Security Assessment
A security assessment is a broad evaluation of an organization's security posture, policies, and controls to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. It can take many forms — vulnerability assessments, penetration tests, compliance audits, control assessments, or comprehensive program reviews.
In the CMMC context, security assessment refers specifically to the evaluation of your security controls against the requirements in NIST SP 800-171. CMMC assessments are conducted either as self-assessments or by authorized C3PAOs, and the results determine your certification status.
Why It Matters
Security assessment is both a CMMC domain and the process through which you achieve certification. Regular self-assessments between formal evaluations help you maintain continuous compliance and catch degradation before it becomes a significant gap.