This article reviews the major regulatory, market, and readiness shifts that defined CMMC in 2025 and explains how those changes will shape contractor strategies in 2026. It outlines how new DoD guidance, the launch of Phase 1, growing demand, and tightening assessor capacity are accelerating the need for early planning, readiness evaluation, and proactive scheduling for Level 2 assessments.
This article breaks down how the launch of CMMC Phase 1 is transforming compliance across the Defense Industrial Base. With verification now mandatory, contractors face heightened scrutiny of evidence, documentation, assessment scheduling, and CUI boundary definition. The piece outlines early market impacts, how primes are intensifying supply-chain requirements, and why Level 2 certification success now depends on operational proof, not intent.
This article explores the launch of CMMC Phase 1 as the start of a new era in cybersecurity accountability, where verified compliance replaces self-attestation. It highlights how readiness, supply chain collaboration, and a culture of security now define competitiveness across the Defense Industrial Base.
This article explores how contractors are preparing for the November 10 launch of CMMC Phase 1, detailing the shift from self-attestation to verified compliance and how readiness is emerging as a key competitive advantage across the Defense Industrial Base.
This article examines how CMMC Phase 1 enforcement intersects with the False Claims Act, highlighting recent DOJ settlements and outlining how inaccuracies in cybersecurity attestations, not breaches, now drive legal risk for defense contractors.
The Department of Defense confirmed that CMMC Phase 1 will begin on November 10. Contractors that act before then will enter Phase 1 in a stronger position.
With CMMC Level 2 taking effect, the real challenge isn’t just passing the audit—it’s securing an assessment slot. Limited C3PAO capacity means contractors that wait may be locked out of future contracts.
