-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueWhat's Your Sweet Spot?
Are you in a niche that’s growing or shrinking? Is it time to reassess and refocus? We spotlight companies thriving by redefining or reinforcing their niche. What are their insights?
Moving Forward With Confidence
In this issue, we focus on sales and quoting, workforce training, new IPC leadership in the U.S. and Canada, the effects of tariffs, CFX standards, and much more—all designed to provide perspective as you move through the cloud bank of today's shifting economic market.
Intelligent Test and Inspection
Are you ready to explore the cutting-edge advancements shaping the electronics manufacturing industry? The May 2025 issue of SMT007 Magazine is packed with insights, innovations, and expert perspectives that you won’t want to miss.
- Articles
- Columns
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
IPC Survey Finds Many May Exit Defense Market Due to Cyber Certification Costs
June 24, 2021 | IPCEstimated reading time: 1 minute

John Mitchell, president and CEO of IPC, a global electronics manufacturing association, released the following statement in advance of the U.S. House Small Business Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations hearing on the Department of Defense's (DOD) Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC):
"Cybersecurity is a must for U.S. national security, but the CMMC is an insurmountable hurdle for many small and medium-sized electronics manufacturers that do business with the Department of Defense. A recent IPC survey found CMMC may weaken the U.S. defense electronics industrial base even as it seeks to bolster the security of those that remain in it. The high costs and compliance burdens will push many companies out of the defense market unless DoD takes steps to support the industry's assessment and compliance. Even more worrisome, the risk to industrial base resiliency may be greater than currently realized as most companies are not fully aware of the heavy costs associated with CMMC compliance.
"IPC thanks Chairman Dean Phillips and Ranking Member Beth Van Duyne for carefully evaluating the impacts of CMMC on the small business community. We urge the DoD to continue its ongoing efforts to provide the DoD supply chain greater clarity, support, and opportunity to leverage existing standards to help reduce the costs and burdens of CMMC compliance."
On June 8, IPC released an industry survey and report, which found that one-quarter (24 percent) of electronic manufacturers say the costs and burdens of compliance with CMMC may force them out of the DoD supply chain. The survey also found that 33 percent of respondents said the CMMC would weaken the U.S. defense electronics industrial base, while 18 percent were unsure, highlighting the uncertainties involved. And 41 percent believe applying the CMMC clause to their suppliers will create other problems in the supply chain.
Most suppliers expect and are willing to spend upwards of $50,000 on CMMC readiness, and nearly one-third (32 percent) report that it will take them one to two years to prepare to undergo CMMC assessment. However, more than half of the suppliers say implementation costs of more than $100,000 would make CMMC readiness too expensive. DoD's own cost analysis estimated the cost of a CMMC Maturity Level 3 (ML3) certification to be more than $118,000 in the first year. This means DoD's own estimate of CMMC compliance costs is too high for 77 percent of the IPC survey respondents.
Suggested Items
Advancing Aerospace Excellence: Emerald’s Medford Team Earns Space Addendum Certification
06/30/2025 | Emerald TechnologiesWe’re thrilled to announce a major achievement from our Medford, Oregon facility. Andy Abrigo has officially earned her credentials as a Certified IPC Trainer (CIT) under the IPC J-STD-001 Space Addendum, the leading industry standard for space and military-grade electronics manufacturing.
Magnalytix and Foresite to Host Technical Webinar on SIR Testing and Functional Reliability
06/26/2025 | MAGNALYTIXMagnalytix, in collaboration with Foresite Inc., is pleased to announce an upcoming one-hour Webinar Workshop titled “Comparing SIR IPC B-52 to Umpire 41 Functional & SIR Test Method.” This session will be held on July 24, 2025, and is open to professionals in electronics manufacturing, reliability engineering, and process development seeking insights into new testing standards for climatic reliability.
IPC Rebrands as Global Electronics Association: Interview With Dr. John W. Mitchell
06/22/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007Today, following a major announcement, IPC is embracing the rapid advancement of technology with a bold decision to change its name to the Global Electronics Association. This name more accurately reflects the full breadth of its work and the modern realities of electronics manufacturing. In this exclusive interview, Global Electronics Association President and CEO Dr. John W. Mitchell shares the story behind the rebrand: Why now, what it means for the industry, and how it aligns with the organization’s mission.
Global Electronics Association Debuts; New Name Elevates IPC’s 70-Year Legacy as Voice of $6 Trillion Electronics Industry
06/25/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationToday begins a new chapter for IPC as it officially becomes the Global Electronics Association, reflecting its role as the voice of the electronics industry. Guided by the vision of “Better electronics for a better world,” the Global Electronics Association (electronics.org) is dedicated to enhancing supply chain resilience and promoting accelerated growth through engagement with more than 3,000 member companies, thousands of partners, and dozens of governments across the globe.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
06/20/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007It’s been a busy week in this industry, and we have news and articles from the PCB design, fabrication and assembly communities. Some of this news is out of this world. We may be losing the high ground—the really high ground. Columnist Jesse Vaughan explains how the U.S. seems to be falling behind in space, and how this could affect our ability to defend ourselves in the future. We have an update on the U.S.-China tariff talks, which seem to be moving forward, though sometimes at a snail’s pace.