What is a CMMC system?

A CMMC system refers to the combination of IT infrastructure, software, and physical security policies a company uses to meet DoD cybersecurity requirements. A compliant system ensures that Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) is encrypted, user access is strictly controlled, and network activity is continuously monitored.

How hard is it to get CMMC?

Achieving CMMC can be highly challenging for manufacturers who rely on legacy equipment and outdated IT networks. It requires a cultural shift toward strict data hygiene, implementing new network segmentation, and passing a rigorous third-party assessment to verify that your shop floor is secure.

How much does CMMC cost?

The cost of CMMC compliance varies widely depending on a shop's current IT maturity and the required certification level. Small to mid-sized manufacturers can expect to spend anywhere from tens of thousands to over a hundred thousand dollars on network upgrades, secure software software subscriptions, and third-party audit fees.

CMMC Machine Shop Software: Cybersecurity Requirements for CNC Manufacturers

Q: What is CMMC in manufacturing?

In manufacturing, CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) is a unified standard implemented by the Department of Defense to protect sensitive defense information on contractors' networks. For CNC shops, it means securing every digital endpoint—including CAD/CAM software, ERP systems, and networked CNC machines—against cyber threats.

Matt Ulepic
Oct 22, 2025
4 min read

Updated: Apr 21

Discover how compliant CMMC machine shop software protects your manufacturing data, ensures DoD audit readiness, and keeps your machine tracking secure.

Securing Your CMMC Machine Data on the Shop Floor

If you do any work tied to the Department of Defense (DoD) — directly or indirectly — you’ve probably heard the acronym CMMC tossed around lately. It stands for Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification, and it’s becoming a key requirement for manufacturers that handle defense-related work.

As the Department of Defense enforces its new cybersecurity frameworks, defense contractors can no longer afford to connect unverified devices to their IT networks. Securing every cmmc machine on your shop floor is now a hard requirement to win or retain government contracts. Modern tracking software solves this by securely pulling utilization and downtime data using encrypted, outbound-only protocols. This gives plant managers the real-time visibility they need to maximize capacity without exposing the CNC control unit—or the broader corporate network—to outside vulnerabilities.

But what does CMMC have to do with Machine Tracking, and how can our hardware and software fit safely into a CMMC-compliant environment?

Let’s unpack that.

What is CMMC in manufacturing?

CMMC is the Department of Defense’s framework for ensuring its suppliers follow strong cybersecurity practices. Every company in the defense supply chain — from major contractors to small machine shops — will need to meet one of three certification levels:

Level 1 – Foundational: Basic cyber hygiene (think strong passwords, antivirus, and firewalls).
Level 2 – Advanced: Adds the NIST 800-171 controls required for companies handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).
Level 3 – Expert: The highest level, reserved for prime contractors and critical defense programs.

In short: if you make or touch parts for the DoD, you’ll need to show that your business is protecting data appropriately.

How CMMC Machine Shop Software Secures Your Manufacturing Data

As defense supply chains face increasingly stringent regulations, manufacturers must ensure their operational data is fully protected from external threats. Implementing robust cmmc machine shop software allows you to track machine performance and operational downtime without compromising sensitive network information or Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).

By closing critical security gaps and maintaining audit-ready data logs, this software not only keeps your shop floor productive but also ensures your facility remains eligible for lucrative DoD contracts.

What are the CMMC 2.0 levels for machine shops?

Where Machine Tracking Fits

Machine Tracking’s system — the hardware device that monitors electrical activity and the cloud dashboard that displays uptime, downtime, and part counts — sits on your production network. That naturally raises a fair question: Does it affect your CMMC compliance?

Here’s the good news:

Machine Tracking doesn’t collect, process, or store any Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).

Our devices measure only operational telemetry — whether a machine is running, idle, or stopped — not CAD files, programs, or customer part data.

Hardware: Secure and Isolated by Design

Each Machine Tracking device connects to your Wi-Fi to send encrypted data to our cloud platform. To align with CMMC best practices, we recommend:

Using secure Wi-Fi (WPA2 or better)
Segmenting the device network so it’s isolated from computers that handle CUI
Keeping firmware updates signed and verified

When deployed this way, Machine Tracking hardware introduces virtually no risk to CMMC compliance.

Software: Built for Data Protection

Our web dashboard uses TLS encryption (HTTPS) for all communications, stores data securely in the cloud, and applies role-based access control so users only see what they need to.All data is encrypted both in transit and at rest.

And because we only capture machine status, not design or customer data, the platform sits entirely outside the CUI boundary for most manufacturers.

If your team happens to label downtime or parts tied to a defense job, that metadata may be part of your CUI workflow.

In those cases, your compliance documentation can simply list Machine Tracking as an operational monitoring tool that transmits non-CUI data.

Integration with Other Systems

If you connect Machine Tracking to other systems — like ERP or MES software that does contain CUI — it’s important to define and document that integration boundary.

Use secure API keys, encryption, and proper user authentication. That ensures your entire environment remains aligned with CMMC Level 2 or higher requirements.

Bottom Line

Machine Tracking supports CMMC compliance by:

Area	CMMC Relevance	Risk	Mitigation
Hardware	On shop-floor networks	Low	Use secure Wi-Fi and network segmentation
Data	Operational telemetry only	Very Low	No CUI collected
Cloud Dashboard	TLS + encryption at rest	Low	Access control + least privilege
Integrations	Optional	Context-dependent	Use secure APIs and document boundaries

How to Talk About It with Your Customers

If your prime contractor or cybersecurity auditor asks whether Machine Tracking is CMMC-compliant, here’s the simplest way to describe it:

“Machine Tracking doesn’t collect or store Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). It captures operational telemetry from our machines and transmits it securely over encrypted channels. The system aligns with CMMC Level 1 practices and supports our overall compliance program through strong security controls and clear data boundaries.”

That’s the truth — and it reassures auditors and primes that you’ve done your homework.

CMMC is here to stay, and the manufacturers who get ahead of it will have a clear advantage. Machine Tracking helps you do that by giving you real-time visibility into your equipment performance without introducing any new cybersecurity exposure.

Simple. Secure. Compliant.

That’s how we believe manufacturing technology should be built.

Before attempting a formal compliance assessment, your facility must establish a secure baseline for data collection. Implementing a robust, DoD-compliant [machine monitoring system] ensures that your shop floor data is tracked, encrypted, and stored according to strict federal guidelines. This foundational system not only protects your intellectual property from external threats, but it provides the objective utilization metrics you need to scale your defense manufacturing profitably.