Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1546025
10 SMT007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2026 F E AT U R E A RT I C L E BY N O L A N J O H N S O N , I - C O N N ECT 0 07 The U.S. Department of Defense's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certifi- cation (CMMC) program has finally moved from concept to contract language. Cybersecurity compliance for companies hoping to participate in the defense supply chain is now a prerequisite for doing business, right alongside AS9100, ITAR, Nadcap, and IPC standards. For years, many organizations have self-attested to cybersecurity compliance. Unfortunately, a series of high-profile cyber incidents demonstrated that self-attestation didn't always translate into effective implementation. Sensitive information would leak through vulnerabilities in the Defense Industrial Base (DIB), often via suppliers and subcontractors. The DoD wants verification that CMMC 2.0 The Defense Supply Chain's Next Qualification Requirement