Sum IT Up: CMMC News Roundup

Summit 7

It's difficult to keep up with all of the moving parts that make up the Department of Defense's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Program. It's even more difficult to keep up with the relevant bits and bites that influence CMMC. This weekly podcast sums up the news and developments relevant to CMMC; DFARS and other regulations; and NIST standards such as SP 800-171, SP 800-53, the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, and others.

  1. 1d ago

    The FAR CUI Rule Could Put Contractors on Rev. 3 Before DoD Does

    CMMC’s phased rollout doesn’t determine when your other federal contracts could require NIST SP 800-171 Revision 3. The FAR CUI proposed rule contains no express implementation grace period and that could leave contractors managing two baselines on the same system. This week we examine DoD’s implementation extensions, explain what CMMC’s phases actually do, and discuss why contractors shouldn’t build their readiness plans around another extension. 2013 Rule: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2013/11/18/2013-27313/defense-federal-acquisition-regulation-supplement-safeguarding-unclassified-controlled-technical 2015 Rule: https://www.regulations.gov/document/DARS-2015-0039-0026 2016 Rule: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/10/21/2016-25315/defense-federal-acquisition-regulation-supplement-network-penetration-reporting-and-contracting-for 2020 Rule (CMMC 1.0): https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/09/29/2020-21123/defense-federal-acquisition-regulation-supplement-assessing-contractor-implementation-of 2024 Rule (CMMC 2.0): https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/10/15/2024-22905/cybersecurity-maturity-model-certification-cmmc-program 2025 Rule: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/09/10/2025-17359/defense-federal-acquisition-regulation-supplement-assessing-contractor-implementation-of FAR CUI Proposed: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/23/2026-12559/federal-acquisition-regulation-revolutionary-federal-acquisition-regulation-overhaul-parts-1-2-4-33 DoD Rev 2 vs Rev 3: https://youtu.be/iOKvkxcIivA?si=TeZZKmDvW7lgpqBz

  2. Oct 22

    GAO's CMMC Decision Could Change How DoD Awards Contracts

    Can DoD reward contractors for CMMC certification without making it mandatory? In a protest involving the Army's $50 billion MAPS contract vehicle, GAO upheld bonus evaluation points for companies that had obtained or were pursuing third-party CMMC certification. But DoD's subsequent suspension of CMMC Phase 2 raises an important question about how far agencies can go. Government contracts attorney Eric Crusius joins us to examine the decision, what GAO actually ruled, and whether CMMC certification could become a competitive advantage even when it isn't a condition for award. GAO Protest: https://www.gao.gov/products/b-424433.14%2Cb-424433.16%2Cb-424433.17%2Cb-424433.20%2Cb-424433.21%2Cb-424433.25 Follow Eric: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericcrusius/

  3. Oct 15

    The DoD's CMMC Review Has a Scoping Problem

    The DoD says Brilliant at the Basics will reduce cybersecurity compliance costs and administrative burden. But its new guidance leaves a critical question unanswered: What's actually in scope?  We examine all 10 IT security practices, compare their language with NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC's existing scoping rules, and explain why eliminating administrative complexity could actually make compliance more expensive for defense contractors.  Brilliant at the Basics: https://dowcio.war.gov/BrilliantBasics/  Phishing Resistant MFA: https://youtu.be/7aMxKNNlOxo?si=wJ8XA97UB26oZJPJ  CMMC Scoping: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-32/section-170.19

  4. Oct 8

    CIRCIA Final Rule Is Coming: What Defense Contractors Need to Know

    AUSA Supply Chain Cyber Readiness Preview: https://tinyurl.com/AUSAsupplychain The CIRCIA final rule has entered regulatory review, putting publication potentially just months away. For defense contractors, one major question remains unresolved: will CISA accept existing DFARS 252.204-7012 cyber incident reports, or will contractors have to report the same incident twice? We break down why the two 72-hour reporting requirements are far less similar than they appear, what “substantially similar” actually means, and why CIRCIA could create an entirely new reporting obligation for the defense industrial base. CIRCIA Proposed Rule: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/04/2024-06526/cyber-incident-reporting-for-critical-infrastructure-act-circia-reporting-requirements CIRCIA Pod 1: https://youtu.be/bvwnNSpDZgU?si=bJjZjrhzHJQxqYKH CIRCIA Pod 2: https://youtu.be/ngYSaO5fg5Y?si=vk-9dTSqT1HrNakq CIRCIA Pod 3: https://youtu.be/kUdhl5QfziU?si=kEnHdlWD8D17w0Pf

