Jason Oxman President and Chief Executive Officer at Information Technology Industry Council | Official website
Today, global tech trade association ITI issued a statement from its Executive Vice President of Policy, Gordon Bitko, in response to the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) proposed rule on implementing the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program in DoD contracts.
“By prioritizing security as a requirement for doing business with the government, the Department of Defense’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program plays a significant role in protecting U.S. national security and maintaining U.S. technological leadership," said Bitko. "Getting the implementation of CMMC right in federal contracts is critical for enabling a secure, resilient defense industrial base."
Bitko emphasized the importance of incorporating stakeholder feedback throughout the rulemaking process to ensure timelines are workable and that requirements are clear, effective, and resourced across the entire defense ecosystem—from contracting officers to subcontractors.
“It’s important that CMMC’s implementation both elevates the security of DoD’s enterprise while preserving industry’s ability to innovate and partner with the Department," he added. "We look forward to continuing to support DoD to ensure these priorities are advanced in a manner that is fair, efficient, and effective, and aligns CMMC with existing federal information security regimes, as well as other standards and best practices.”
ITI has been an engaged thought leader on CMMC, previously providing feedback to DoD on how to further improve the cybersecurity baseline requirements for the defense industrial base.
