Think CMMC is just an expensive box to check? Hmmm. Think again. "It's not a project. It's a lifestyle." So says David Endicott, a risk assessor and CMMC guru at Cyber74. With the framework quickly approaching (or slowly approaching -- it's unclear), David walks you step-by-step through the hurdles you'll need to clear to get and, importantly, stay certified under the DoD's forthcoming regulations.

A recent ISC workforce study estimated a global workforce shortage of more than 3.4 million cybersecurity personnel. And to say that organizations have struggled to fill that talent gap is an understatement. Enter the vCISO: part strategic advisor, part boots on the ground, part exec-level security champion. In this episode, we chat with Heather Lantz, SVP of Cybersecurity Services at Ascend Technologies, about what to look for in a vCISO, how an organization can get the most out of that relationship, and what MSSPs should prioritize when hiring and staffing the role. You can find more from Heather on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherllantz/. 

With more than 40,000 MSPs and MSSPs in the U.S. alone, and an exploding number of products, the cybersecurity market is harder to navigate than ever before—for consumers AND providers. That's why we asked Zach Fuller to join the pod. Zach and his partners founded Silent Sector seven years ago and quickly made a name for themselves — and built a fast-growing business — by emphasizing expertise, establishing personal relationships with customers, and leading with a purpose-driven mission. 

In this episode, he discusses how they built Silent Sector from the ground up, shares mistakes and lessons learned along the way, and gives tips for avoiding the fluff, the hype and the false promises that are rife in the industry. 

For more from Zach and Silent Sector, check out his Cyber Rants podcast at https://www.silentsector.com/podcast and the best-selling Cyber Rants book here: https://www.amazon.com/Cyber-Rants-Embellished-Cybersecurity-Frameworks-ebook/dp/B08DXWNRFQ

The CMMC waiting game is almost over – well, kinda – and the requirements set to take effect look a whole lot different than the requirements the DoD initially conceived. In this episode of Apptega Cybersecurity Podcast, we chat with resident expert Carl Carpenter, CEO of Arrakis Consulting and erstwhile skydiver, about what the final version of CMMC might entail, how it will be enforced, and what steps organizations pursuing government work must take to meet its regulations. For more from Carl, check out his YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@arrakisconsulting

Apptega’s recent conversation with Robert Merva, owner and CEO of the security-focused managed services provider Avrem Technologies, and Mercy Komar, an insurance advisor and risk manager at L. Calvin Jones Insurance, details the relationship between cybersecurity and cyber insurance and what you need to know about both.