The Department of War today announces the immediate suspension of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Phase II requirements, which were originally scheduled to come into effect on November 10, 2026. All Phase I self-assessment requirements remain firmly in place. Additionally, the Department will begin a comprehensive review of CMMC aimed at aligning with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s Acquisition Transformation System (ATS) directives prioritizing speed to capability, lowering barriers for small, medium, and non-traditional businesses, and replacing bureaucratic compliance with scalable, resilient cybersecurity measures.

Ensuring access to leading-edge commercial capabilities is a critical driver powering the Secretary of War’s operational execution for the “Arsenal of Freedom”. While the current CMMC program was designed to enhance DIB cybersecurity, instead it has created prohibitive compliance costs and bureaucratic burdens. Recent data, including reports from the Small Business Administration (SBA), confirmed that CMMC compliance is forcing innovative companies out of the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) which will delay the delivery of critical capabilities to the warfighters.

“In support of Secretary Pete Hegseth’s directive to reduce compliance barriers for small and medium sized businesses, we are today suspending the CMMC Phase II requirements and initiating a 60-day study of the future of this program,” said DoW Chief Information Officer Kirsten A. Davies. “Robust cybersecurity and operational resilience remain critical to protecting American innovation and supporting warfighter readiness. We believe the DIB can achieve both, while we reduce unnecessary government red tape.”

Effective immediately, the Department will suspend the transition to Phase II requirements of CMMC, as well as pending and future CMMC implementation milestones across the Department of War solicitations and contracts.

“We have a strategic imperative to reduce bureaucracy as we build the world’s strongest Arsenal of Freedom. The CIO’s decision ensures we maintain a strict security baseline while removing paralyzing costs and keeping innovators and competition growing in the defense supply chain,” said Hon. Michael Duffey, Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment.

To realign our cybersecurity posture with the principles of the ATS, the Department CIO is establishing a CMMC Reform Task Force to conduct a comprehensive top-to-bottom review of the certification program. This task force will serve as the central hub for synthesizing industry feedback from our public Request for Information (RFI) regarding compliance challenges. Using these insights, the team will recommend realistic, scalable security measures that prioritize speed to capability and lower barriers for small and non-traditional businesses, delivering their final report to the DoW CIO within 60 days.

During this interim period, the Department will enforce cybersecurity compliance with the NIST SP 800-171 Rev 2 standard through self-assessments and select government-led assessments, focusing on tangible cyber hygiene rather than administrative overhead.

It is critical to note that this action does not eliminate the requirement for companies to protect federal data. All defense contractors and subcontractors remain contractually obligated to safeguard covered defense information in accordance with DFARS clause 252.204-7012.

The Department of War remains steadfast in its commitment to securing its digital domain while empowering the DIB to rapidly provide the most advanced capabilities to the warfighter. More information can be found here: dowcio.war.gov/brilliantbasics

Photo Caption (L to R): Vince Kuchar, President, RMC Global, and David Wechsler, President and CEO, ABS Group

(HOUSTON) ABS, through its affiliate ABSG Consulting Inc. (ABS Consulting), has today announced the acquisition of?RMC Global (RMC), a leading provider of industrial cybersecurity, risk management?and resiliency solutions.

The acquisition strengthens ABS Consulting’s capabilities and market position, bringing together two organizations with complementary expertise, shared values and a common mission. Combining RMC’s capabilities with ABS Consulting’s scale, technical depth and global resources, unlocks more integrated solutions for clients operating in increasingly complex risk environments.

ABS Chairman and CEO John McDonald said: “Clients are facing increasing operational risk, cyber threats, and regulatory pressure. Bringing together the expertise of RMC and ABS Consulting strengthens our ability to deliver even greater value and support for our clients through comprehensive, integrated solutions.”

He highlighted that the acquisition is both a strategic and cultural fit. RMC’s strong culture of critical infrastructure protection and industrial cybersecurity aligns closely with ABS Consulting’s focus on protecting people, assets and critical operations around the world.

He said: “ABS and RMC make a strong fit in mission and culture. Both organizations are focused on work with real-world impact. Both value expertise, practical problem solving, and long-term trust. And both are committed to helping protect critical systems, support resilience, and solve complex challenges in environments where the stakes are high.”

ABS Consulting CEO David Wechsler said: “This acquisition builds on priority areas where we see sustained client demand and long-term growth opportunity. The combination strengthens our ability to support our customers’ evolving operational risk, cyber threats, and regulatory demands, while giving us a broader platform to deliver increasingly innovative solutions.”

RMC President Vince Kuchar said: “What brought our organizations together is a shared culture, mission, and purpose: delivering practical, trusted solutions that protect critical infrastructure and critical missions, enabling resilience in the face of growing risk. By joining ABS with its 164-year mission, we are better positioned to support our clients today and to adapt alongside them in the years ahead.”

More information about ABS Consulting is available here. More information about RMC is available here. 

RA’ANANA, Israel and MCLEAN, Va., February 12th — D-Fend Solutions, the leader in field-proven radio frequency (RF) cyber-based, non-kinetic, non-jamming counter-drone takeover technology, has been named in the Gartner Emerging Tech: Top-funded Startups for Cyber Electronic Defense (CED).

According to Gartner, in a Key Finding of the report, “commercial counter-drone success hinges on nonkinetic, high-precision counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) technology. Solutions that can neutralize threats without causing collateral damage or disrupting legitimate civilian communications are favored.”

In a related Recommendation, Gartner advises organizations to “Secure commercial market leadership by prioritizing scalable, nonkinetic mitigation systems that guarantee low collateral damage. Do this by implementing AI-driven sensor fusion to precisely distinguish alien assets from legitimate communication signals and demonstrating practical efficacy.”

According to the report, “the drone detection and mitigation category received significant commercial investment, driven by the reality that inexpensive, widely accessible drones pose threats to private enterprises, energy grids, and public venues. Consequently, investment is heavily focused on companies providing scalable, nonkinetic solutions that can operate within urban and regulatory-sensitive environments without causing collateral damage.”  D-Fend Solutions is an example of one such company.

Regarding Near-term Implications and Actions, Gartner states that “To protect against widely accessible, inexpensive drones in civilian settings, leaders must focus on solutions that are scalable, effective, and nondestructive. Product leaders should prioritize the development of modular, open-architecture C-UAS systems that leverage easily deployable detection sensors.”

Gartner subscribers can access the report here.

Gartner, Emerging Tech: Top-funded Startups for Cyber Electronic Defense (CED), 8 December 2025. GARTNER is a trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates. Gartner does not endorse any company, vendor, product or service depicted in its publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s business and technology insights organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this publication, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.