Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certificate (CMMC) and System and Organization Controls 2 (SOC 2) are robust cybersecurity frameworks designed to help safeguard sensitive data and improve an organization’s cyber resilience.
While these frameworks serve a similar purpose and overlap in certain areas, they have significantly different goals and compliance criteria. Understanding these distinctions is essential for determining which of the two frameworks your organization should prioritize.
To help you make an informed choice between CMMC and SOC 2, we’ll provide a brief overview of each framework and dive into their main differences.
What is CMMC?
CMMC is a security certification program introduced in 2020 by the Department of Defense (DoD) to ensure the security of organizations within the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). An updated version—CMMC 2.0—came into effect on October 15, 2024, with the release of the CMMC Final Rule, streamlining implementation and reducing compliance barriers.
The main purpose of CMMC is to protect sensitive information, specifically Federal Contract Information (FCI) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), across all levels of the supply chain. Although both types of information are sensitive and crucial to secure when working with the DoD, they differ in terms of their nature and the security practices required for each.
FCI is information provided by or generated for the government to develop a product or provide a service as part of a contract. Examples include process documentation, organizational charts, and contract performance reports. Any information that the government provides to the public is not considered FCI.
CUI is unclassified information that is created or possessed by the government, whose protection is mandated by laws, regulations, and government policies. Out of the two, CUI is more sensitive and includes information such as:
- Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
- Proprietary Business Information (PBI)
- Unclassified Controlled Technical Information (UCTI)
{{cta_withimage27="/cta-blocks"}} | CMMC compliance checklist
What is SOC 2?
Developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and released in 2010, SOC 2 is a well-established security framework focused on enhancing the security and privacy practices of service organizations.
The primary goal of SOC 2 is to help service organizations that work with and store customer data strengthen their security practices. Achieving SOC 2 compliance demonstrates to clients and stakeholders that the organization has conducted proper risk assessments, mitigated risks, and implemented necessary security policies and procedures, helping build trust.
A key benefit of SOC 2 compliance is that it allows organizations to make data-driven decisions aimed at improving their security program. After an organization undergoes an SOC 2 audit, it will receive a detailed report that shows whether its controls and practices meet the criteria and highlights areas for improvement.
{{cta_withimage1="/cta-blocks"}} | SOC 2 compliance checklist
Similarities between CMMC and SOC 2
CMMC and SOC 2 share a common overarching goal—to provide organizations with the structure and guidance needed to implement effective security practices. As a result, the frameworks have high-level overlaps in requirements, such as:
- Implementing strict access controls
- Keeping systems operational and resilient
- Ensuring effective incident responses
Despite these shared elements, CMMC and SOC 2 still have notable differences that organizations should consider when deciding which framework to implement.
CMMC vs. SOC 2: 4 key differences
The key differences between SOC 2 and CMMC can be divided into four categories:
- Legal context
- Target audience
- Scope and structure
- Attestation process
We’ll elaborate on each of these in the sections below.
1. Legal context
As CMMC is a government program, compliance is mandatory for all organizations that want to work with the DoD. This includes all contractors and their subcontractors, with the exception of suppliers of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) items.
Non-compliance with CMMC can result in heavy penalties—organizations may lose their existing DoD contracts, become ineligible for future ones, and, depending on the severity of the violation, face legal consequences. All organizations bidding on DoD contracts must affirm their CMMC compliance, which means they can be held liable under the False Claims Act (FCA).
In contrast to CMMC, SOC 2 compliance is voluntary. While non-compliance doesn’t carry direct legal consequences, it can still negatively impact your organization’s business opportunities. SOC 2 is an industry-accepted framework, and many organizations require it as evidence of a strong security posture.
2. Target audience
CMMC only applies to organizations that want to pursue DoD contracts or maintain existing ones. An organization’s size, industry, and location don’t matter—if it’s handling FCI or CUI, it must obtain a CMMC certificate. Examples of organizations within the DIB that must be CMMC compliant include:
- Aerospace manufacturers
- Cybersecurity and IT service providers
- Defense technology companies
- Suppliers of specialized materials or components
SOC 2 is designed specifically for service organizations, such as cloud service providers (CSPs), data centers, and financial institutions like banks and insurance companies. The framework has been widely adopted across industries like finance, healthcare, technology, and e-commerce, with organizations worldwide using it to demonstrate the strength of their security posture.
