Secure Talk Podcast

Secure Talk reviews the latest threats, tips, and trends on security, innovation, and compliance.

Author: Justin Beals

Secure Talk reviews the latest threats, tips, and trends on security, innovation, and compliance. Host Justin Beals interviews leading privacy, security and technology executives to discuss best practices related to IT security, data protection and compliance. Based in Seattle, he previously served as the CTO of NextStep and Koru, which won the 2018 Most Impactful Startup award from Wharton People Analytics. He is the creator of the patented Training, Tracking & Placement System and the author of Aligning curriculum and evidencing learning effectiveness using semantic mapping of learning assets, published in the International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJet). Justin earned a BA from Fort Lewis College.
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Special Episode: CMMC Phase 2 SUSPENDED: What DOD Just Did, What It Really Means, and Why Little Changed
Episode 257
Friday, 17 July, 2026

The Pentagon paused CMMC Phase 2 with zero warning — and half the defense industrial base is celebrating for the wrong reason.When the Department of War suspended CMMC Phase 2 rollout with no notice, panic spread fast across the defense contractor community — but the requirement to secure CUI never went away. In this special roundtable, host Justin Beals brings together three CMMC insiders — Logan Therrien (C3PAO Chief Strategy Officer, retired Navy submariner), Lance Arnold (30-year industry veteran, just completed his own CMMC Level 2 journey), and Brian Hubbard (President, Evolved Cyber Solutions, CMMC assessor since 2015) — to separate what actually changed from what didn't.They break down the difference between the assessment requirement (paused) and the security implementation requirement (still very much alive under NIST 800-171), why "self-assessment" doesn't mean "no requirement," and what small businesses and primes should do right now instead of waiting for clarity that may not come for months.Sources Referenced: DFARS 252.204-7021 (CMMC assessment clause)DFARS 252.204-7012 (NIST 800-171 compliance clause)DFARS 252.204-7019 (SPRS scoring requirement)32 CFR Part 170 (CMMC Program Rule)32 CFR Part 48NIST SP 800-171 / NIST SP 800-172