Nearly Half of Defense Contractors Keep Advancing CMMC Amid Phase 2 Hold

Nearly half of defense contractors continue CMMC work despite a Phase 2 pause, seeing Level 2 certification as valuable for validation and CUI protection.

A Redspin survey of 131 defense‑industrial‑base firms shows that 47% are persisting with DFARS 252.204-7012, NIST SP 800‑171 and CMMC preparations despite the Secretary of the Army’s July decision to pause the rollout of CMMC Phase 2, originally slated for November.

While roughly a fifth of respondents are slowing or halting their CMMC activities and another 20% have paused certification spending, 75% still view achieving CMMC Level 2 as valuable. The majority cite independent validation of their cybersecurity programs as the primary benefit, followed by demonstrating commitment to protecting controlled unclassified information.

Source: Corporate Compliance Insights

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