Redspin Meets Stringent Standards to Become One of the First Accredited C3PAOs

Rigorous independent evaluation validates Redspin's expertise and ability to deliver impartial, consistent, and credible CMMC assessments.

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Redspin, a leader in Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) services, today announced it has achieved ISO/IEC 17020:2012 accreditation, officially becoming an accredited CMMC Third Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO). This independent validation reinforces Redspin's ability to deliver competent, impartial, and consistent assessments, helping contractors navigate the certification process with confidence, demonstrate the cybersecurity readiness needed to compete for government contracts, and confirm compliance with DFARS 7012.

This achievement gives Redspin a distinct advantage as one of the first C3PAOs to earn accreditation status, an international standard that assesses the competence of bodies performing inspections and confirms the impartiality, independence, and consistency of their work. Redspin's strict adherence to this standard improves assessment quality. It strengthens the credibility of the CMMC certifications it provides, giving clients greater confidence in their certification and ability to pursue new business opportunities.

To satisfy the Accreditation standard, Redspin submitted exhaustive documentation of its assessment processes before undergoing a meticulous review by Cyber AB accreditation assessors. During this review, the accreditation assessors observed the full lifecycle of Redspin's CMMC assessment process, from initial contract discussions to the issuance of a CMMC certification. The observation evaluated the assessment team's ability to interpret CMMC requirements accurately, communicate with clients, field CMMC-related questions, and follow the overall CMMC assessment procedure. 

"Contractors shouldn't have to take an assessor's word that their end-to-end processes are rigorous, and accreditation means they don't have to," said Robert Teague, VP, Federal Consulting at Redspin. "We're proud that our team's work has been independently verified, and that every organization we certify can now benefit from that."

Redspin's accreditation not only marks the accomplishment of a long-standing goal for the company, but also represents a benchmark for the broader CMMC ecosystem. While ISO/IEC accreditation was always intended as the final step in a C3PAO's path, The Cyber AB had not yet established a C3PAO accreditation team when Redspin became the first authorized C3PAO in May 2021. During this time, The Cyber AB began authorizing qualified organizations to perform CMMC assessments, with accreditation to follow as the final requirement once the process was established.

"CMMC only works if the C3PAOs delivering certifications are trusted, and accreditation is how the ecosystem earns that trust," said Dr. Thomas Graham, VP, Quality Assurance Tech Manager at Redspin. "Certifications are infinitely more valuable when they come from thorough assessments that hold up against scrutiny, and the Defense Industrial Base becomes much stronger as a result."

"Becoming an accredited C3PAO is a foundational step in the maturity of the CMMC ecosystem," said Matthew Travis, Chief Executive Officer at the Cyber AB. "Every organization that completes this process strengthens confidence in CMMC certifications and raises the bar for other assessors across the DIB."

As adversaries increasingly target the defense supply chain, the Controlled Unclassified Information that contractors handle every day becomes more valuable, but more at risk. CMMC ensures that information stays protected, and its effectiveness depends on the integrity of the assessments behind each certification.

For DIB organizations, picking the right assessor is crucial. Working with an accredited C3PAO like Redspin gives contractors access to independently validated expertise, helping simplify the assessment experience, reduce uncertainty, and demonstrate the security readiness needed to compete for DoD contracts. By choosing an accredited C3PAO, contractors can be confident their assessment will be performed competently and impartially, and the Department of Defense can be confident the vendor is well protected from the evolving cyber threat landscape.

"Accreditation is not the finish line for us; it is a standard that we must continue to meet," said Brian McManamon, President of Redspin. "Every assessment we complete moving forward will continue to reflect the same rigor that we have proved we can deliver, because that is what our clients and the warfighters they support deserve."

For more information about Redspin's CMMC services and managed security offerings, visit www.redspin.com

About Redspin

Redspin helps the Defense Industrial Base (DIB), federal, and government organizations strengthen cyber resilience, defend Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and meet the cybersecurity requirements of NIST SP 800-171 and DFARS 252.204-7012. As a trusted managed security and compliance partner, we provide cybersecurity consulting, migration, management, and ongoing 24/7 threat detection across GCC High, on-prem, and hybrid cloud environments. Redspin is the long-standing leader for all things CMMC, training, certification, and is a trusted ESP. We help reduce cyber risk, strengthen resilience, and protect sensitive information critical to national security. To learn more, visit www.redspin.com.

SOURCE Redspin