Overview
Steptoe's Cybersecurity & Incident Response practice group lead Michael Gruden authored an article titled "The CMMC Pause, Supply Chain Chokepoints, and the Escalating False Claims Act Trap," which appeared in Defense and Munitions. The article explores the Department of Defense’s 60‑day pause on Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Phase 2, and how third‑party audits offer temporary relief but exposes a strained defense supply chain reliant on potentially flawed self‑attestations and vulnerable lower‑tier suppliers.