During a CMMC assessment, an OSC employee asks the CCA if their current security measures are “good enough” to pass the assessment. The CCA responds…

The Certified CMMC Assessor (CCA) upholds the principle of objectivity by refusing to provide a subjective opinion ("good enough") or engage in consulting. Instead, the CCA directs the Organization Seeking Certification (OSC) back to the objective, verifiable requirements of the CMMC standard. This action ensures that the assessor's judgment remains impartial, free from bias, and is based solely on the evidence presented against the established criteria, which is the core tenet of objectivity in an assessment context.

A. Confidentiality: This principle relates to protecting sensitive information from unauthorized disclosure, which is not the subject of this interaction.

B. Professionalism: While the response is professional, objectivity is the more specific and primary principle being demonstrated by avoiding a conflict of interest (consulting).

D. Information Integrity: This principle concerns providing accurate and truthful information, but the core of the CCA's response is about maintaining impartiality, not just the accuracy of the CMMC requirements.

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1. Cyber AB, Code of Professional Conduct (CoPC), Version 2.1, June 28, 2022.

Canon 2: Objectivity (Page 3): "CMMC Professionals shall be objective and impartial in all professional matters. They shall not allow bias, conflict of interest, or the undue influence of others to override their professional judgments and responsibilities." The CCA's response directly avoids a conflict of interest by refraining from consulting.

2. Cyber AB, CMMC Assessment Process (CAP) for CMMC Level 2, Version 1.0, July 2023.

Section 2.3.1, C3PAO and Assessor Objectivity (Page 11): This section emphasizes that C3PAOs and their assessors must be free from conflicts of interest and maintain objectivity. Providing an opinion on whether a control is "good enough" constitutes consulting, which is a prohibited conflict of interest for an assessor during an assessment.