Define the information boundary
Teams need to know where federal contract information or controlled unclassified information enters, where it is stored and who and what can reach it.
Government & Defense
Government & Defense
Government organizations and defense suppliers operate under contract-specific security and documentation requirements. ALCO aligns technical controls to applicable CMMC and NIST SP 800-171 requirements and maintains records that support customer and assessor review.
The reality
What makes this sector different
- CMMC and NIST 800-171 requirements written into the contract
- Controlled unclassified information that must be handled to a standard
- Documented change control and an audit trail that will be inspected
- Supply-chain expectations flowing down from prime contractors
How we help
What we do about it
CMMC and NIST 800-171-aligned controls, mapped and evidenced
CUI handled with segmentation, encryption and access logging
Documented change control for in-scope systems
Assessment evidence organized and maintained throughout the engagement
Operational priorities
What has to work every day
Government agencies and defense suppliers need an environment whose scope, control ownership and evidence match the requirements that actually apply to their work.
Operate controls consistently
Secure configuration, identity, logging, backup and incident procedures have to remain part of daily operations rather than appearing only before an assessment.
Keep evidence with the work
Tickets, approvals, access reviews, diagrams and technical records should show when a control operated, who owned it and how an exception was handled.
Common risk patterns
Where avoidable risk builds
Readiness breaks down when contract language, technical scope and day-to-day administration describe three different environments.
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The CUI boundary is unclear
Without agreed data flows and system boundaries, teams may leave sensitive work outside controls or apply costly requirements to systems that do not need them.
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Convenience tools bypass the design
Personal email, unmanaged storage, unapproved collaboration and local exports can create data paths that are absent from the system security plan.
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Controls exist but evidence does not
A configuration screenshot taken at assessment time does not demonstrate months of access review, log handling, change approval or incident preparation.
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Service-provider access is omitted
Administrator tools, support accounts and subcontractor connections need to be included in scoping and handled according to the customer's applicable obligations.
Managed scope
What ALCO manages with your team
ALCO can manage an agreed technical boundary and maintain operational evidence, with requirement interpretation and assessment decisions confirmed by the customer and its authorized advisors.
Boundary and data-flow records
Inventories, diagrams, approved services, information flows and responsibility assignments tied to the environment that is actually operated.
Identity and secure administration
Account lifecycle, multi-factor authentication, privileged-access controls, administrative paths and periodic access review for in-scope systems.
Configuration and protection
Supported secure baselines, segmentation, encryption settings, endpoint controls, patch coordination, logging and protected backup.
Controlled operational change
Requests, approvals, test notes, implementation records and rollback information maintained for material changes within the managed boundary.
Remediation tracking
Gaps are recorded with risk, owner, dependency, target date and evidence of completion so remediation remains visible, assigned and verifiable.
Assessment preparation support
Technical records organized for customer review, questionnaires and assessor requests without claiming a level or outcome before an authorized assessment.
Starting the engagement
A practical first 30 days
The first month aligns the contractual boundary with the technical reality, then turns discovered gaps into owned, evidence-producing work.
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Days 1–5
Confirm requirements and owners
Review customer-provided clauses, assessment objectives, information types, responsible roles and existing plans; flag interpretation questions for authorized advisors.
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Days 6–10
Map the actual boundary
Trace accounts, devices, cloud services, facilities, remote access, service providers and data movement, then compare that reality with current documentation.
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Days 11–20
Address immediate exposure
Prioritize stale privileged access, missing multi-factor protection, uncontrolled sharing, unsupported systems and unprotected data paths with customer approval.
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Days 21–30
Baseline the evidence program
Deliver an updated inventory and boundary view, an owned remediation register, an evidence schedule and a change process for ongoing operations.
How we work
A clear process from assessment through operation
Assess
We begin by assessing your environment, risks, constraints and priorities. You receive a clear view of the current state and the work that should come first.
Implement
We implement the agreed controls, tools and configurations, maintaining documentation throughout the work.
Operate
We operate in-scope services according to the monitoring, maintenance, coverage and response commitments defined in your agreement.
Report
You receive plain-language reporting and evidence prepared for leadership, board or auditor review.
Frequently engaged together
All services
Managed IT Solutions
Your infrastructure, monitored and maintained as a system rather than a collection of devices.
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Assessment, hardening, monitoring and documentation prepared for audit and customer review.
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Roadmaps, budgets and vendor guidance aligned with your business priorities.
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Off-site and immutable backup options with documented, tested recovery procedures.
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Wired, wireless and firewall infrastructure designed to be fast, segmented and quietly reliable.
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Cloud phone systems, video and messaging that follow your team from desk to phone to home.
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Websites, portals and internal tools built on a maintainable, documented stack with a clear operating path.
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