Defense Contractor Achieves NIST 800-171 Compliance with Microsoft 365 GCC-High

Quick Stats

• Industry: Defense Contracting
• Requirement: NIST 800-171 compliance to secure a Fortune 500 contract
• Solution: Microsoft 365 G5 in GCC-High, Intune, Defender for Endpoint, CIS v8 controls
• Timeline: Achieved compliance in 3 weeks
• Key Outcomes: Compliance success, secured client contract, CMMC readiness, improved cybersecurity posture



Client Overview

A defense contractor engaged in sensitive projects for U.S. government and private sector clients. Facing strict compliance mandates, the organization needed to quickly meet NIST 800-171 standards to remain eligible for major defense-related contracts.

The Challenge

The contractor’s IT environment lacked the necessary security framework and compliance alignment to satisfy NIST 800-171 requirements. This posed several risks:

• Loss of a critical Fortune 500 client contract
• Ineligibility for future Department of Defense opportunities
• Exposure to cybersecurity risks without standardized controls
• Lack of preparedness for upcoming CMMC certification requirements

The Solution

We deployed a secure and compliant environment leveraging Microsoft’s GCC-High platform:

• Migrated to Microsoft 365 G5 in GCC-High for enterprise-grade security and compliance features
• Configured Microsoft Intune for policy-based device management and compliance enforcement
• Implemented Microsoft Defender for Endpoint with Microsoft best practice security policies
• Applied CIS v8 security controls mapped to NIST 800-171 requirements
• Assisted with drafting and validating the System Security Plan (SSP) for audit readiness

The Outcomes

• Rapid Compliance – Achieved NIST 800-171 compliance in just 3 weeks
• Secured Contract – Retained a major Fortune 500 defense client contract tied to compliance
• CMMC Readiness – Established a secure baseline environment aligned with future CMMC requirements
• Enhanced Security – Strengthened cybersecurity posture with hardened endpoints and integrated defenses

The Results

The contractor moved from a vulnerable IT environment to a fully compliant Microsoft 365 GCC-High tenant. With compliance achieved on an accelerated timeline, the organization secured critical business opportunities while laying the foundation for long-term growth in the defense sector.