The digital sinews connecting hundreds of thousands of defense contractors to the U.S. Department of War represent one of the most critical, and targeted, supply chains on the planet. For years, securing this sprawling network, known as the Defense Industrial Base (DIB), posed a fragmented and inconsistent challenge. In response, the department conceived an ambitious solution: the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), a unified standard designed to fortify every link in the chain. This initiative, however, raised a pivotal question—who could possibly build and manage the professional ecosystem required to certify an entire industry? The answer came in the form of a globally recognized professional association, ISACA, marking a significant shift in how public-private partnerships are leveraged for national security.
When the Worlds Largest Supply Chain Needs a Unified Cyber Defense
The creation of the CMMC program was a direct acknowledgment by the U.S. Department of War (DoW) that its previous cybersecurity compliance methods were insufficient for the modern threat landscape. The DIB, a vast network of contractors and subcontractors ranging from multinational corporations to small, specialized businesses, handles sensitive government information that is a prime target for state-sponsored adversaries. A single breach at a small, under-protected supplier could compromise an entire weapons system or expose critical national security data. CMMC was therefore established to replace this patchwork of self-attestation with a single, verifiable standard, ensuring a consistent and measurable level of cyber hygiene across the board.
The decision to task a non-governmental entity with managing the credentialing infrastructure for such a critical government program was both strategic and pragmatic. Rather than building a new federal bureaucracy from the ground up, the DoW sought an organization with a proven track record in global standards, professional certification, and community building. This led them to ISACA, a global association with over five decades of experience in technology governance, audit, and assurance. The central question shifted from how to secure the DIB to who could best empower the professionals tasked with doing so, placing the responsibility for cultivating this new class of cyber experts squarely in ISACA’s hands.
Understanding the Stakes a Critical Need for a Fortified Defense Industrial Base
At its core, the CMMC’s mission is to impose a uniform, tiered framework of cybersecurity practices and processes upon every organization within the DIB. This mandate is not merely a bureaucratic exercise; it is a fundamental requirement for protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and Federal Contract Information (FCI). By requiring third-party assessments for many contractors, the program introduces a level of accountability that was previously absent, transforming cybersecurity from a checklist item into a verifiable condition for doing business with the Department of War. This ensures that every partner, regardless of size or function, maintains a baseline of digital security.
The implications of this program reverberate far beyond the borders of the United States. The DoW’s supply chain is an intricate global web, meaning international companies wishing to participate in DoW contracts must also achieve CMMC compliance. This effectively exports a U.S. cybersecurity standard, influencing international security protocols and enhancing the collective defense posture of allied nations. A fortified DIB not only protects U.S. military technology but also bolsters the integrity of the global economic and security ecosystem, safeguarding shared innovations and sensitive data from common adversaries.
The necessity for such a unified framework is underscored by the escalating sophistication of cyber threats. Nation-state actors and their proxies relentlessly target the DIB, seeking to exploit its weakest links for espionage, intellectual property theft, and disruption. In this environment, a fragmented defense is no defense at all. CMMC provides the coherent, enterprise-wide strategy needed to create a resilient and defensible network, making it significantly harder for attackers to find and exploit vulnerabilities within this critical national asset.
Deconstructing ISACAs Mandate the Architect of the CMMC Ecosystem
As the designated CMMC Assessor and Instructor Certification Organization (CAICO), ISACA has been entrusted with building and managing the entire professional credentialing infrastructure for the program. This mandate places the organization at the center of the CMMC ecosystem, responsible for ensuring the competence, quality, and ethical standing of the individuals who will assess DIB companies and train the next wave of cyber professionals. Its duties involve a comprehensive lifecycle of professional development, from curriculum design to examination and final certification.
ISACA’s responsibilities are anchored in the development and issuance of several key professional certifications that form the backbone of the assessment process. The CMMC Certified Professional (CCP) serves as the foundational credential for anyone involved in an assessment, while the CMMC Certified Assessor (CCA) is the higher-level designation for those authorized to lead and conduct official CMMC evaluations. To ensure a consistent and high-quality pipeline of talent, ISACA also oversees the CMMC Certified Instructor (CCI) program, which qualifies individuals to teach official CMMC training courses. This structured approach guarantees that the entire ecosystem operates under a single, trusted standard of excellence.
