Secure State has announced it has become the first organisation in Australia to be officially endorsed by the United States to assist businesses achieve a Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), paving the way for South Australian businesses to expand into the US defence supply chain.
In a coup for South Australia’s burgeoning cybersecurity sector and broader defence industry, Secure State’s Director and Founder Luke Smith said he is the first and only Australian – and first outside the US – to be endorsed by the US as registered for CMMC – meaning Secure State is able to guide South Australian and Australian companies through the framework, in order to gain access into the US Department of Defense supply chain.
“This is a game changer for companies here in South Australia in the local defence supply chain and around the country who are looking to tap into the US defence supply chain, to help grow their businesses while underpinning jobs and economic growth in this vital sector,” Mr Smith said.
“We’re incredibly proud that Secure State has earned this endorsement which will allow us to assist clients in turn gain the required certification in the US so that they can access what is a lucrative market, and one which is set to be increasingly important to the nation and our region on the back of the AUKUS agreement.
“Our message to local companies in SA – the defence state – as well as those around the country, is now is the time to get your business up to speed when it comes to cybersecurity, as it’s an absolutely vital consideration for all businesses, no matter what size.”
The CMMC is an assessment framework and assessor certification program designed to increase the trust in measures of compliance to a variety of standards published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the US.
The CMMC framework and model was developed by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, for the United States Department of Defense.
Secure State is the first international Registered Provider Organisation to be able to offer consulting and implementation for Australian businesses who require CMMC.
“If a local company in the defence supply chain aspires to be a US Department of Defense contractor, the reality is CMMC certification is mandatory,” Mr Smith said.
“It’s a cybersecurity framework that applies to all contractors and sub-contractors dealing with the Department of Defense, which works with over 300,000 contractors and sub-contractors – so it’s incredibly exciting that South Australian and Australian businesses could tap into this.”
Secure State is a South Australian owned cybersecurity and IT services consultancy firm located at the Tonsley Innovation District.
