CMMC vs SOC 2: practical comparison for security teams

CMMC and SOC 2 both evaluate security controls, but they are not interchangeable.

If you touch CUI under a DoD contract, CMMC is not optional.

For most SaaS teams, SOC 2 Type II is the baseline buyers expect during security review.

Quick difference

• CMMC: U.S. defense-contracting requirement with prescriptive controls and formal certification scope tied to contract obligations.
• SOC 2: Market-driven attestation for service organizations, based on Trust Services Criteria and scoped to your services and control objectives.

Core comparison

Aspect	CMMC	SOC 2
Driver	Contract/regulatory requirement in defense supply chain	Customer and market requirement
Typical audience	DoD primes and subcontractors handling FCI/CUI	SaaS, MSPs, cloud/data service providers
Framework nature	Prescriptive and level-based	Risk-based and scope-flexible
Assessor	Authorized C3PAO (for applicable levels/scope)	Licensed CPA firm
Output	Certification status against required controls	Attestation report (Type I or Type II)
Renewal cycle	Multi-year cycle with ongoing obligations	Usually annual audit cadence

What CMMC emphasizes

CMMC programs focus on controlled defense information and evidence that required practices are implemented as designed.

Common focus areas include:

• Access control and identity governance
• Configuration management and system hardening
• Incident response and reporting readiness
• Media protection and secure handling
• Auditability tied to contractual obligations

The key point is enforceability. If your contracts require CMMC-level controls, you must prove them.

What SOC 2 emphasizes

SOC 2 focuses on whether controls support your stated trust commitments over time.

Common focus areas include:

• Security baseline controls
• Availability and resilience controls
• Processing integrity controls where relevant
• Confidentiality and privacy controls based on scope
• Evidence that controls operated consistently during the review period

SOC 2 allows more design flexibility than CMMC, but that flexibility increases the need for strong control narratives and disciplined evidence collection.

Cost and timeline patterns

Actual cost depends on current maturity, scope size, and control gaps. Most teams spend more than expected on evidence readiness and remediation work, not just audit fees.

Typical effort drivers across both frameworks:

• Asset inventory and control mapping
• Policy and procedure quality
• Logging/monitoring maturity
• Access review discipline
• Incident response testing and documentation

CMMC efforts often spend more on technical remediation to meet prescriptive requirements. SOC 2 efforts often spend more on operational evidence and sustained control operation.

Control overlap and reuse

There is meaningful overlap between CMMC and SOC 2 in areas like access control, incident response, risk management, and data protection.

A practical dual-compliance approach:

1. Build one control library mapped to both frameworks.
2. Implement shared controls first (identity, logging, change control, vendor risk).
3. Add framework-specific controls and evidence expectations.
4. Run readiness checks before external assessment.

This reduces duplicate work and avoids two disconnected compliance programs.

When to pursue CMMC, SOC 2, or both

Prioritize CMMC when

• You bid on or support DoD contracts requiring CUI/FCI protections.
• Contract eligibility depends on certification status.
• Defense revenue is core to your business plan.

Prioritize SOC 2 when

• You sell B2B services and face recurring security questionnaires.
• Enterprise procurement asks for audit-backed trust evidence.
• You need a broadly recognized commercial trust signal.

Plan for both when

• You serve both defense and commercial markets.
• You need contract eligibility plus commercial buyer confidence.
• You want one internal security program supporting both outcomes.

Common mistakes

• Treating SOC 2 as a substitute for contractual CMMC requirements.
• Waiting too long to define system boundary and control ownership.
• Underestimating evidence quality and retention requirements.
• Running separate security programs per framework instead of a unified model.

Decision checklist

Before committing budget, confirm:

• Which customers or contracts explicitly require each framework
• Which systems and data are in scope
• What control gaps exist today
• What timeline is required for business milestones
• Who owns compliance operations after audit/certification

Conclusion

CMMC and SOC 2 solve different business risks. CMMC protects defense contract eligibility and regulated data handling obligations. SOC 2 supports commercial trust and procurement velocity.

Choose based on actual revenue path and contractual exposure, then build a unified control program that can scale as your compliance footprint grows.