Teramis Blog

Defense contractors handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) must achieve CMMC Level 2 compliance to remain eligible for Department of Defense (DoD) contracts as enforcement phases advance into 2026. The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program, effective for new solicitations since November 10, 2025, mandates implementation of 110 security practices from NIST SP 800-171 for Level 2. Phase 2 enforcement begins November 10, 2026, requiring third-part

Introduction to CUI Marking Challenges Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) serves as a critical mechanism for protecting sensitive but unclassified data in the defense supply chain. Proper CUI marking  ensures that information receives appropriate safeguards without imposing excessive restrictions or costs. Inconsistent or excessive CUI marking  by federal employees frequently results in over-classification, which expands compliance scope and increases expenses for smal

The CUI program, established by Executive Order 13556, standardizes the safeguarding of unclassified information that requires protection across executive branch agencies and their contractors. DoD Instruction 5200.48 provides specific guidance for designation, marking, handling, dissemination, and training related to CUI. Defense contractors supporting DoD contracts must apply these requirements to all information systems that process, store, or transmit CUI, including cloud

The market for CMMC compliance software has exploded. Dashboards, control trackers, SSP generators, workflow tools, and policy libraries all promise to simplify compliance for defense contractors navigating CMMC, DFARS, and NIST 800-171. And to be fair, many of these tools are helpful. But most CMMC compliance software is built on a flawed assumption: that organizations already know where their Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) exists. In reality, that assumption is a

Proper CMMC scoping is one of the first and most important steps defense contractors must take to protect Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). This guide breaks down how to identify CUI correctly and classify your assets so your compliance boundary is accurate and cost-effective. Too many organizations over- or under-scope, which creates security gaps or wastes budget. Read on for a clear explanation of scoping, the role of precise CUI detection, asset categories you ne

Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) protection isn’t a “nice to have” anymore. If your organization touches CUI—especially as a contractor or partner in the Defense Industrial Base—spillage can cost you in contracts, remediation, legal exposure, and reputation. The good news: preventing CUI spillage doesn’t require lighting your budget on fire. The smartest programs focus on a tight mix of clarity (what is CUI), control (who can access it), and containment (how it can m

For years, Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI)  lived in an uncomfortable gray area. Contractors knew they had it, knew it mattered, but often treated it as a documentation problem rather than a data problem. That era is over. Recent updates to DFARS  and mandates flowing from the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)  have turned cui identification  into a contractual, auditable requirement. Defense contractors are now expected to know—precisely and continuously—wh

DSPM Solutions  have become one of the fastest-growing categories in cybersecurity. Designed to discover, classify, and reduce data risk across sprawling enterprise environments, these platforms promise broad visibility and automated insight across cloud, on-prem, and hybrid systems. For many commercial enterprises, that promise is attractive. For defense contractors, however, it can be dangerously misleading. As CMMC enforcement accelerates and DFARS obligations become opera

For years, cybersecurity compliance in the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) has been framed as an IT problem. A checklist. A maturity model. Something to survive long enough to pass an audit. The November 2025 National Security Strategy of the United States  makes clear that era is over. The document does not mention CMMC by name, but it doesn’t need to. Its language fundamentally reframes how the U.S. government views cyber risk across the defense supply chain. The shift is unm