Why You Must Be Ready Before the Auditors Arrive

Written By Brian Hubbard

Why You Must Be Ready Before the Auditors Arrive

— A Wake-Up Call for CMMC and Cybersecurity Compliance Teams

Preparing for a cybersecurity audit—especially a rigorous one like a CMMC Level 2 assessment—is not something you start the day the assessors walk through the door. In fact, if you’re still scrambling when the audit begins, you’ve likely already failed.

 Let’s be clear: the audit is not the time to discover your documentation gaps, build system diagrams, or figure out which assets are in-scope. By the time the auditors show up, everything should already be in place—policies finalized, practices implemented, artifacts collected, and your team fully trained to walk through the evidence.

Why Proper Preparation Is Non-Negotiable

1. Time Is Not on Your Side

Audits are time-boxed. You won’t have weeks to hunt for artifacts or rewrite narratives. If you’re not ready to demonstrate compliance on Day One, you risk major findings—or even a failed assessment.

 2. You Need a Consistent Storyline

Assessors are trained to follow the trail of evidence from practice to implementation to demonstration. If your team can’t consistently explain who, what, where, and how each requirement is met, confusion will follow—and trust will erode.

3. It’s Not Just About Having the Right Documents

It’s about having mature and implemented processes. Having a password policy is not enough. You must show that it’s enforced, monitored, and supported by technical controls and user behavior.

 4. Assessments Are Built on Confidence

Assessors are not just checking boxes—they are evaluating whether your environment demonstrates reliable and repeatable compliance. That confidence is built through strong evidence, coherent narratives, and a well-prepared team.

 5. Failed Assessments Are Costly

A failed or delayed certification can jeopardize contracts and damage your reputation in the Defense Industrial Base. The cost of poor preparation is far higher than the investment in getting it right the first time.

Bottom line: You don’t “get ready” during an assessment—you demonstrate that you’re already ready. The best-prepared organizations treat assessment readiness as a continuous process, not a last-minute scramble. Want to succeed? Start preparing now—long before the audit clock starts ticking.

 

Brian Hubbard