Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1546025
8 SMT007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2026 reporting (so some details may be suspect), but the overall story has merit. Tata is a mega-corporation you would expect to have ro- bust cybersecurity, yet it still suffered a breach. Not to be alarmist, but if Tata is vulnerable, so are you, and it's exactly why we're de- voting this month's issue to the U.S. Cybersecurity Ma- turity Model Certification (CMMC) program. CMMC is the govern- ment's system to ensure that if you're handling sen- sitive information, you're also protecting it. It began as a response to cy- bersecurity breaches in the U.S. defense industry ecosystem. The U.S. Department of Defense set a Nov. 10, 2026, deadline to comply with its CMMC Phase II requirements, then recently pulled back on that date, and called for a 60-day evaluation. It was a big deadline, to be sure, and many com- panies of all sizes in the supply chain have been steadily working toward compliance. That's key to the success of the CMMC program. Even if you don't do direct defense work, you might still need to increase your data security. The Tata iPhone example confirms the value in that. Each of your customers is a separate, distinct value chain. Do you know the full extent of each? How many of those value chains lead to a military application? The military drone teardown videos so popular on YouTube these days show that some surprisingly consumer-level components are now key systems in military assets. One could argue that CMMC is a good idea, no matter where you fit in the EMS value chain. In this issue, we begin by exploring CMMC's his- tory and implications. Then we talk to three EMS companies pursuing CMMC Level 2 certification: one that has achieved its certs and two that were on track to do so before the November deadline. Each company shares its perspective on the pro- N O L A N 'S N OT ES cess and the implications for its business going forward into 2027. We also include a cybersecurity roundtable from APEX EXPO 2026 in Anaheim, where I moder- ated a compelling panel discussion on the reasons and practicalities of CMMC certification. With such important steps in motion, the recent DoD news about the CMMC suspension came as a bit of a surprise. We asked our sources how this news would change their plans, and you'll find those up- dates in this issue, as well as a reaction piece from recurring CMMC contributor Divyash Patel. To round out this August issue, tariff expert James Kim continues his discussion of the USMCA, and Nash Bell's column compares hot-air and infrared device removal methods for rework. Cybersecurity always carries some controver- sy. Opinions vary on how much money and time must be invested to be the most effective. In this case, however, even the U.S. government is having second thoughts about whether this proto- col is appropriate for supporting sensitive military and government work in a sustainable way. Is this our new de facto standard? Perhaps it's too soon to tell, but how will CMMC affect your business? Are you seeking certification? Is CMMC too much, or not nearly enough? Drop me an email at editorial@iconnect007.com. Nolan Johnson is managing editor of SMT007 Magazine. Nolan brings 30 years of career experience focused almost entirely on elec- tronics design and manu- facturing. To contact John- son, click here.