
CMMC Phase 2 Is Paused — But the Requirements That Reach Your Front Desk Never Moved
On July 13, 2026, the Department of War suspended CMMC Phase 2 and its third-party (C3PAO) certification requirement, pending a 60-day review. Here's what was paused, what remains fully in force — DFARS 252.204-7012, Level 2 self-assessment, and the NIST 800-171 physical-access controls — and why the pause changed who verifies your program, not what it must include.