The transition to ISACA’s leadership has followed a deliberate and strategic timeline. The Cyber AB, the previous program operator, provided transitional services to ensure a seamless handover as ISACA assumed full operational control on April 1, 2026. With the formal implementation of CMMC in DoW contracts underway, requirements are being progressively phased in, with the goal of achieving full implementation across the entire DIB by the end of 2028. This phased rollout allows both the industry and the professional community to adapt to the new standards in a structured and manageable way.
A 55 Year Legacy Meets a Modern Mandate Voices of Trust and Expertise
ISACA CEO Erik Prusch has characterized the initiative as the “largest cybersecurity certification program in the world,” a statement that reflects both the scale of the DIB and the profound responsibility his organization has undertaken. This new role is seen not as a departure for ISACA but as a direct application of its historical mission. Prusch emphasized that this undertaking is in “full alignment” with ISACA’s long-standing focus on technology governance, audit, and assurance, providing a new, structured career path for thousands of cybersecurity professionals globally.
The selection of ISACA represents a powerful endorsement of its 55-year legacy. For decades, the organization has been a trusted authority for both public and private sectors, helping them navigate complex technological landscapes and build robust governance frameworks. This deep-seated expertise makes ISACA uniquely qualified to manage a program that demands a blend of technical acumen, process discipline, and professional integrity. The CMMC program allows ISACA to leverage its decades of experience and apply it to a national security imperative of immense scale, thereby expanding its global impact.
To spearhead this monumental effort, ISACA appointed Todd Gagnon, a career U.S. Naval officer with extensive experience within the nation’s cyber apparatus. His background working directly with both the defense industrial base and the joint military environment provides the critical leadership and domain-specific knowledge required to navigate the program’s complexities. This appointment signals a commitment to blending ISACA’s established certification expertise with firsthand knowledge of the defense sector’s unique challenges and operational realities.
The ISACA Advantage a Practical Framework for Cyber Professionals and Organizations
For the vast global community of ISACA members, this new role offers tangible and immediate benefits. A key synergy lies in the direct alignment of ISACA’s flagship certifications with CMMC requirements. Holding a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) or Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) certification satisfies a crucial baseline prerequisite for individuals aspiring to become a CMMC Certified Assessor. This provides a significant head start for tens of thousands of professionals, creating a ready-made pipeline of qualified candidates to meet the program’s immense demand.
The advantages extend beyond individual professionals to the organizations they serve. Companies that have already adopted the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) framework, which is also overseen by ISACA, find themselves “ahead of the game” for CMMC compliance. Because CMMI focuses on process improvement and maturity, these organizations often possess the documentation, controls, and cultural discipline that align closely with CMMC requirements. This creates a powerful synergy within the ISACA ecosystem, allowing organizations to leverage their existing investments in process maturity for a smoother path toward certification.
ISACA’s leadership in the CMMC program is further contextualized by its forward-looking research on emerging threats. For instance, a recent ISACA poll on quantum computing revealed a significant gap in enterprise readiness, with few organizations prioritizing the threat despite acknowledging its potential to break current encryption standards. This commitment to addressing both present and future challenges demonstrates that ISACA’s role extends beyond mere program administration. It is a thought leader actively engaged in shaping the future of cybersecurity, ensuring that today’s standards are built with an awareness of tomorrow’s risks.
The decision to entrust ISACA with the CMMC credentialing framework represented more than a logistical handover; it was a strategic validation of the role that established, non-governmental bodies can play in executing national security imperatives. This partnership set a new standard for how professional expertise and global standards could be leveraged to fortify a nation’s most critical infrastructure. In doing so, it created a replicable model for public-private collaboration, demonstrating a pathway to harness deep industry knowledge to address the persistent and evolving threats of the digital age.
