Showing all articles
The Controls That Stop Most Attacks Are Already Sitting in Your Admin Console
Most breaches start with stolen logins, unpatched software or email. Here are the low effort controls that stop them, and how they map to CMMC and 800-171.
Read article → CMMC ComplianceSMB1001 and the Case for Tiered Certification When CMMC Is Out of Reach
What SMB1001 is, how tiered cyber certification works, and how small teams and nonprofits can build real maturity before CMMC becomes a requirement.
Read article → Grant ProgramsTen Minutes On The Agenda: What A Nonprofit Board Should Ask About Cybersecurity
Five questions every nonprofit board should put on the agenda, what good answers sound like, and what to write down before your next audit or grant report.
Read article → CMMC ComplianceReading Your Own Risk Honestly When Nobody Is Auditing You
How small businesses, nonprofits and defense suppliers can assess their own cyber risk honestly, before a buyer, insurer or assessor ever asks.
Read article → Grant ProgramsThe Cybersecurity Divide, and Who Gets Left on the Wrong Side of It
Some sectors now get organized cybersecurity help while others carry identical requirements alone. Here is how the divide forms, and what to do if you are on the wrong side of it.
Read article → CMMC ComplianceWhy Small Suppliers Get Breached Through the Door the Prime Left Open
Small suppliers often get breached through access their prime set up. Here is how shared portals and credentials become your problem, and what to ask.
Read article → CMMC ComplianceCyber Hygiene When Nobody On Staff Owns IT
No IT staff? Here is an ordered, plain-language starting point for cyber hygiene, plus how to read this week’s CMMC Level 2 news without panicking.
Read article → CMMC ComplianceCMMC Is Paused. Small Contractors Still Need Help.
The Department of War paused CMMC Phase 2, and the SBA backed the decision because small contractors were being squeezed out. Here is what changes.
Read article → CMMC ComplianceGap Assessment vs Vulnerability Scan: What Each Tells You
A scan finds technical weaknesses. A gap assessment tells you whether your program meets a control set. Here is what each one can and cannot prove -- and why the CMMC Phase II pause is not a reason to stop.
Read article → Grant ProgramsWhy Phishing Is the #1 Threat for Defense Industry Employees and How to Fight It
Phishing is still the top breach vector -- and defense suppliers are prime targets. Here is how modern attacks work and how a funded training program builds the defense your filters cannot.
Read article → CMMC ComplianceWhat DoD Construction Contractors Need to Know About CMMC in 2026
CMMC applies to construction firms building on DoD sites -- and many are landing at Level 2 without realizing it. Here is what CUI looks like in construction and how to get your assessment funded.
Read article → Cybersecurity GrantsWhy Aerospace Parts Manufacturers Are Prime Ransomware Targets in 2026
Ransomware groups including Qilin and LockBit are targeting aerospace parts suppliers in 2026. Here is why your shop is in the crosshairs and how a funded pen test helps you respond.
Read article → Cybersecurity GrantsThe True Cost of a Ransomware Attack on a US Small Manufacturing Business
Manufacturing absorbed nearly one in five global ransomware attacks in Q1 2026. Here is what an attack actually costs a small shop and the single most cost-effective step to avoid one.
Read article → CMMC ComplianceCMMC Rule Status: Phase 1 Self-Assessment Still Holds, C3PAO Certification Begins November 10, 2026
No new CMMC rule changes this week. Phase 1 self-assessment still holds, but C3PAO Level 2 certification becomes mandatory November 10, 2026. Here is what to do.
Read article → CMMC ComplianceStaffing Firms Supporting Defense Programs: Do You Need CMMC Compliance?
Staffing agencies placing workers on defense programs may need CMMC compliance. Learn when it applies, which level you need, and how to fund your assessment.
Read article → Grant ProgramsFree Employee Cybersecurity Training for Federal Construction Contractors
Federal construction contractors can get free employee cybersecurity training through a CGA grant. Phishing simulations, security awareness modules, and incident response basics at no cost.
Read article → Grant FundingState Cybersecurity Grants for Defense Manufacturers: What Is Available in Your State
Most DIB manufacturers do not know state cybersecurity grants exist. This guide covers Michigan, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Georgia, and Virginia programs.
Read article → CMMC ComplianceYour CMMC Gap Assessment Results Are In: Here Is What to Do Next
Got your CMMC gap assessment results? Here is a clear, step-by-step guide to triaging findings, building your POA&M, funding remediation, and getting certified.
Read article → CMMC ComplianceWhat Is CUI? A Plain-Language Guide for Manufacturers Who Handle Defense Data
CUI (Controlled Unclassified Information) determines whether you need CMMC Level 2. This plain-language guide explains what CUI is in a manufacturing context.
Read article → CMMC ComplianceCMMC Subcontractor Guide: What Flow-Down Requirements Actually Mean for Your Business
If you are a subcontractor in the defense supply chain, CMMC almost certainly applies to you. Learn what flow-down requirements mean and where to start.
Read article → Grant ProgramsWe Paid for Your Pen Test: How the CGA Pen Testing Grant Works
Cyber Grants Alliance funds professional penetration testing for qualifying DIB manufacturers at no cost. Learn how the grant works and how to apply.
Read article → Grant FundingHow to Pay for CMMC Compliance: Grants, MEP Programs, and State Funding Options
CMMC Level 2 certification typically costs $100,000 or more. Here is how to use CGA grants, MEP center programs, and state funding to cover it.
Read article → CMMC DeadlineThe November 2026 CMMC Deadline: What Small Manufacturers Need to Do Right Now
CMMC Phase 2 takes effect November 10, 2026. With fewer than 1,000 contractors certified and C3PAO backlogs growing, here is the four-step action plan.
Read article → CMMC ComplianceCMMC Level 1 vs. Level 2: Which One Applies to Your DoD Contract?
A plain-language guide to the difference between CMMC Level 1 and Level 2, how to find out which applies to your contracts, and what to do next.
Read article → CMMC ComplianceWhat Is a CMMC Gap Assessment and Can You Get One for Free?
What a CMMC gap assessment is, why you need one before the November 2026 deadline, and how to get one fully funded through Cyber Grants Alliance.
Read article →No articles in this category yet. Apply for a grant to get started today.