A new bipartisan bill would authorize the Department of Defense to issue grants to help small manufacturers reach compliance with new cybersecurity guidelines like the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC).
The Pentagon would be authorized to issue funds only to Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers, the public-private partnerships that assist small manufacturers, with the intent of helping those kinds of companies reach compliance. The MEP program is run through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
The bill, sponsored by Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., and Joe Wilson, R-S.C., reflects the general concern Congress has for securing the Department of Defense’s supply chain through the CMMC program and others.
Original Source: By Jackson Barnett Fed Scoop