  5. Oct 1

    Congress Changed Its CMMC Small Business Bill at the Last Minute

    Managed Service Provider (MSP) Grader: https://summit7.us/mspgrader Congress has introduced new legislation aimed at helping small businesses navigate CMMC, promising clearer guidance, lower costs, and better federal assistance. But then the CMMC provisions changed before the bill even left committee. We break down what the Cybersecurity for Small Businesses Act actually requires, what it doesn't give the SBA authority to do, how the amended version differs from the original, and whether it would meaningfully change anything for defense contractors struggling with CMMC. Press Release: https://wied.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-wied-introduces-bill-strengthen-cybersecurity-and-reduce-costs-small Bill tracker: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/119/hr10238

  6. Sep 24

    DoD Said 60 Days. So Where Is the CMMC Report?

    CMMC L2 Suspended, Learn What This Means For You: https://summit7.us/blog/cmmc-phase-2-suspended-with-60-day-review-what-happens-next DoD said it was conducting a 60-day review of CMMC. More than 60 days later, contractors are still waiting for answers. We break down the conflicting CMMC timelines, the additional 15-day window described by DoD CIO Kirsten Davies, what the suspension actually means today, and when we might realistically see the CMMC Reform Task Force recommendations. July 13th memo: https://dodcio.defense.gov/Portals/0/Documents/Library/CMMC-ReformMemo.pdf Davies (DefenseScoop): https://defensescoop.com/2026/07/17/pentagon-task-force-to-review-cmmc-hits-the-ground-running/

  7. Sep 17

    The Honeywell Cyber Whistleblower Tells Her Story

    Rachel Tenney was working in counterintelligence and insider risk at Honeywell when she raised cybersecurity concerns involving sensitive defense technology. Years later, her False Claims Act case ended in a $2 million settlement. In this episode, Rachel joins us to tell the story from her perspective: SolarWinds, raising concerns inside Honeywell, becoming a relator, the years-long government investigation, and what security practitioners, CISOs and defense contractors can learn from her experience. Settlement: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/honeywell-aerospace-inc-agrees-pay-over-2m-settle-false-claims-act-allegations-failing  Solarwinds (GAO): https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-104746

  8. Sep 10

    DoD Paused CMMC. Here Are 5 Cyber Rules Coming Anyway.

    Speak With Our Team: https://summit7.us/contact CMMC may be on hold, but cybersecurity rulemaking isn't. We break down five major requirements defense contractors need to watch, including the FAR CUI rule, CIRCIA, DFARS 252.204-7012 updates, CMMC 3.0, and post-quantum cryptography. FAR CUI Proposed Rule: https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2026-12559/p-116 FAR CUI pod: https://youtu.be/l7BHnTdD9yM?si=7LQJ9LDup4LoJaCr CIRCIA: https://www.regulations.gov/docket/CISA-2022-0010 CIRCIA pod: https://youtu.be/bvwnNSpDZgU?si=PvyO3JaXJJFWJFRi CMMC 3.0: https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202510&RIN=0790-AM01 DFARS 7012: https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202510&RIN=0750-AM24 PQC: https://youtu.be/6zqaXGhP7SE?si=jefs2Pbjm_sPknnV

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About

It's difficult to keep up with all of the moving parts that make up the Department of Defense's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Program. It's even more difficult to keep up with the relevant bits and bites that influence CMMC. This weekly podcast sums up the news and developments relevant to CMMC; DFARS and other regulations; and NIST standards such as SP 800-171, SP 800-53, the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, and others.

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  • Creator
    Summit 7
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    181
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 by Summit 7
  • Show Website
    Sum IT Up: CMMC News Roundup

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