Self-assessment is an internal review used to document whether required security controls are in place and operating as expected. In frameworks such as CMMC, it helps an organization compare policies, evidence, and day-to-day practices against a control set before an external audit or certification review.
In cyber security, self-assessments matter because they expose gaps early and create a record for buyers, regulators, and internal teams. Attackers often succeed where controls look good on paper but fail in practice, so a useful self-assessment should verify real configuration, access control, logging, and incident response. Done well, it supports defense readiness; done poorly, it becomes a checkbox exercise.