Sum IT Up: CMMC News Roundup

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/

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

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

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

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/