Registered Practitioners are training and tested against the Levels based on the CMMC Framework to obtain their designation. They are implementers that are providing consultative preparation services to the Organizations Seeking Certification (OSC) and either work as independent contractors or as members of a Registered Practitioner Organization (RPO). As an RP they cannot participate on an assessment as an assessment team member. For more information on the Register Practitioner Program see the Consulting and Implementation page.
A Registered Practitioner Organization (RPO) delivers a non-certified advisory service through the employment of RPs. They are consultative organizations or MSPs; and do not conduct Certified CMMC Assessments. Any references to "non-certified" services are only referring to the fact that an RPO is not authorized to conduct a certified CMMC assessment.
As a Certified CMMC Professional (CCP for Level 1) or Certified CMMC Assessor (CCA for Level 2) these individuals have received rigorous training from a Licensed Training Provider (LTP) and will be required to take and pass the upcoming certification exams. Once they pass their certification exam(s) they will become certified assessors. To be a Level 2 assessor the individual must hold both a CCP and CCA certification, be a US citizen, have participated in a minimum of three (3) Level 2 assessments, and achieved a favorable DoD suitability determination. For more information on the Certified CMMC Assessor Program see the Assessors page.
A CMMC Third-Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO) conducts assessments of OSCs through the employment of CCPs and CCAs based on their rigorous training and adherence to CMMC standards.
Instructors for CMMC will be required to take and pass the upcoming Certified CMMC Instructor (CCI) exam along with meeting all the requirements associated to being an assessor at the level they plan to instruct. Instructors work with Licensed Publishing Partners (LPPs) to develop curriculum or with Licensed Training Providers (LTPs) to delivery courses. For more information on the Certified CMMC Instructor Program see the Instructor page.
A Licensed Training Provider (LTP) is an established training organization that has been vetted by the Cybersecurity Assessor & Instructor Certification Organization (CAICO) and have been approved to participate as part of the CMMC ecosystem as an LTP. These training companies, utilizing CAICO certified instructors, are responsible for developing and delivering the CMMC certification courses that have been created utilizing the approved Licensed Partner Publishers (LPPs) CAICO Approved Training Materials (CATM). For more information on the our CMMC LTPs see the Training and Instructor page.
A Licensed Publishing Partner (LPP) is an organization that has been vetted by the Cybersecurity Assessor & Instructor Certification Organization (CAICO) and have been approved to participate as part of the CMMC ecosystem as an LPP. These partners are responsible for creating quality CMMC training curriculum that are utilized by Licensed Training Providers (LTPs) to train individuals who are pursuing official DoD recognized CMMC professional certifications as either assessors or assessor instructors. For more information on the our CMMC LPPs see the Training and Instructor page.
An organization that is seeking an assessment, termed an OSC, is a defense industrial base organization that desires to certify to the appropriate CMMC level to assure their cybersecurity posture within the supply chain.