HUNTSVILLE — Sentar has been named a Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Certified Third-Party Assessment Organization, the company announced.

The woman-owned Huntsville business joins 21 other C3PAOs but is the first headquartered in Alabama. Sentar specializes in advanced cyber intelligence solutions and technology.

Sentar’s certification came from the CMMC accreditation body Cyber AB.

“Sentar underwent a rigorous assessment by the Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Assessment Center to assess Sentar’s security posture and the expertise of our personnel,” said Stephen Pratt, chief information security officer. “As a C3PAO, Sentar is now qualified to conduct assessments and deliver results for organizations seeking compliance who wish to pursue a certification from the CMMC-AB.”

The CMMC standard and certification process was developed by the Department of Defense to protect federal contract information and controlled unclassified information. It will soon be a requirement for all companies seeking work with the DoD.

Sentar has completed dozens of CMMC readiness assessments. The designation as one of the first authorized C3PAOs is a testament to the qualifications of Sentar’s professional staff.

Its assessment services include serving as a Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program 3PAO for cloud service providers. Sentar is also a CMMC-AB Registered Provider Organization with registered practitioners on staff.