Alma Cole

The DoD has finalized its DFARS amendment, which makes CMMC requirements mandatory starting November 10, 2025. Contracting officers will now require cybersecurity maturity levels in solicitations, and contractors that handle controlled or federal contract information must post their CMMC self-assessment results before they can secure awards or renewals. Conditional certification will be allowed for six months in some cases, but only while firms close gaps at the higher tiers. Contractors will also have to keep their compliance status active for the life of the contract and confirm it annually through a designated official. With the phased rollout over the next three years, it's apparent that cybersecurity is moving from a best practice to a baseline for working with the defense supply chain. #CMMC

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CMMC Compliance Deadline: Are You Ready for October 1st?   The DoD’s latest update to 48 CFR Part 204.75 makes it official: CMMC certification is mandatory for contractors starting October 1, 2025. If your organization handles Federal Contract Information (FCI) or Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), you must be certified to bid, renew, or extend DoD contracts. 🎯 Don’t risk disqualification. As a CMMC Registered Practitioner Organization (RPO), Concertium helps defense contractors like you: * Assess and close compliance gaps * Build cybersecurity policies and procedures * Train your team and prepare for certification ⏳ Time is running out. Let’s get you ready before Phase 1 begins. 📅 Book your free consultation today: concertium.com/cmmc-rpo

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Cyber incidents in Texas, Tennessee and Indiana impacting critical government services https://ift.tt/eXY1qs5 A large suburb outside of Dallas, Texas, was one of multiple municipalities across the U.S. this week to report cyber incidents affecting public services. via The Record from Recorded Future News https://ift.tt/sgrY6L8 October 22, 2025 at 05:17PM

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🚨 The DoD has published the CMMC Final Rule! 🚨 📅 Effective Date: November 10, 2025 🚀 Phased Rollout Begins CMMC requirements will start appearing in contracts gradually. 🛡️ Who’s Impacted: Any contractor or subcontractor handling FCI or CUI. Now’s the time to get ready. Conduct readiness assessments, build a compliance plan, and make sure you’re prepared for when these requirements show up in contracts. 📖 Full rule: https://hubs.ly/Q03HH-l70 Cybersec Investments is ready to help your organization with every step of the compliance process. #CMMC #DFARS #DoD #Cybersecurity #FederalContracting

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🔒 Reflections from FutureCon Richardson 2026 Spent yesterday at FutureCon in Richardson and left genuinely energized by where our industry is headed. The conversations, the community, and the candor reinforced why the DFW cybersecurity ecosystem continues to punch above its weight nationally. I was honored to join the CISO Panel and take part in a high-level discussion on how our role is evolving. One theme came through loud and clear: we’re no longer “gatekeepers.” We’re business enablers navigating AI-driven risk at enterprise scale. A few takeaways that really stood out: • Assume Breach as a Strategy Modern defense isn’t about perfect prevention. It’s about speed — how quickly we can detect, validate, and hunt once an attacker inevitably gets a foothold. • AI Is Now a First-Order Security Risk From AI-generated code and model abuse to autonomous attack tooling, our controls, governance, and detection models must evolve at the same pace as the platforms we’re deploying. • From Shift Left to Continuous Assurance Security can’t live only in design reviews anymore. We’re moving toward lifecycle-wide prevention, runtime protection, and continuous validation that keeps up with modern delivery pipelines. • The Power of Community Beyond the CPEs, the real value was in the hallway conversations and sponsor sessions. Peer exchange is where strategy actually gets sharpened. The scalability crisis in security is real. Talent, tooling, and complexity are colliding fast. But days like this are a reminder that with the right community and leadership mindset, we’re well positioned to meet what’s coming next. To everyone I connected with — let’s keep the dialogue going. #FutureCon #CyberSecurity #CISO #InformationSecurity #AIinSecurity #RiskManagement #DFWTech #Leadership #Networking #NTXISSA #Vistrada

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🚨 Texas strengthens its cyber defenses! Governor Greg Abbott announced the appointment of retired Vice Admiral TJ White as the inaugural Chief of the Texas Cyber Command — a new agency built to protect Texans from cyber threats. With decades of leadership at U.S. Fleet Cyber Command / U.S. Navy Space Command / U.S. TENTH Fleet and U.S. Cyber Command, Admiral White brings the expertise Texas needs to lead in the digital fight. This appointment is a major step forward for our state’s security and resilience. Looking forward to watching #TexasCyberCommand grow in the coming months and years. Congratulations Adminral White! Read the full announcement: https://lnkd.in/gu7BfVxa

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Cyber incidents in Texas, Tennessee and Indiana impacting critical government services A large suburb outside of Dallas, Texas, was one of multiple municipalities across the U.S. this week to report cyber incidents affecting public services. https://lnkd.in/eBxAxdXP

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I’m looking forward to hosting this upcoming cyber discussion with my friends and fellow graduates from the United States Air Force Academy. Cybersecurity continues to sit at the intersection of national security, technology, and industry, and it’s always energizing to connect with Falcons working across these domains. If you’re part of the USAFA network, we hope you’ll join us on March 19 for the conversation.

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