Opinion

CMMC phase II is paused, but the adversary threats are not

Contractors still holding sensitive defense data need visibility, segmentation, and containment — CMMC or not.

Opinion

How a continuous learning cycle will redefine national advantage

America's long-term advantage in artificial intelligence will depend on how effectively government and industry connect digital innovation, physical testing and engineering expertise into a continuous learning cycle, writes Artie Mabbett of North Wind.

Opinion

AI tokens are a consumable. The Pentagon should manage them like one.

The Pentagon must build an allocation structure to precede its purchases of artificial intelligence tokens, writes John Mark Suhy, chief technology officer at Greystones Group.

Opinion

How contractors can keep AI missions on track despite supply chain volatility

Contractors play a critical role in helping agencies apply artificial intelligence as concerns grow about the data infrastructure underlying it all, writes Katherine Hennessey of Everpure.

Opinion

CMMC works. Now let’s sharpen it.

Katie Arrington, who led the creation of the Cybersecurity Maturity model Certification, writes that the requirements behind the cyber and supply chain security standard should not change.

Opinion

America's infrastructure boom has a people problem

Closing the infrastructure industry's talent gap will determine which projects actually get built over the next decade, writes Brian Jordan, chief growth officer at GISI Consulting Group.

Opinion

CMMC’s pause isn’t a cancellation

Contractors still have obligations, self-assessments and False Claims Act exposure aren't going anywhere, writes Perry E. Keating, president of Protiviti Government Services.

Opinion

GAO to DOGE: The ‘Wall of Receipts’ does not add up

The Government Accountability Office's review backs up what reporters and other observers were finding all along: overstated savings, undisclosed data problems and a wall that still cannot be trusted.

Opinion

Agentic development will expose GovCon's old business model

Matt Jones, CEO at Sigma Defense, explains how a pickleball app epiphany showed him why contractors billing for hours — not outcomes — will not survive what is coming.

Opinion

CMMC Phase 2 is suspended but the requirements are not

Contractors supporting the department’s most sensitive missions still must be prepared to prove their cybersecurity posture, writes Jason Sproesser of Summit 7.

Opinion

The Army wants one voice, but acquisition may get silenced

Army Directive 2026-17 shuts down hundreds of official Army social media accounts. For the acquisition community, the loss goes beyond reach because the Army is also giving up its ability to frame its own message, writes acquisition expert Allison Gregory.

Opinion

Disclosure for thee but not for me

Agencies are not disclosing GenAI in procurement and that spells potential trouble, writes attorney David. P.J. Timm.

Opinion

More satellites will not save us

The West is winning the numbers game in space but is missing the point. Real resilience depends on autonomy and ground-segment survivability, writes Graeme Ritchie, CEO of Shield Space.

Opinion

The Army changed how it buys but most contractors haven’t changed how they sell

Compressed acquisition timelines are rewarding contractors who invest in customer intelligence months before an opportunity appears. Not the ones who mobilize after it lands, writes growth expert Nic Coppings.

Opinion

How Anthropic is sending a signal to the market by hiring Teresa Carlson

Her history of turning skeptical agencies into customers signals a shift for the AI pioneer from regulatory defense to an aggressive infrastructure play, writes GovExec Chief Executive Officer Tim Hartman. 

Opinion

TOP 100: What slogans say about your company

This analysis of Top 100 contractor taglines finds bigger and vaguer language. A growing number of firms are also betting their brands on artificial intelligence, writes Boscobel’s Joyce Bosc.

Opinion

Why winning is keeping GovCon execs up at night

The edge gots to firms that excel at navigating the new regulatory landscape. Here’s eight keys to building your advantage, writes Chris Crowder of Unanet.

Opinion

New EO puts a clock on quantum-safe encryption

EO 14412 sets hard deadlines for agencies and contractors to migrate away from crypto that quantum computers can one day break, writes Gina Scinta of Thales Trusted Cyber Technologies.

Opinion

Not again! CMMC's comprehensive review is déjà vu all over again

Eight years, multiple pauses, and still no cyber protection to show for it — maybe it's time to move past CMMC, not review it again, writes former PSC President David Berteau.

Opinion

Every capability needs a mission story

To build trust with your customers, your marketing efforts should focus on how what you do supports the mission, writes Katie Helwig of Mild Red LLC.