WASHINGTON, July 13 : The Pentagon is suspending the next phase of a cybersecurity certification program for defense contractors, backing off a compliance requirement that industry executives had warned was pushing small suppliers out of military work and narrowing competition in the defense supply chain.The

Top Pentagon officials said as currently executed, CMMC is too prohibitive and burdensome on the Defense Industrial Base.

The Defense Department will keep cybersecurity self-assessments, but will not require third-party certifications as planned.