Federal & Defense Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity programs for defense contractors and federal agencies - built on NIST 800-53, NIST 800-171, CMMC, and FedRAMP by practitioners with government audit experience.
Federal and defense cybersecurity requirements operate under a distinct regulatory framework that commercial compliance programs do not address. NIST 800-171 protection of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), CMMC third-party assessment requirements, FedRAMP Authorization to Operate processes, and DISA STIG configurations require practitioners who have worked inside these frameworks - not consultants who have read the documents.
Dark Rock's Federal & Defense practice serves defense contractors at every CMMC level, cloud service providers pursuing FedRAMP authorization, federal agencies managing continuous monitoring obligations, and organizations designing CUI enclaves to separate controlled information from commercial networks.
Our practitioners have direct experience conducting and supporting government security assessments. We do not approximate federal requirements - we implement them to the letter, with the documentation rigor that DIBCAC and FedRAMP Joint Authorization Board reviews require.
FedRAMP Authorization
FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) authorization is required for cloud service providers selling to federal agencies. The Authorization to Operate (ATO) process is rigorous: a System Security Plan mapped to NIST 800-53 controls, a Security Assessment Report from a FedRAMP-accredited Third Party Assessment Organization (3PAO), and ongoing continuous monitoring obligations.
Dark Rock prepares cloud service providers for FedRAMP authorization at all impact levels - Low, Moderate, and High. We conduct the gap assessment, develop the full System Security Plan documentation package, coordinate with your selected 3PAO, and manage the Authorization to Operate process through the JAB or Agency ATO pathway.
- FedRAMP readiness assessment - gap analysis against NIST 800-53 Rev. 5 at your target impact level
- System Security Plan (SSP) development - full 17-family control implementation documentation
- System and Services Acquisition (SA) and Supply Chain Risk Management controls
- Continuous Monitoring (ConMon) program design - monthly vulnerability scanning, annual assessment schedule
- Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) management and remediation tracking
- 3PAO coordination and assessment preparation
- FedRAMP Agency ATO and JAB P-ATO pathway navigation
CMMC Certification
The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) 2.0 framework requires defense contractors handling Federal Contract Information (FCI) or Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) to meet defined security requirements. CMMC Level 1 covers FCI protection (17 practices, annual self-assessment). CMMC Level 2 covers CUI protection (110 practices from NIST 800-171, triennial third-party assessment for contracts with significant CUI). CMMC Level 3 adds 24 additional practices from NIST 800-172 for the highest-priority CUI programs.
Dark Rock prepares defense contractors for CMMC assessment at all levels. Our engagement begins with a gap assessment against the applicable NIST 800-171 requirements, produces a System Security Plan and Plan of Action and Milestones, implements required technical controls, and prepares your team for DIBCAC or C3PAO assessment. We do not perform CMMC assessments - we prepare you to pass one.
- CMMC gap assessment against all 110 NIST 800-171 practices (Level 2) or 134 practices (Level 3)
- System Security Plan (SSP) development - documented implementation of all assessed practices
- Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) - remediation tracking with target completion dates
- CUI identification and scoping - defining the CUI boundary before assessment reduces scope and cost
- Technical control implementation - MFA, access control, audit logging, media protection, configuration management
- SPRS score calculation and submission to the Supplier Performance Risk System
- Assessment preparation - mock assessment, evidence documentation review, assessor Q&A preparation
CUI Enclave Design
Controlled Unclassified Information requires its own network segment, access controls, and security monitoring - separate from your commercial IT environment. NIST 800-171 Requirement 3.13.3 mandates separation of user functionality from system management functionality. CMMC and DFARS 252.204-7012 require that CUI be protected from unauthorized disclosure at rest, in transit, and during processing.
Dark Rock designs CUI enclaves that satisfy DoD requirements while remaining operationally practical. An improperly scoped CUI environment that encompasses your entire enterprise IT infrastructure creates unnecessary compliance burden. A properly scoped enclave isolates CUI systems, users, and data - reducing your CMMC assessment scope and simplifying ongoing compliance obligations.
- CUI asset identification and data flow mapping - what systems process, store, or transmit CUI
- Enclave scoping - defining the boundary that minimizes scope while meeting protection requirements
- Network segmentation architecture - VLANs, firewall policy, and east-west traffic controls
- Access control implementation - role-based access, least privilege, multi-factor authentication
- Endpoint configuration - DISA STIG or CIS Benchmark hardening for enclave endpoints
- Audit logging and monitoring - event capture meeting NIST 800-171 3.3.1 and 3.3.2 requirements
- GovCloud or FedRAMP-authorized cloud service integration for enclave components requiring cloud processing
Continuous Monitoring
Federal compliance programs do not end at authorization. FedRAMP requires ongoing continuous monitoring - monthly vulnerability scanning, annual security control assessments, significant change notification, and incident reporting to US-CERT. CMMC requires that assessments be maintained over the three-year certification period. NIST 800-137 defines the information security continuous monitoring program structure for federal information systems.
Dark Rock designs and operates continuous monitoring programs for FedRAMP-authorized cloud service providers and CMMC-certified contractors. We manage the recurring obligations that keep your authorization current and defensible through the next assessment cycle.
- Monthly vulnerability scanning and deviation reporting
- Annual security control assessment planning and execution
- Significant change management - assessing and documenting changes that affect authorization boundary
- POA&M status tracking and remediation verification
- Incident reporting procedures to US-CERT (FedRAMP) and DIBCAC (CMMC)
- Authorization boundary change notifications to authorizing official
- Annual SPRS score recalculation and submission (CMMC)
Government Audit Experience. Cleared Personnel.
Dark Rock's Federal & Defense practitioners have supported DIBCAC assessments, FedRAMP 3PAO engagements, and DoD system authorizations. We know how assessors evaluate evidence, what documentation gaps create findings, and how to prepare organizations for the rigor of a federal assessment. Our principals hold the clearances and credentials this work requires - not the credentials of consultants who have read the NIST documents.
