I’ve been spending time lately trying to really understand how cybersecurity fits into government contracting, and I’ll be honest, it can feel like a lot at first. But once I slowed down and looked at it simply, it started to make sense: NIST SP 800-171 shows us what good protection looks like.DFARS puts those requirements into the contracts we may choose to pursue. CMMC makes sure we’re actually doing what we said we would do. That’s the structure. I’m learning that I don’t have to figure everything out overnight. I can build step by step, stay disciplined, and grow into what’s required as the opportunities make sense. If you’re a small business like me, don’t let this discourage you. There’s still a path forward. We just have to be willing to learn, stay consistent, and keep moving. We’re not behind, we’re building.