I am a car person. Vehicles have always been more than mere transportation to me. They are marvels of engineering and art, testaments to human ingenuity, and physical manifestations of economic progress and culture. It was with great anticipation that I traveled to the Motor City, the great city of Detroit, for a conference featuring the latest advancements in unmanned and autonomous vehicles. Detroit feels like a pilgrimage for anyone who appreciates the intersection of heavy industry and cutting-edge innovation.
I was privileged to hear the author of Freedom’s Forge, Arthur Herman, at the keynote address of the event. He masterfully described the vital role that private business played to help the Allied powers win World War II, detailing how the American industrial machine mobilized almost overnight. He reminded the audience that much of the production and innovation that saved the free world took place in the very city where several thousand of us were gathered. Detroit was the beating heart of the Arsenal of Democracy. Listening to his historical account made it easy to draw parallels between the modern production of autonomous vehicles, driven by the necessity of a rapidly changing global landscape, and the tanks, planes, and transport vehicles of the last century that turned the tide of war in favor of the Allies.
My garage is inhabited by a 1931 Chevrolet cabriolet, a beautiful piece of automotive history complete with rumble seat. That history came home to me when I learned that 1931 was the exact year that Chevrolet first outsold Ford. The fierce, competitive spirit that propelled those early cars out of factories and onto American driveways is still alive and well today among automotive and defense manufacturers worldwide.
Competition remains an essential element of the American economic engine. It promotes innovation, drives excellence, and creates crucial differentiators between companies and, on a larger scale, between countries. In the defense sector, this competition is not just about market share. It is about maintaining a strategic edge against near-peer adversaries who are working tirelessly to outpace the United States.
Walking into the massive exhibits was much like stepping into The World’s Fair of yesteryear. The future was on glossy, tangible display. It was awe-inspiring to see the novel solutions filling the convention center. There was a palpable presence in the room, a heavy weight of respect for what these vehicles are capable of doing. If you have attended even one defense or technology conference in the last several years, you could not have missed the overarching theme: the world is a rapt student of modern warfare. We are all closely watching the scrappy, highly effective technological solutions being deployed daily in the Ukraine and Russia conflict.
The exhibits were a testament to this new era of hybrid warfare. Drones of all sizes, unmanned land vehicles, submersible technology, advanced sensors, artificial intelligence targeting systems, and everything else that accompanied them were on show. While some of these drones and vehicles were designed for commercial, non-military use, many more were explicitly designed for war.
Yet amid the excitement of technological breakthrough, there was another feeling deeply present at the conference: anticipation. But not the kind of anticipation you feel before a vacation or holiday; rather, it was an anticipation that sits acidic in the pit of one’s stomach.
Visionaries and founders are, by nature, futurists. They can predict with chilling accuracy the practical uses for their inventions in the not-so-distant future. After long hours spent walking the conference floor, witnessing the myriad possible ways there are to spy on, hunt, and kill, it was with an extra level of weariness that I exited the convention center to the relative peace of the Detroit streets. The physical capabilities of these machines are terrifyingly impressive.
This acidic feeling of anticipation is precisely why cybersecurity has become the ultimate frontier of modern warfare, and it is why the Department of Defense has fundamentally shifted its approach to securing the Defense Industrial Base. We are no longer just protecting data. We are protecting the physical safety of our warfighters and the strategic supremacy of our nation.
This brings me to the critical mission of my business, MNS Group. I am proud to be in the presence of founders and visionaries who are wise enough to learn from the hardships and successes of others. But innovation without security is a massive liability. That is why the implementation of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification, commonly known as CMMC, is the most consequential shift in defense contracting in a generation.
For years, defense contractors were allowed to self-attest to their cybersecurity posture. They could sign a document stating they were adequately protecting Controlled Unclassified Information and Federal Contract Information according to standard regulations. Unfortunately, the honor system failed. Adversaries, particularly nation-state actors, realized that they did not need to hack the Pentagon directly. Instead, they targeted the supply chain. They focused on the thousands of small to medium-sized manufacturers, engineering firms, and technology startups that make up the Defense Industrial Base. By stealing a piece of intellectual property here and a component design there, adversaries have been able to reverse engineer our technological advancements, saving themselves billions in research and development while eroding our military advantage.
CMMC changes the game by moving the industry from self-assessment to verified, third-party assessment. However, this transition has not been without significant growing pains.
