What is CMMC 2.0? (The 30-Second Refresher)
CMMC, or the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification, is the Department of Defense (DoD)’s new security standard. Its purpose is to protect sensitive government information—known as CUI (Controlled Unclassified Information)—that is shared with its 300,000+ private contractors.
Most of the CMMC discussion focuses on policies, access control, and endpoint management. But all of this relies on one critical, often-overlooked foundation: the network itself.
CMMC Controls Your Network Solves
CMMC isn’t just about software; many of its 110 controls are about your network infrastructure. A “flat” or consumer-grade network makes passing a CMMC assessment nearly impossible.
Here are a few examples of CMMC controls that are, at their core, networking problems:
Network Segmentation (VLANs): A core CMMC requirement is to separate CUI data from the rest of your network. The best way to do this is with network segmentation using VLANs. This ensures that even if one part of your network is compromised (like a guest device), the CUI remains isolated.
Boundary Protection (Firewalls): CMMC requires you to “control and monitor” all traffic in and out of your CUI environment. A basic router from your ISP can’t do this. You need a professional-grade hardware firewall to deny traffic by default and log all connections, which is a key part of any audit.
Zero Trust Principles: The entire philosophy of CMMC is based on Zero Trust. Your network must be built on the principle of “never trust, always verify.” This means using modern networking hardware that can identify, authenticate, and apply security policies to every single device that tries to connect.
How NaaS (Network as a Service) Supports Your CMMC Goal
Most businesses run on aging equipment or “break-fix” hardware that isn’t capable of the advanced security CMMC requires. This is where Network as a Service (NaaS) becomes essential.
As a NaaS provider, tiestech provides the CMMC-ready infrastructure.
We ensure your network’s foundation—the switches, the firewalls, the WiFi—is professionally managed, monitored, and configured for the high-security environment that CMMC demands. You get the enterprise-grade, compliant hardware you need without the massive capital expense and management headache.
We Don’t Write the Policy, We Build the Fortress
To be clear: your CMMC consultant will write your policies (your System Security Plan). Your IT team will manage your computers.
tiestech ensures the network they all use is a secure fortress, not a leaky bucket.
If you are a DoD contractor starting your CMMC journey, don’t build your compliance plan on a weak network. Contact tiestech to see how our NaaS platform provides the secure foundation you need.