Ashley Powers was quoted on the appointment of Katie Arrington, a former Department of Defense (DoD) cybersecurity official, as DoD chief information security officer (CISO). According to Powers, Arrington will likely focus on finalizing the defense acquisition regulation to formally implement the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program - assuming she has the resources and personnel to make it happen. "Her ability to issue the DFARS [Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement] rule and effectively implement the CMMC program could be significantly hampered if the administration starts cutting the federal employees necessary for the implementation and administration of that program," Powers said. "If the administration starts cutting DoD employees involved with that program, the success or the value of the program is going to be significantly threatened, as will the country's cyber and national security."