Insights

Expert perspectives on compliance, cybersecurity, and GRC technology. Practical guidance for security leaders.

CMMC 2.0 Final Rule: What Defense Contractors Must Do Before Assessments Begin

The CMMC 2.0 final rule is in effect. C3PAO assessments are underway, DFARS clauses are appearing in contracts, and SPRS scores are under scrutiny. Here is what defense contractors at Level 2 need to know and do now.

DarkRock Federal Compliance Team•September 10, 2025•8 min readRead Article →

Thought Leadership

vCISO vs. Full-Time CISO: A Decision Framework for Mid-Market Organizations

The decision between a fractional virtual CISO and a full-time hire is not primarily a cost question - it is a security maturity and organizational readiness question. This framework helps you evaluate which model fits your current stage.

DarkRock Advisory Team•Dec 3, 2025•9 min read

Healthcare

HIPAA Security Rule 2026 Modernization: What Covered Entities and Business Associates Must Implement

The HHS proposed HIPAA Security Rule updates represent the most significant changes since 2013. Multi-factor authentication, encryption requirements, and 72-hour notification obligations are no longer optional guidance - they are proposed mandatory requirements.

DarkRock Healthcare Compliance Team•Nov 12, 2025•8 min read

Compliance

Why SOC 2 Audits Fail: The Root Causes Behind Qualified Opinions and Audit Delays

Most SOC 2 audit failures are preventable. Evidence collection timing, control owner gaps, and scope creep are the three root causes that account for the majority of qualified opinions and audit extensions. Here is how to avoid them.

DarkRock Compliance Team•Oct 5, 2025•7 min read

Healthcare

The Complete Guide to HIPAA Compliance in 2026

A comprehensive guide to HIPAA compliance covering who must comply, what the Security Rule and Privacy Rule require, technical and administrative safeguards, breach notification, and 2026 enforcement trends.

DarkRock Healthcare Compliance Team•Oct 1, 2025•15 min read

Compliance

The Complete Guide to SOC 2 Compliance

Everything you need to know about SOC 2: Trust Service Criteria, Type I vs Type II differences, what auditors actually look for, common failures, and how to scope and sequence your SOC 2 program for a successful audit.

DarkRock Compliance Team•Sep 15, 2025•14 min read

Federal

The Complete Guide to CMMC 2.0 Compliance for Defense Contractors

A comprehensive guide to CMMC 2.0 for defense contractors: the three maturity levels, relationship to NIST 800-171, CUI handling requirements, C3PAO assessments, SPRS scoring, and how to build a compliance program that meets DoD's timeline.

DarkRock Federal Compliance Team•Sep 1, 2025•16 min read

Technology

CrowdStrike Outage: What Security Teams Must Learn Before the Next Vendor Failure

The July 2024 CrowdStrike Falcon outage took down 8.5 million Windows systems in hours. Here is what the incident reveals about vendor risk, endpoint single points of failure, and the resilience gaps most organizations still have not addressed.

DarkRock Security Team•Aug 15, 2025•7 min read

Federal

Federal Compliance Landscape: FedRAMP, CMMC, NIST, and Beyond

A comprehensive overview of the federal compliance landscape for technology vendors and defense contractors: FedRAMP authorization paths, CMMC levels, NIST 800-53 vs 800-171 vs CSF, DFARS obligations, and how to build a unified federal compliance program.

DarkRock Federal Compliance Team•Aug 15, 2025•18 min read

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