An analyst has been urging Taiwan defense contractors and suppliers to seek certification in an American government program that is aimed at safeguarding sensitive information and supporting advanced cybersecurity standards in the industry.
The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program also allows for third-party assessment of defense contractors that handle controlled unclassified information, said Tzeng Yi-suo (曾怡碩), an analyst at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research.
In an article published last Friday, Tzeng said CMMC will be a requirement in all contracts awarded by the United States Department of Defense (DoD), starting in fiscal year 2026, as the country continues to deal with frequent cyberattacks by government-sponsored players in China, Russia and Iran.
Taiwan contractors that want to enter or remain in the U.S. defense industry’s supply chain will have to take quick action to obtain CMMC, he said.
Since the certification program was first launched at the end of 2020, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other key strategic partners of the U.S. have been pushing their defense suppliers and contractors to comply with CMMC standards as soon as possible, Tzeng noted.
It is important for Taiwan to quickly get on board, particularly in light of the recent reports that U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration is considering the joint production of weapons with Taiwan in a bid to more effectively deter China, Tzeng said.
The Nikkei Asia report, published last month, said the initial discussions on the matter were focused on whether to allow American defense companies to provide weapons technology to manufacturers in Taiwan, or to produce the arms in the U.S. using Taiwan-made parts.
While the U.S. and Taiwan governments have been tight-lipped about the reported plan, the head of the non-profit U.S.-Taiwan Business Council, which has a membership that includes many American defense contractors, confirmed that the idea was being discussed.
In a Reuters report, the council’s president Rupert Hammond-Chambers was cited as saying that while it was yet to be determined which weapons would be considered as part of the plan, the initiative would likely focus on providing Taiwan with more munitions and long-established missile technology.
In light of those factors, Tzeng said, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense should encourage the country’s defense contractors comply with CMMC standards, even in their bid for defense contracts in Taiwan.
According to the DoD, the CMMC program is aimed at increasing the department’s oversight of professional and ethical standards in the assessment ecosystem for defense contracts and supporting businesses in adopting the practices they need to thwart cyber threats, among other goals.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel