CMMC Phase 2 Suspension Provides Contractors with 'Planning Window' for Compliance
The CMMC Phase 2 transition has been suspended by the Department of War due to ongoing reviews of the program. This pause provides defense contractors with a 'planning window' to prepare for compliance, as stated by Errin O'Connor, Founder and Chief AI Architect of EPC Group. The suspension does not relieve contractors from meeting NIST SP 800-171 requirements.
In this context, Microsoft Fabric has reached general availability in GCC High on October 1, 2026. This platform unifies OneLake, lakehouse and warehouse workloads, Real-Time Intelligence, data pipelines, and Power BI under one platform and capacity model. Contractors must ensure the workload they plan to use is available in GCC High today.
EPC Group has published a nine-point checklist for defense contractors considering Microsoft Fabric in GCC High during this pause. The checklist covers essential considerations, such as confirming workload availability, deciding whether the Fabric workspace is inside assessment scope, and mapping identified data flows. These steps are crucial to ensure compliance with CMMC Level 2 requirements.
It is essential for contractors to treat this suspension not as a reprieve from NIST SP 800-171 compliance but rather an opportunity to deliberately place their analytics estate within the compliance boundary. The checklist serves as a guide for contractors to prepare and plan accordingly during this 'planning window.'