# ND-ISAC Guides C3PAO Selection

ND-ISAC’s February 2024 C3PAO shopping guide advises defense-industry small and medium-sized businesses to assess candidate CMMC Third-Party Assessment Organizations based on authorization, assessment planning, cost, availability, responsiveness, technical and CMMC experience, and familiarity with the business’s environment. The guide does not identify a specific assessor, contract opportunity, or higher-education specialization; it emphasizes selecting a credible, appropriately scoped assessor rather than choosing solely on price or perceived ease. Because the guide notes that CMMC requirements could change as the proposed rule evolved, businesses should check the requirements applicable to their assessment before engaging an assessor.

- Defense contractors and SMBs can use the guide’s criteria to compare assessors and assess whether their experience and availability fit the organization’s environment and assessment needs.
- Procurement and supplier-management teams can use these factors when helping DIB suppliers evaluate assessment services; the signal does not announce a procurement, award, or named vendor.
- The guide does not establish higher-education-specific C3PAO experience as a selection criterion, so organizations seeking that expertise should verify it directly with prospective assessors.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Topics:** Cybersecurity, Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** October 20, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
- Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Assessment Center (DIBCAC)

### Key Quotes
> A SMB should seek out an assessor that is knowledgeable in CMMC, willing to understand their unique SMB environment, and provide a reasonable assessment to provide risk mitigation assurances to the DIB.
> — Original poster (ND-ISAC guide)

### Sources
- [C3PAO with higher ed experience?](https://www.reddit.com/r/CMMC/comments/1xau001/c3pao_with_higher_ed_experience) - reddit-cmmc