Why a CUI Enclave Is the Fastest, Smartest Path to CMMC for Many DoD Contractors

If you handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and need to get compliant quickly, a CUI enclave is often the most practical move, especially for small and mid-sized defense suppliers. At Hire A Cyber Pro, we’ve seen time and again that a focused enclave gets you audit-ready in weeks, reduces scope, and often costs less than hiring a full-time security leader to build and run everything in-house.

The problem with “do it everywhere”

Hardening your entire environment to NIST 800-171 means every user, device, SaaS app, and workflow must comply, ballooning scope, delaying timelines, and burning budget your whole company may not need.

Enclave thinking flips the model: isolate the people, processes, and systems that actually touch CUI; apply strong controls there; keep the rest of the business operating as-is.

Why enclaves win for “basic CUI needs”

·        Speed to eligibility: Smaller scope = faster build, testing, and evidence.

·        Predictable cost: Secure the CUI boundary, not the whole enterprise.

·        Lower operational load: Easier monitoring, maintenance, and assessor-style evidence.

·        Less disruption: Engineers and program staff get what they need; everyone else keeps current tools.

DIY vs. Enclave: when each makes sense

Choose an Enclave if you:

·        Need compliance quickly for current programs handling CUI

·        Want to limit scope to the teams and systems that actually use CUI

·        Prefer a predictable monthly run rate over new FTEs and sprawling tool spend

·        Value a design built the way assessors verify (clean, objective evidence)

Choose DIY-everywhere if you:

·        Intend to make all corporate systems CUI-capable long term

·        Have the internal staff and runway to standardize every workflow and tool

·        Or you run specialized program/server workloads (e.g., tightly coupled OT/engineering stacks, high-throughput/low-latency systems, or bandwidth/CPU constraints) where an enclave boundary would add unacceptable overhead. In these cases, we can still help you engineer controls in place and logically segment high-risk components.

The cost of waiting: What if you’re not certified?

·        Missed awards: Solicitations that require a current CMMC level or SPRS posting can disqualify you at the gate.

·        Incumbent risk: Re-competes that add CMMC language can be lost—even if performance is strong.

·        Prime pressure: Large primes increasingly require subs to show evidence before flowdown or PO issuance.

·        Revenue delays: Award holds and onboarding stalls push revenue out by quarters, not weeks.

·        Rush premiums: Last‑minute remediation, emergency migrations, and expedited assessment windows raise costs.

·        Higher audit friction: Larger, undefined scope makes evidence collection and interviews slower and pricier.

·        Insurance & customer scrutiny: Carriers and OEMs tie renewals/approvals to control maturity and proof (MFA, backups, logging, IR).

·        Compliance exposure: Inaccurate or optimistic self-scores in SPRS create enforcement and reputational risk.

Pick FedRAMP-Authorized first (it makes audits easier—and often cheaper)

When possible, choose platforms and services that are FedRAMP-Authorized (e.g., Microsoft GCC High/Azure Government, AWS GovCloud). Why it matters:

·        Third-party vetted: FedRAMP includes a 3PAO assessment against NIST 800-53—security has already been independently tested.

·        Control inheritance = less paperwork: You can inherit many provider controls and reference their FedRAMP package (SSP, SAR, POA&M), which streamlines your evidence for CMMC.

·        Smaller, clearer scope: A well-defined, FedRAMP-backed enclave narrows what your C3PAO must examine, which can reduce assessment effort and cost.

·        Faster documentation: With authoritative provider artifacts in hand, assembling your SSP/POA&M and evidence library is faster and cleaner.

Bottom line: FedRAMP-Authorized building blocks give assessors higher baseline confidence and help you spend your time evidencing your responsibilities—not re-proving the cloud’s.

What a Hire A Cyber Pro enclave includes

·        Boundary & data flows

·        Identity & access (MFA, least privilege)

·        Secure collaboration (file/email controls, external sharing gates)

·        Labeling & DLP

·        Logging & backup/restore tests

·        Governance (policies, SSP, POA&M, evidence library)

·        Spillage prevention/response

·        Role-based training

Our implementation path (fast and sane)

1) Scope & plan

2) Build & configure

3) Prove with tests

4) Document

5) Operate & tune

Why trust us

Brent Gallo, CEO of Hire A Cyber Pro, is a Certified CMMC Assessor (CCA) who actively participates in assessments. We prepare your environment and documentation the way assessors actually verify evidence with no guesswork.

Ready to see if an enclave beats DIY for your programs?

We’ll compare DIY-everywhere vs. FedRAMP-backed enclave for your workloads, users, and budget and give you a straight recommendation.

Email brentgallo@hireacyberpro.com now to get in touch and get started.