Mother Bear Security

What is CMMC? And why does it matter?

The CMMC is a DoD program designed to make sure defense contractors and their subcontractors can properly protect Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). It's based on existing security frameworks, like those of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and ensures orgs handling defense data meet specific maturity levels for the DIB. 

The CMMC model has three distinct levels, with each successive level mandating more robust security measures tailored to the classification and sensitivity of the data being managed. Certification by a third-party assessor is a non-negotiable if businesses want to bid on DoD contracts. Put simply, CMMC helps the DoD trust that everyone in their supply chain can keep national security data safe.

Challenge | The complexities of compliance

CMMC compliance is a big deal. Businesses need to tackle 110 controls and 320 assessment objectives, which means serious cybersecurity and lots of documentation. The problem is, most DIB contractors often hit roadblocks with:

• Endpoint monitoring: Really seeing what's happening on all their devices.

• Vulnerability analysis: Quickly finding and fixing security weak spots.

• Log aggregation and review: Sorting through large amounts of data by hand.

“There’s a misunderstanding in the industry where companies often invest in bloated solutions to check a box, but they fail to implement real security,” explains Marteney. “That’s a dangerous path.”

The stakes are obviously high when it comes to CMMC. Not being prepared can lead to failed audits and, even worse, data breaches.

Solution | Security that checks every box

For years, Marteney had heard through the grapevine that Huntress is a great partner. So when it came time to offer his clients practical, scalable solutions for CMMC readiness, he knew exactly where to look.

“Huntress has an excellent team behind them who are there to truly help,” says Marteney. “They don’t just sell you a product and walk away.” 

As a value-added reseller (VAR), Mother Bear combines their compliance expertise with the Huntress Managed Security Platform, which includes:

• Managed Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): Monitoring activity across client endpoints 24/7 and quickly responding to anything suspicious.

• Managed Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR): Protects users from identity-based threats like an attacker stealing login credentials or moving around networks unnoticed.

• Managed Security Information and Event Management (SIEM): Huntress has redefined SIEM by building a solution that cuts through noise and surfaces only the data that matters, enabling faster insights, more efficient storage, and airtight compliance.

• Managed Security Awareness Training (SAT): Engaging, story-driven lessons make compliance easy and help reduce the risk of human error in the face of social engineering and phishing campaigns.

All Huntress solutions are backed by a 24/7 AI-assisted Security Operations Center (SOC). This global team of elite threat analysts works around the clock to investigate, analyze, and stop attacks in real time. As Marteney puts it, too many businesses rely on “someone like Greg from accounting” to glance at logs once a week and call it compliance. But, as Marteney emphasizes, compliance isn’t the same as real protection, which is why Huntress delivers nonstop, people-powered security for Mother Bear’s clients.

And the reports generated by Huntress give CMMC assessors the solid proof needed to verify compliance. It’s a clear, credible artifact—evidence that shows what’s actually happening, making the assessment process smoother, faster, and more transparent. 

Mother Bear and Huntress are showing that compliance doesn’t have to be complicated, especially when it’s rooted in real, effective security.

Huntress isn’t just a partner. They’re a cornerstone of what we recommend to clients for practical, impactful security.

Results | Accelerating compliance and boosting confidence 

Huntress provides Mother Bear's clients with clear, actionable security evidence for CMMC audits, along with the proactive defense needed to tackle evolving threats. Other factors making this partnership a success include:

Security-first philosophy: Both the Mother Bear and Huntress teams share a core belief that real security comes before compliance checkboxes. “Start with protecting your infrastructure,” Marteney often tells clients. “The checkboxes will come afterward.”

• Comprehensive coverage: Huntress seamlessly integrates across customer networks, offering visibility and protection for both CUI environments and broader IT systems.

• Compelling artifacts: Clients use Huntress’ automated reports and remediation logs as verifiable audit artifacts, simplifying the CMMC assessment process.

• Cost-effective solutions: Huntress offers enterprise-grade cybersecurity at a price point even the smallest companies can get behind, empowering contractors of all sizes.

By folding Huntress into their core product offering, Mother Bear has found major wins for themselves and their clients, like:

Immediate security impact: Before they were even fully onboarded, a client spotted and fixed a critical vulnerability on the very first day of a demo period with Huntress.

• Accelerated compliance preparation: Huntress closes critical security gaps while the MotherBear platform organizes audit evidence, shaving weeks off of assessment timelines.

• Higher assessment confidence: With Huntress’ automated alerts and detailed remediation artifacts, businesses can go into audits knowing they have the evidence to back up their compliance.

• Business growth: “Our customers feel immediate value using Huntress solutions, which greatly helps our customers get CMMC ready and helps build their confidence for assessment day,” boasts Marteney.

Today, Mother Bear is supporting companies preparing for CMMC assessments, with Huntress as a central piece of that success. That’s because their partnership with Huntress is changing the game when it comes to compliance in the DIB. 

By combining hands-on, human-driven cybersecurity with clear, straightforward compliance pathways, Mother Bear and Huntress are doing far more than just helping contractors pass audits. They’re protecting the systems and data that keep national security safe. 

“Huntress isn’t just a partner,” says Marteney. “They’re a cornerstone of what we recommend to clients for practical, impactful security.”