Hi there,
If you saw "CMMC suspended" in a headline this week and quietly filed the whole subject under later — read this first. The suspension is real, but it's narrower than the headlines make it sound, and misreading it is the expensive mistake.
What actually happened
On July 13, 2026, the Department of War's CIO issued memo 26-P-1023 suspending CMMC Phase 2 — the ramp-up of third-party (C3PAO) certification assessments that was set to begin November 10, 2026 — plus all future CMMC milestones, until further notice. A 60-day CMMC Reform Task Force is now reviewing the program, with a report expected around September 11, 2026.
What was suspended
The Nov 10, 2026 start of mandatory third-party (C3PAO) certification.
All future CMMC phase milestones.
What did NOT change — and still binds you today
Level 1 and Level 2 self-assessment against NIST SP 800-171 (in effect since Nov 10, 2025 under DFARS 252.204-7021).
Your SPRS score — you still calculate and submit it.
Your annual affirmation — signed by a senior official, every year.
DFARS 252.204-7012 safeguarding and incident reporting.
NIST SP 800-171 Revision 2 is still the standard. No move to Rev 3.
The trap
The suspension does nothing to the annual affirmation you sign in SPRS — and a false or careless affirmation carries False Claims Act exposure whether or not Phase 2 is on. The risk isn't "the deadline moved." It's a contractor who hears "suspended," lets their posture drift, and signs next year's affirmation anyway. The third-party assessor got paused. You're still your own assessor.
What to do this week
Don't stand down — baseline. Know your real SPRS score, document where you stand, and turn your gaps into a plan. Whatever the task force recommends, "self-assess against 800-171 and prove it" is the floor, and getting solid now is time you won't spend under a future deadline.
→ Read the full breakdown: what was suspended, what still applies, the affirmation trap, and the dates to watch — objective320.com/guides/cmmc-phase-2-suspended
→ Know your number, free: objective320.com/sprs
Straight and no spin, as always.
— The Objective320 team
Objective320 provides free self-assessment tools and plain-English guidance. Nothing here is legal advice or an official assessment; confirm requirements against the regulation and your contract.