Designing Security for Sensitive Government Data

How A U.S-Based Defense Contractor Strengthened Compliance and Security with PSS

As an American defense contractor continued to scale its programs, the pressure to meet increasingly strict government security requirements grew alongside the business. Operating at startup speed while supporting major U.S. government and commercial contracts meant there was little room for error, especially when it came to compliance and protecting sensitive data. Yet with a cybersecurity team consisting of a single, highly driven administrator, this company needed external support.

When Security Had to Catch Up

In mid-2024, the team recognized gaps in how compliance requirements were being addressed and technically implemented. Their previous vendor relationship was not delivering the experience needed to keep pace with evolving standards like NIST 800-171 and CMMC, making it clear that the defense contractor needed to level up and find a partner who had been through this before.

“They were there at an architectural level. They helped us build the world that gave us control over sensitive government information. They helped us interpret the rules, the requirements, into actionable solutions to get us there.”

– Cybersecurity Administrator at the Defense Contractor

Through their network, the company was introduced to our team at Point Solutions Security (PSS). After multiple conversations and discussions with others who had worked with them, the team saw that PSS brought the specialized expertise they were looking for: people who understood government requirements, could translate them into practical implementation, and were able to scale and adapt alongside a fast-moving, highly regulated organization.

Here’s what the company gained from this partnership:

Prepared While the Market Catches Up

With the right security controls in place and ongoing security support, this defense contractor now operates among a highly selective group:

~2%

of Level 2 contractors prepared to begin a C3PAO assessment

431

organizations CMMC Level 2 certified across the Defense Industrial Base

~0.5%

of the estimated 80,000 organizations that will require certification

Here’s what the company gained from this partnership:

Confident Risk Decisions in a Complex, Niche Industry

The company operates at a rapid pace, managing custom-built systems in a highly specialized, regulated environment. Tools and applications change frequently, often falling in and out of scope based on specific programs. In this context, simply understanding the requirements isn’t enough for the company. They needed a partner to translate them into something that works in practice and a setup that supports continuous risk evaluation and security oversight.

“It’s kind of hard to grasp sometimes, especially if you’re coming from a stereotypical private company. At our company, you play in both the commercial space as well as the government space, you also invent this technology, which means you’re moving incredibly quickly. Finding someone that could actually speak both languages… that doesn’t come along every day.” – Cybersecurity Administrator at the Defense Contractor

With our PSS team, the company could bridge that gap with technically grounded, adaptable guidance, and get practical answers to their questions around risk, testing, and adoption for non-standard tools.

As a result, the company gained:

Access to expertise capable of translating government controls into practical implementation
Support for reviewing and validating highly bespoke applications with no existing security profiles

Greater confidence in making security decisions

Security Built for Scale in Regulated Environments

Given this defense contractor’s complex operating model and industry, they require cybersecurity infrastructure and support that is constantly adaptable.

On a day-to-day basis, the organization supports a high-volume and frequently changing set of non-standard applications, all software that can’t be easily researched or assessed using standard methods

In this environment, traditional security approaches can quickly become a bottleneck. The company needed protection that could keep up with how the business actually operates, while still providing confidence that sensitive government data was being properly controlled and defended as requirements and threats evolved.

With PSS, the company could address these challenges by:

Receiving vCISO-level guidance to interpret government requirements and apply them to real-world technical decisions

Augmenting a cybersecurity team of one with hands-on advisory support as demands increased

Establishing a security approach that could adapt to changing tools, applications, and risk profiles without slowing execution

Maintaining effective control and protection of sensitive, contract-bound data while staying aligned with compliance requirements

A Secure, Compliant Environment for Government Data

This defense contractor imagined a secure enclave that could house sensitive government information that could not be handled within the company’s broader commercial environment. And they worked with us at PSS to make it a reality, creating a system that was directly tied to contractual obligations with U.S. government customers.

With guidance from PSS, the company was able to:

Navigate required controls and translate them directly into how the secure enclave was designed and operated.

Understanding the viability and suitability of tools before they were introduced into the enclave

Reviewing technologies for security risk, including external connectivity and known vulnerabilities, prior to adoption

Rather than a single fix, the work involved addressing a series of interconnected challenges over multiple quarters. This careful work gave this organization an environment that could support its ongoing operations and contractual requirements.

Operations That Keep Running as Requirements Change

Once the secure enclave was established, the company’s IT team relied on ongoing advisory support to ensure its enclave and broader commercial environment kept pace with changing security and compliance requirements.

This was especially critical when new requirements were introduced, and the company had to address them without disrupting operations. By having the right guidance available as requirements changed, they were able to put the necessary systems and controls in place in time, avoiding a compliance failure that would have resulted in a work stoppage.

As a result, the company was able to:

Maintain compliance as new contractual requirements were introduced

Continue operating under active government contracts without interruption

Keep projects moving without security becoming a bottleneck

“They were aligned with company-wide objectives. They were there to help through cybersecurity, to get the organization to an acceptable level to continue to do business. So like, while it might have just been through this one vessel, it was organization-wide impact.” Director-Level Stakeholder at the Defense Contractor

Moving Forward with Security Built to Keep the Business Moving

Overall, the combination of architectural work and ongoing advisory support that this contractor received and continues to receive from PSS ensures that security changes behind the scenes support the business as a whole, rather than slowing it down.

While much of the work has been rooted in cybersecurity, the impact extends across the organization. Teams in software engineering, DevOps, and other areas had access to timely guidance when security questions came up. Everyone can continue building and delivering while still operating within required security boundaries.

The organization-wide outcome has been sustained business continuity, with continued compliance, active government contracts, and the ability to move forward confidently using continuously evolving technology in a highly regulated environment.