Blue Ivy Partners has completed its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) at Level 2, verified by an accredited Certified Third-Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO). Here's what that means and why it matters.
What CMMC Level 2 actually is
CMMC is the Department of Defense's framework for making sure contractors handling sensitive defense information have real cybersecurity protections in place — not just policies on paper.
Level 2 is the standard for protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI): data that isn't classified but still needs to be handled carefully. It's built on 110 security controls from NIST SP 800-171, covering everything from access control and incident response to system integrity and audit logging.
"Attaining a C3PAO Level 2 CMMC Certification is a reflection on our values as a company. We are focused on partnering with innovative companies like ATX Defense to ensure the security and integrity of our operations and service for our customers."
— Jeff Tang, COO, Blue Ivy Partners
Why C3PAO certification matters
There are two ways to demonstrate CMMC Level 2 compliance: self-attestation and third-party certification.
Self-attestation means you assess yourself and sign off. It's allowed in some cases, but it's exactly what it sounds like — you grading your own work.
C3PAO certification means an accredited, independent organization comes in and verifies your controls are documented, implemented, and meet the security requirements. That's what we did. Every one of the 110 requirements was independently assessed before we earned this certification.
Why this matters now
The DoD started its phased CMMC rollout in late 2025. C3PAO certification is increasingly showing up as a requirement just to be eligible for contracts — not a nice-to-have, but a condition of award. Prime contractors are starting to expect it from their partners, often ahead of the formal deadlines.
What comes next
Certification isn't a one-time event. We maintain continuous compliance through ongoing monitoring, annual affirmations, and periodic reassessment. The standard doesn't stand still, and neither do we.
If you're a DoD partner or prime contractor evaluating your supply chain's readiness, we're happy to talk about what this means in practice.