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Suspension of CMMC Phase II and What It Means for You

Suspension of CMMC Phase II and What It Means for You

On July 13th, 2026, at 3:30PM EST, the Department of War (DoW) released a memorandum for senior Pentagon leadership with a subject of “Implementing Department of War Chief Information Officer’s Suspension of the Advancement to Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Phase 2 Requirements” and “Removing Barriers to Defense Industrial Base Expansion: Immediate Suspension and Strategic Review […]

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CMMC Recertification: What Qualifies as a “Significant Change” Requiring a Second C3PAO Assessment

Earning CMMC certification takes a significant investment of time, resources, and effort. Once an organization clears its C3PAO Assessment, there’s a natural sense of relief — even accomplishment. That CMMC Status can last up to three years, but two events bring recertification back onto the calendar sooner: reaching the end of the standard three-year cycle, […]

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How to Pass the Most Failed CMMC Controls

How to Pass the Most Failed CMMC Controls

If your organization handles Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and is working toward CMMC Level 2 certification, understanding where organizations most commonly fail is half the battle. In a recent webinar, 112Cyber’s certified CMMC assessors Nick Graning and Jordon Darling broke down five of the most commonly failed control areas — and exactly what you need […]

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C3PAO Evaluation

C3PAO Interview Checklist: 10 Evaluation Criteria

Not all C3PAOs are created equal. Before you sign an engagement, these are the questions that separate credible assessors from expensive mistakes — organized by category, with what good answers look like, and what should send you running. 01 Scoping & Environment Understanding Ask “How do you approach defining the CMMC assessment boundary?” “How do […]

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A Guide to External Service Providers (ESP) and CMMC Certifications 

In the Defense Industrial Base (DIB), External Service Providers (ESPs) are becoming increasingly common. ESPs, also commonly referred to as Managed Service Providers (MSPs), Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs), or Cloud Service Providers (CSPs), have become especially beneficial for small and medium-sized businesses where hiring a full-time compliance employee may not be practical.  ESP services can range from full system management and support to […]

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FIPS Encryption Requirements in CMMC and NIST SP 800-171

FIPS Encryption Requirements in CMMC and NIST SP 800-171 

When handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), compliance with NIST SP 800-171 and the CMMC framework mandates strict data protection measures—including the use of FIPS-validated encryption in specific scenarios. But one requirement that consistently generates questions is exactly what “FIPS-validated” means in practice, where it applies, and how it differs from the looser “FIPS-compliant” language that […]