NIST 800-171 is the gold standard for information security. Built for defense contractors, it’s now the fastest path to ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II certification — and the framework US enterprises require from their vendors, suppliers, and partners worldwide. Including Mexico.
The DoD Assessment Methodology starts at 110 and deducts points for every unimplemented control. Most contractors have never seen their real number.
There are 42 controls worth 5 points each. One Not Implemented 5-pointer costs more points than five standard gaps combined. Most contractors fail several.
A DIBCAC audit that finds a self-reported score higher than actual implementation is treated as a false claim — not a compliance finding. That’s litigation territory.
Compliance tools tell you whether you meet regulatory requirements. Cybersecurity tools tell you whether your environment is actually hardened against attack. The Document Generator turns both into the signed, formatted deliverables that auditors, contracting officers, and clients ask for.
Three things are happening simultaneously in 2026 that make SPRS compliance more urgent than it’s ever been.
The Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Assessment Center conducts spot audits of defense contractors and compares self-reported scores against actual implementation. The average gap between self-reported and audited scores is significant. Contractors who inflated their scores — even unintentionally — face False Claims Act exposure. A qui tam lawsuit brought by a competitor or disgruntled employee can be triggered by a score discrepancy.
Major defense prime contractors — Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, L3Harris — now routinely screen subcontractor SPRS scores before awarding work. An unsubmitted score, or a score below 70, can remove you from consideration before the conversation begins. This screening is becoming standard practice across the supply chain. Your competitors are getting their scores in order. The contractors who don’t are quietly losing work.
As of 2025–2026, DoD contracts involving CUI are progressively requiring CMMC Level 2 certification — validated by a C3PAO, not self-reported. A C3PAO assessment costs $30,000–$80,000+. If you fail, you pay again. Your SPRS score tells you exactly how far you are from passing. Contractors who haven’t been tracking their compliance posture are walking into assessments they’re not ready for. The time to find out is before you pay for the assessment.
The False Claims Act risk is real and underappreciated. Under the FCA’s qui tam provisions, a private party — a competitor, a former employee, anyone with knowledge — can sue a contractor on behalf of the government for knowingly submitting a false claim, including a falsely inflated SPRS score. The government gets up to 3× damages. The whistleblower gets a percentage. This is not a theoretical risk. Defense compliance attorneys have been flagging this for two years.
The good news: A completed, documented NIST 800-171 assessment with a defensible POA&M is meaningful protection even if your score isn’t perfect. What auditors and primes look for is that you know where you stand and you’re actively working on it. The tools give you both — in under an hour.
No account. No server. Everything runs in your browser and saves locally. Export JSON or PDF at any time, or bring the results to us and we’ll take it from there.
Not sure which applies? The Compliance Hub has a 6-question finder that recommends frameworks based on your contract scope, data types handled, and industry. Or jump straight to the tool you know you need.
Work through at your own pace. Mark each control Implemented, Partial, Not Implemented, or N/A. Add notes, evidence references, responsible owners, and target remediation dates. Progress saves in your browser.
Your score updates live. The gap report shows every open control sorted by risk. For NIST 800-171, SPRS is calculated using the DoD weighting: 5-point, 3-point, and 1-point controls. For vulnerability work, upload a Nessus CSV and get a phased remediation plan.
Use the Doc Generator to produce your SSP, POA&M, WISP, IRP, and CMMC Self-Assessment Statement from your assessment data. Export as PDF or Word. If the gaps require professional remediation, this is where TRA and Tier 1 MX come in.
Privacy note: No assessment data is sent to TRA Consulting, Tier 1 MX, or any server. Everything stays in your browser. The optional Claude AI gap analysis uses your own Anthropic API key and only sends the control data you explicitly choose to analyze.
TRA Consulting has been delivering managed IT and consulting services across Southern California since 2000. Tier 1 MX is the cybersecurity practice — doing the hands-on work: assessments, pen testing, ransomware response, compliance buildouts, and policy development in the U.S.-Mexico border region and beyond.
System Security Plans, POA&M development, SPRS score remediation, WISP creation, and DIBCAC preparation for defense contractors. We’ve taken contractors from negative SPRS scores to defensible passing postures. NIST, CIS, ISO, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, DFARS, CMMC, and CTPAT.
Internal vulnerability assessments, external penetration testing, phishing-as-a-service, dark web monitoring, and breach response. We run the assessment, build the remediation plan, and can assist your team in executing it — or handle it ourselves.
Incident Response Plan development, tabletop exercises, WISP and security policy creation, BCP/DRP documentation, and ransomware response. When a client discovered a rogue TOR node installed by an IT administrator, Tier 1 MX was the team that cleaned it up.
These tools surface the gaps. TRA Consulting and Tier 1 MX close them — through assessment engagements, remediation execution, policy development, and audit preparation across Southern California and the Baja region.