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CMMC CON 2026 - Michael Brooks - A-LIGN - Speaker Announcement

Learn What the Affirming Official Role Really Requires at CMMC CON 2026

CMMC Certification Prep: Don’t Overlook the Affirming Official Most defense contractors preparing for CMMC certification focus on technical controls for access management, encryption, and incident response. Those are undoubtedly crucial, but it’s important to remember there’s a person who has

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The Governance Gap Emerging Beneath The AI Boom

Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming embedded into the operational fabric of modern enterprises. What began as experimentation inside innovation teams has expanded into finance, legal, cybersecurity, procurement, software development, customer operations and executive decision-making itself. AI systems are generating recommendations, automating

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Checklists

How to Achieve CMMC Compliance: 7 Essential Tips for Organizations

Many organizations pursuing CMMC certification make the same costly mistake: they start implementing security controls before they fully understand their scope. They purchase tools, migrate platforms, or build segregated enclave environments without first mapping where Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) actually

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CMMC Certification for Defense Contractors: Assessment Preparation and Long-Term Compliance

You’ve taken the steps to assess your cybersecurity posture against NIST 800-171, implemented the required controls, and now you’re managing and maintaining your compliant state. CMMC audit readiness, otherwise known as operating compliantly, has become a way of life. CMMC

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CMMC Level 2 Implementation: Requirements, Challenges, and What Actually Works in Real Environments

CMMC Level 2 is no longer new. Most organizations understand the framework, the 110 controls, and what a C3PAO assessment requires for certification against NIST SP 800-171.  What’s still less understood is what changes once CMMC implementation moves from planning into live environments, especially

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The False Claims Act is Quietly Becoming a Cybersecurity Enforcement Engine

For years, cybersecurity in federal contracting was treated primarily as a compliance exercise. Requirements existed, audits occurred and gaps were remediated over time. The consequences of falling short were typically operational, not existential. That dynamic is now changing with the use

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