Compliance for cleared contractors isn't a side practice for us — it's our entire focus. We work daily with NIST 800-171 and 800-53, DFARS 7012, ITAR and EAR export controls, FedRAMP, and the broader CUI handling requirements that govern federal contractors. That depth means we recognize the nuances that matter — scoping decisions, flow-down obligations, jurisdiction questions — and don't waste your time learning your industry on your dollar.
Compliance only matters relative to what your contracts actually require. Before recommending controls, we map your obligations: what CUI you handle, which DFARS clauses apply, what your prime is flowing down, and what assessment regime you'll face. The remediation plan that follows is scoped to what's required — not a 110-control checklist applied indiscriminately. This typically reduces effort, cost, and timeline meaningfully versus generic compliance approaches.
We start engagements with a fixed-fee assessment that defines the boundary of your CUI environment, identifies real gaps, and produces a realistic timeline and budget for closing them. You see the work and the price before committing to it. We've found that most cost overruns in compliance projects come from scope drift caused by unclear initial assessments — clients who skip this step usually pay for it twice.
Our team has implemented the controls we recommend — built secure enclaves, written technology control plans, configured CUI handling environments, run insider threat programs. When you ask "what does this look like in practice," you get an answer from someone who has done it, not someone reciting NIST control language. This matters most during remediation, when generic guidance fails and you need someone who can make a defensible engineering call.
Most compliance guidance is written for organizations with mature security programs and dedicated GRC teams. The reality of the cleared contractor base is different — small primes, subcontractors, niche specialists with technical excellence and limited compliance staff. We work in that reality. We help clients clarify scope, negotiate flow-down terms with primes, and implement controls proportionate to their actual risk surface, not their largest competitor's.
Compliance is a continuous obligation, not a one-time achievement. NIST 800-171 requires ongoing monitoring; CMMC requires affirmation cycles; ITAR violations can occur years after registration. We design engagements with the reality that your obligations persist, and offer continuous monitoring and advisory retainers for clients who don't want to rebuild their compliance program every time the rules evolve.