At a recent exhibit, a distressed business leader approached our booth looking for answers. He shared a sobering reality about the current state of the defense supply chain. He was actively losing contracts because key partners in his supply chain had not adjusted to the new CMMC requirements. Because his subcontractors were not compliant, his own ability to deliver on Department of Defense contracts was completely paralyzed.
Even more tragically, he spoke of legacy manufacturers in his network, companies literally built during the World War II era, that were now closing their doors or being sold. Rather than passing these historic, foundational enterprises down to the next generation, the owners were walking away. They were abandoning decades of family history and manufacturing excellence to avoid what they perceived as overly complicated, insurmountable compliance mandates from CMMC.
Hearing this was heartbreaking. These are the very companies that built the Arsenal of Democracy. They are the descendants of the manufacturers who turned automotive plants into bomber factories. To lose them now, not to a foreign competitor or a lack of demand, but to the fear of cybersecurity compliance, is a profound loss for our national security and our economy.
But it does not have to be this way. In the spirit of doing things together, there is a clear path forward. Businesses do not have to face these regulatory hurdles in isolation.
Organizations like mine, MNS Group, can offer help at many levels. As an authorized CMMC Third Party Assessor Organization, or C3PAO, we stand at the forefront of this national security imperative. We are part of a highly vetted, exclusive group of organizations authorized to verify that defense companies contracting with the United States government actually have the required cybersecurity controls in place and functioning effectively.
When MNS Group conducts an assessment, we are looking for more than just a locked server room and a strong firewall. We evaluate the holistic security culture of an organization. We ensure that the businesses building the future of our defense have the armor necessary to protect their intellectual property from relentless cyber espionage.
We understand that for many small and mid-sized businesses, the complexities of cybersecurity frameworks can feel overwhelming. Business leaders are experts in manufacturing, engineering, and innovation, not necessarily in the granular details of cryptographic modules or continuous network monitoring.
It is vitally important that I attend events like this to meet those who are doing our country’s work. I need to walk the floor, see the technology, and listen to the founders so I can deeply understand their unique operational needs and adjust our cybersecurity guidance accordingly. A one size fits all approach to cybersecurity does not work when you are dealing with companies that range from traditional metal stampers to cutting edge software developers.
These visionaries solve incredibly complex problems and take massive risks. Sometimes those risks are tangentially as close to life and death as those faced on the battlefield. The businesses that they lead literally pave the way for the pace and type of innovation our military relies upon. They provide the security from, and warning to, our adversaries. Ultimately, they drive the prosperity of our nation.
Business leaders must understand that cybersecurity is no longer just an IT problem. It both business opportunity and risk. The Department of Defense has made it abundantly clear that if you do not meet CMMC requirements, you will not be awarded defense contracts. For businesses in the Defense Industrial Base, achieving CMMC compliance is not just about avoiding penalties. It is a distinct competitive advantage. Prime contractors are already scrutinizing their supply chains, looking to partner only with subcontractors who can prove their cyber hygiene. Businesses that proactively adopt CMMC position themselves as trusted, resilient partners in a highly lucrative and critical sector.
Bill Knudsen, the President of General Motors who was tapped by President Roosevelt to direct the nation’s wartime production, said in 1938: “We can do anything if we do it together.” That sentiment was the bedrock of the Arsenal of Democracy, and it is the exact mindset we need today to secure our cyber physical future.
Like the World’s Fair of the past, people of all ages, backgrounds, and many nationalities were represented at the exhibition. They represent the brightest minds of the free world, working collaboratively to push the boundaries of what is possible. We, as business leaders, would do well to remember them and the awesome responsibility we have to them, to those in our care, and to those under our influence. We must protect the fruits of their labor from those who wish to steal it.
We should also remind those who are accountable to us in government that we are watching, and that we require clear, consistent, and supportive frameworks to help the private sector meet these national security goals. The public and private partnership that Knudsen championed must bridge into the digital age, for all of our sakes.
Together is what won World War II. It was the seamless integration of Detroit’s manufacturing might, American innovation, and unwavering national resolve. Today, the battlefield has expanded into the digital realm, but the formula for victory remains the same. Together, through robust cybersecurity, rigorous CMMC compliance, and unrelenting innovation, is what will forestall and win the wars of the future.