CMMC Crackdown: Defense Contractors Brace for Cybersecurity Compliance Chaos
The US Department of Defense’s CMMC program entered its enforcement phase on November 10, 2025. Defense contractors must now comply with cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive information. With potential millions at stake for missteps, even big names like Raytheon have felt the sting. The real risk lies with subcontractors who lack proper resources.
Hot Take:
Brace yourselves, defense contractors! The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is here to whip your cybersecurity into shape faster than a military boot camp. November 10, 2025, marks the day when the Department of Defense (DoD) decided it’s time to stop being lenient and start cracking the whip. If you’re not ready, prepare to be grounded from the lucrative world of defense contracts. It’s like the Great British Bake Off, but instead of soggy bottoms, it’s leaky data that will get you booted out of the competition.
Key Points:
– The CMMC program is now part of the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) and is mandatory for defense contractors.
– It introduces three maturity levels, with varying compliance requirements, to protect Federal Contract Information (FCI) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).
– Contractors face a phased implementation with increasing compliance rigor, from self-assessments to third-party audits.
– The DoD’s new cybersecurity mandates have sparked a flurry of activity among cybersecurity companies, offering new tools to aid compliance.
– A staggering 99% of defense contractors are not fully prepared for CMMC, risking exclusion from future contracts.