through phased migration. We use hybrid architectures to maintain critical systems during migration, then help you optimize or decommission legacy infrastructure based on your business needs.

Zero Trust is the foundation of CMMC 2.0 requirements. Our military-grade implementation automatically satisfies key CMMC controls around access management and continuous monitoring. Using our ONE Platform, you get both robust security and documented compliance.

Our Zero Trust architecture is cloud-native by design. We use automated cloud security controls to protect resources whether they're on-premises or in the cloud. This lets you migrate safely to hybrid environments while maintaining consistent security.

Traditional VPNs give vendors too much network access. Our granular access controls tackles third-party risk by restricting vendors to only the specific resources they need. Combined with continuous monitoring, this prevents vendor credentials from becoming a security liability.

Most tools only check access once. Our military-grade platform verifies every action in real-time. We integrate identity, device, and behavior monitoring to stop threats other tools miss. Plus, you get 15-minute response times from the team that built your security.