3. Scope and structure
CMMC includes three certification levels, each with a defined set of practices that increase in complexity:
- Level 1 (Foundational): This level focuses on basic cyber hygiene and requires compliance with 15 practices outlined by FAR clause 52.204-21
- Level 2 (Advanced): To achieve Level 2 certification, organizations need to implement 110 practices outlined by NIST SP 800-171 R2
- Level 3 (Expert): CMMC Level 3 requires organizations to implement the 110 practices from Level 2 and an additional 24 practices outlined in NIST SP 800-172.
CMMC’s practices encompass 14 control areas, each addressing one aspect of cybersecurity, which include:
- Access Control
- Awareness and Training
- Incident Response
- Media Protection
- Threat Hunting
SOC 2 is organized into five Trust Services Criteria, each containing controls, practices, or processes that need to be met for compliance:
- Security
- Availability
- Confidentiality
- Processing Integrity
- Privacy
Although both frameworks share common domains, processes, and activities, SOC 2 is less granular than CMMC, having only 64 controls in total. When looking at both frameworks, organizations should consider CMMC’s practices as an extension of SOC 2.
{{cta_withimage27="/cta-blocks"}} | CMMC compliance checklist
4. Attestation process
CMMC is a certifiable program that offers three types of assessments, depending on the certification level you're pursuing:
- Self-assessment: Level 1 requires you to perform a self-assessment against CMMC criteria. If your organization handles less sensitive CUI and the DoD contract states so, you can also conduct a self-assessment for Level 2. The results of self-assessments for both levels must be submitted to the Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS).
- C3PAO assessment: In most cases, to obtain a CMMC Level 2 certificate, your organization will need to undergo an assessment conducted by a Certified Third Party Assessor Organization (C3PAO). The results of a C3PAO assessment are submitted to the CMMC Enterprise Mission Assurance Support Service (eMASS) by the assessor.
- Government-led assessment: To achieve CMMC Level 3 compliance, your organization must pass an assessment conducted by the Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Assessment Center (DIBCAC). The results of Level 3 assessments are also entered into the eMASS by the assessor.
SOC 2 doesn’t offer a certificate. To demonstrate compliance, organizations hire an independent auditor who collects evidence of their security posture and produces an objective report that attests to whether they meet SOC 2 criteria.
Another notable difference between the two frameworks lies in how long compliance remains valid. While a SOC 2 report technically has no expiration date, a best practice is to get a new report every year to maintain a strong level of assurance. CMMC certificates vary depending on level—Level 1 requires annual recertification, while Levels 2 and 3 are valid for up to three years with yearly reaffirmations.
Should you adopt SOC 2 or CMMC?
“
If you’re a contractor or subcontractor to the Department of Defense (DoD) that processes Federal Contract Information (FCI) and/or Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), you need to be CMMC certified. Otherwise, if you don’t, SOC 2 is great.”
Being able to prove compliance with either framework can significantly benefit your organization. A CMMC certificate or SOC 2 attestation demonstrates your commitment to industry security and privacy best practices, helping build partner trust and potentially speeding up deal cycles.
Regardless of which of the two you pursue, achieving a certification or attestation can be complex without proper guidance and resources. However, this can be avoided by implementing the right tools can streamline and and speed up your compliance efforts.
Implement SOC 2 and CMMC with Vanta
Vanta is a comprehensive trust management platform that helps organizations achieve SOC 2 and CMMC certification faster.
Vanta’s dedicated CMMC solution includes features that streamline the compliance process and reduce manual effort, such as:
- Out-of-the-box support for all certification levels
- Automation of up to 50 percent of CMMC workflows through 375+ integrations
- Pre-mapped security controls and policy templates aligned to NIST SP 800-171 and SP 800-172
- Automated gap assessments on a real-time dashboard
- Centralized tracking and monitoring of CMMC practices
If you’re pursuing CMMC Levels 2 or 3, you can use Vanta’s partner network to find and connect with a reputable C3PAO that can support you every step of the way.
Vanta's SOC 2 solution comes with the same integrations and additional features to optimize the compliance process, such as:
- Automated evidence collection
- Pre-loaded system description workflow and template
- Streamlined support for SOC 2 audits with access to Vanta-vetted auditors
- Centralized visibility of security tasks
Vanta supports over 35 additional frameworks and automatically cross-references existing security practices with other standards, helping you avoid duplicate work.
Schedule a custom demo of Vanta’s CMMC product and see how it can save you time.
{{cta_simple33="/cta-blocks"}} | CMMC product page
A note from Vanta: Vanta is not a law firm, and this article does not constitute or contain legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. When determining your obligations and compliance with respect to relevant laws and regulations, you should consult a licensed attorney.
