The Big Blog

When a prime contractor calls and says, "we need your manufacturing capacity, and we need you CMMC certified," most subcontractors hear a burden. Fitz-Thors heard an opportunity. The Alabama-based engineering and manufacturing firm was newer to the defense space than most. Ownership had long wanted to move into defense contracting, and when they finally committed, they did something a lot of small subcontractors don't: they decided to get ahead of the compliance curve instead

Supply chain security remains a critical challenge for organizations operating in the defense industrial base and other regulated sectors. Cyber threats, foreign influence, counterfeit components, and weak cybersecurity practices at any tier can compromise sensitive information and mission systems. Effective management of these risks requires both rigorous assessment of suppliers and the disciplined contractual transfer of requirements, commonly known as flow-down. NIST Speci