The “Wait and See” Era of CMMC Just Ended. Are You Still at the Table? 

It’s February 2026. For years, the DIB talked about CMMC like a distant “someday” problem.

That “someday” is today.

If you handle CUI and you’re still waiting for a “tap on the shoulder” from your Prime or the DoD, you’re already behind. Here is the reality of the 2026 landscape:

The Bidding Wall: Contracting officers are now using SPRS scores as a binary filter. No Level 2 cert? Your bid is non-responsive. Period.

The Prime Purge: Primes like Lockheed and Northrop aren’t just “encouraging” compliance anymore—they are offboarding risky subs to protect their own multi-billion dollar programs.

The FCA Hammer: The DOJ is actively using the False Claims Act to target “pencil-whipping.” Misrepresenting your SPRS score isn’t a paperwork error in 2026; it’s fraud.

It’s Not One-and-Done: CMMC is a living obligation. With 3-year C3PAO audits and annual executive affirmations, “setting and forgetting” is a recipe for decertification.

“But my contract doesn’t mention CMMC yet!” Don’t be fooled. The moment you hit an option year or a new task order, those DFARS clauses are coming. In 2026, ignorance isn’t a defense—it’s a liability.

What the “Smart Business Owners” is doing right now:

1. The Enclave Strategy: Shrinking the audit scope to save 40% on costs.
2. Artifact-First Prep: Moving past “policies” to hard evidence (logs, screenshots, configs).
3. Booking Early: C3PAO backlogs are currently 6-9 months out. If you haven’t booked your slot, you’re looking at a 2027 start date.

Stop treating compliance like a chore and start treating it like the competitive advantage it is. The herd is being thinned. Will you be part of the DIB that remains?

You don’t have to face this alone. Learn how to leverage our MSP L2 stack and turn this business threat to an advantage.

Schedule a CMMC readiness assessment with Open Approach and secure your path to Level 2 compliance before C3PAO backlogs put your contracts at risk.