Navigating CMMC Compliance and Key Insights from the National 8(a) Small Business Conference

Issued by Womble Bond Dickinson's advisory services company, Prescentus, in partnership with PreVeil.

The recent National 8(a) Small Business Conference underscored pressing challenges and critical updates regarding the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Program, now in an advanced phase known as CMMC 2.0. The conference highlighted the growing urgency for Department of Defense (DoD) contractors to achieve CMMC compliance amidst a significant shortage of qualified assessors.

Mandatory Compliance and Its Implications

CMMC 2.0 is now a regulatory necessity, with the final rule taking effect on December 16, 2024. DoD contracts will soon mandate certification, prior to a contract award, making compliance essential to securing and maintaining government contracts. With only 54 authorized Certified Third-Party Assessor Organizations available to certify approximately 76,000 contractors, the bottleneck in assessments could result in delays that put contracts and revenue streams at risk. Failure to comply means potential exclusion from DoD opportunities, making immediate action crucial. For official details on CMMC compliance, visit the DoD CMMC Compliance Page.

Addressing the Assessment Backlog

At the conference, industry experts emphasized the backlog in CMMC assessments, noting that contractors must act quickly to secure a place in the certification pipeline. CMMC 2.0 aims to address vulnerabilities in existing FAR and DFARS regulations, ensuring contractors meet stringent cybersecurity standards necessary for safeguarding Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). The final rule enhances the DoD’s ability to verify that defense contractors and their subcontractors can adequately protect Federal Contract Information (FCI) and CUI, aligning with assessed risks and national security priorities.

Accelerating Compliance with PreVeil

Womble Bond Dickinson, through its Prescentus partners, offers comprehensive CMMC solutions in collaboration with PreVeil. PreVeil provides an integrated suite of tools and services designed to streamline the compliance process.  

Over 1,500 defense contractors have successfully utilized PreVeil's solutions, often reducing compliance costs by over 75% compared to traditional methods. No other provider offers such a comprehensive suite of capabilities that seamlessly integrates off-the-shelf templates and training, customizable to each client's unique requirements.

CMMC compliance is no longer optional for DoD contractors—it is a critical requirement to maintain eligibility for government contracts. Given the limited availability of certified assessors and the complexity of the certification process, contractors must act immediately to avoid delays and risks to their business operations.

Womble Bond Dickinson and Prescentus have partnered with PreVeil to help DOD contractors meet CMMC compliance requirements. For more information on our CMMC solutions contact the authors listed below.

Orlee Berlove at PreVeil co-authored this alert.