CMMC and SOC 2: Similarities and differences
Looking to streamline the work for CMMC?
Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certificate (CMMC) and System and Organization Controls 2 (SOC 2) are robust cybersecurity frameworks designed to help safeguard sensitive data and improve an organization’s cyber resilience.
While these frameworks serve a similar purpose and overlap in certain areas, they have significantly different goals and compliance criteria. Understanding these distinctions is essential for determining which of the two frameworks your organization should prioritize.
To help you make an informed choice between CMMC and SOC 2, we’ll provide a brief overview of each framework and dive into their main differences.
What is CMMC?
CMMC is a security certification program introduced in 2020 by the Department of Defense (DoD) to ensure the security of organizations within the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). An updated version—CMMC 2.0—came into effect on October 15, 2024, with the release of the CMMC Final Rule, streamlining implementation and reducing compliance barriers.
The main purpose of CMMC is to protect sensitive information, specifically Federal Contract Information (FCI) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), across all levels of the supply chain. Although both types of information are sensitive and crucial to secure when working with the DoD, they differ in terms of their nature and the security practices required for each.
FCI is information provided by or generated for the government to develop a product or provide a service as part of a contract. Examples include process documentation, organizational charts, and contract performance reports. Any information that the government provides to the public is not considered FCI.
CUI is unclassified information that is created or possessed by the government, whose protection is mandated by laws, regulations, and government policies. Out of the two, CUI is more sensitive and includes information such as:
- Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
- Proprietary Business Information (PBI)
- Unclassified Controlled Technical Information (UCTI)
{{cta_withimage27="/cta-blocks"}} | CMMC compliance checklist
What is SOC 2?
Developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and released in 2010, SOC 2 is a well-established security framework focused on enhancing the security and privacy practices of service organizations.
The primary goal of SOC 2 is to help service organizations that work with and store customer data strengthen their security practices. Achieving SOC 2 compliance demonstrates to clients and stakeholders that the organization has conducted proper risk assessments, mitigated risks, and implemented necessary security policies and procedures, helping build trust.
A key benefit of SOC 2 compliance is that it allows organizations to make data-driven decisions aimed at improving their security program. After an organization undergoes an SOC 2 audit, it will receive a detailed report that shows whether its controls and practices meet the criteria and highlights areas for improvement.
{{cta_withimage1="/cta-blocks"}} | SOC 2 compliance checklist
Similarities between CMMC and SOC 2
CMMC and SOC 2 share a common overarching goal—to provide organizations with the structure and guidance needed to implement effective security practices. As a result, the frameworks have high-level overlaps in requirements, such as:
- Implementing strict access controls
- Keeping systems operational and resilient
- Ensuring effective incident responses
Despite these shared elements, CMMC and SOC 2 still have notable differences that organizations should consider when deciding which framework to implement.
CMMC vs. SOC 2: 4 key differences
The key differences between SOC 2 and CMMC can be divided into four categories:
- Legal context
- Target audience
- Scope and structure
- Attestation process
We’ll elaborate on each of these in the sections below.
1. Legal context
As CMMC is a government program, compliance is mandatory for all organizations that want to work with the DoD. This includes all contractors and their subcontractors, with the exception of suppliers of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) items.
Non-compliance with CMMC can result in heavy penalties—organizations may lose their existing DoD contracts, become ineligible for future ones, and, depending on the severity of the violation, face legal consequences. All organizations bidding on DoD contracts must affirm their CMMC compliance, which means they can be held liable under the False Claims Act (FCA).
In contrast to CMMC, SOC 2 compliance is voluntary. While non-compliance doesn’t carry direct legal consequences, it can still negatively impact your organization’s business opportunities. SOC 2 is an industry-accepted framework, and many organizations require it as evidence of a strong security posture.
2. Target audience
CMMC only applies to organizations that want to pursue DoD contracts or maintain existing ones. An organization’s size, industry, and location don’t matter—if it’s handling FCI or CUI, it must obtain a CMMC certificate. Examples of organizations within the DIB that must be CMMC compliant include:
- Aerospace manufacturers
- Cybersecurity and IT service providers
- Defense technology companies
- Suppliers of specialized materials or components
SOC 2 is designed specifically for service organizations, such as cloud service providers (CSPs), data centers, and financial institutions like banks and insurance companies. The framework has been widely adopted across industries like finance, healthcare, technology, and e-commerce, with organizations worldwide using it to demonstrate the strength of their security posture.
3. Scope and structure
CMMC includes three certification levels, each with a defined set of practices that increase in complexity:
- Level 1 (Foundational): This level focuses on basic cyber hygiene and requires compliance with 15 practices outlined by FAR clause 52.204-21
- Level 2 (Advanced): To achieve Level 2 certification, organizations need to implement 110 practices outlined by NIST SP 800-171 R2
- Level 3 (Expert): CMMC Level 3 requires organizations to implement the 110 practices from Level 2 and an additional 24 practices outlined in NIST SP 800-172.
CMMC’s practices encompass 14 control areas, each addressing one aspect of cybersecurity, which include:
- Access Control
- Awareness and Training
- Incident Response
- Media Protection
- Threat Hunting
SOC 2 is organized into five Trust Services Criteria, each containing controls, practices, or processes that need to be met for compliance:
- Security
- Availability
- Confidentiality
- Processing Integrity
- Privacy
Although both frameworks share common domains, processes, and activities, SOC 2 is less granular than CMMC, having only 64 controls in total. When looking at both frameworks, organizations should consider CMMC’s practices as an extension of SOC 2.
{{cta_withimage27="/cta-blocks"}} | CMMC compliance checklist
4. Attestation process
CMMC is a certifiable program that offers three types of assessments, depending on the certification level you're pursuing:
- Self-assessment: Level 1 requires you to perform a self-assessment against CMMC criteria. If your organization handles less sensitive CUI and the DoD contract states so, you can also conduct a self-assessment for Level 2. The results of self-assessments for both levels must be submitted to the Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS).
- C3PAO assessment: In most cases, to obtain a CMMC Level 2 certificate, your organization will need to undergo an assessment conducted by a Certified Third Party Assessor Organization (C3PAO). The results of a C3PAO assessment are submitted to the CMMC Enterprise Mission Assurance Support Service (eMASS) by the assessor.
- Government-led assessment: To achieve CMMC Level 3 compliance, your organization must pass an assessment conducted by the Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Assessment Center (DIBCAC). The results of Level 3 assessments are also entered into the eMASS by the assessor.
SOC 2 doesn’t offer a certificate. To demonstrate compliance, organizations hire an independent auditor who collects evidence of their security posture and produces an objective report that attests to whether they meet SOC 2 criteria.
Another notable difference between the two frameworks lies in how long compliance remains valid. While a SOC 2 report technically has no expiration date, a best practice is to get a new report every year to maintain a strong level of assurance. CMMC certificates vary depending on level—Level 1 requires annual recertification, while Levels 2 and 3 are valid for up to three years with yearly reaffirmations.
Should you adopt SOC 2 or CMMC?
“
If you’re a contractor or subcontractor to the Department of Defense (DoD) that processes Federal Contract Information (FCI) and/or Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), you need to be CMMC certified. Otherwise, if you don’t, SOC 2 is great.”
Being able to prove compliance with either framework can significantly benefit your organization. A CMMC certificate or SOC 2 attestation demonstrates your commitment to industry security and privacy best practices, helping build partner trust and potentially speeding up deal cycles.
Regardless of which of the two you pursue, achieving a certification or attestation can be complex without proper guidance and resources. However, this can be avoided by implementing the right tools can streamline and and speed up your compliance efforts.
Implement SOC 2 and CMMC with Vanta
Vanta is a comprehensive trust management platform that helps organizations achieve SOC 2 and CMMC certification faster.
Vanta’s dedicated CMMC solution includes features that streamline the compliance process and reduce manual effort, such as:
- Out-of-the-box support for all certification levels
- Automation of up to 50 percent of CMMC workflows through 375+ integrations
- Pre-mapped security controls and policy templates aligned to NIST SP 800-171 and SP 800-172
- Automated gap assessments on a real-time dashboard
- Centralized tracking and monitoring of CMMC practices
If you’re pursuing CMMC Levels 2 or 3, you can use Vanta’s partner network to find and connect with a reputable C3PAO that can support you every step of the way.
Vanta's SOC 2 solution comes with the same integrations and additional features to optimize the compliance process, such as:
- Automated evidence collection
- Pre-loaded system description workflow and template
- Streamlined support for SOC 2 audits with access to Vanta-vetted auditors
- Centralized visibility of security tasks
Vanta supports over 35 additional frameworks and automatically cross-references existing security practices with other standards, helping you avoid duplicate work.
Schedule a custom demo of Vanta’s CMMC product and see how it can save you time.
{{cta_simple33="/cta-blocks"}} | CMMC product page
A note from Vanta: Vanta is not a law firm, and this article does not constitute or contain legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. When determining your obligations and compliance with respect to relevant laws and regulations, you should consult a licensed attorney.
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