Pass Your Audit, Keep Your Contracts

Your clients, partners, and regulators are already asking for proof. We handle everything from the first gap analysis through your final audit, across SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, CMMC, ISO 27001, and NIST 800-171. We have done this before and we will get you there.

Governance, Risk & Compliance as a Strategic Asset

Compliance is no longer optional for private-sector organizations. Customer enterprise agreements demand SOC 2 reports. Healthcare technology vendors face HIPAA Security Rule obligations. Defense supply chain participants must navigate CMMC 2.0. Payment processors operate under PCI-DSS v4. Organizations that do not manage compliance proactively face lost contracts, regulatory penalties, and, increasingly, personal liability for executives and board members.

Our Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) practice is led by industry-certified practitioners who have guided businesses through SOC 2 audits, HIPAA compliance reviews, CMMC assessments, and PCI-DSS certifications. We know exactly what auditors look for and we will make sure you are ready for it.

We approach compliance not as a documentation exercise but as a genuine program-building effort. Controls that satisfy auditors must also actually reduce risk, otherwise you are investing in compliance theater rather than security substance. Our engagements simultaneously advance your audit readiness and your operational security posture.

Whether you are pursuing your first SOC 2 Type I, navigating a CMMC 2.0 assessment for defense contract eligibility, or building an enterprise-grade information security management system (ISMS) aligned to ISO 27001, our principals bring the technical depth, regulatory knowledge, and process discipline to take you from gap to certified.

SOC 2 (Type I & Type II)

For Technology Companies, SaaS, & Cloud Providers

SOC 2 is a security audit that proves to your enterprise customers that you handle their data safely. Think of it as the "trust certificate" that enterprise procurement teams require before signing a contract. A Type I report confirms your controls are properly designed; a Type II report (6-month observation period) confirms they actually work over time.

  • Demonstrate that your systems protect the security, availability, and confidentiality of customer data
  • Establish formal access controls, who can access what, and how those permissions are managed
  • Maintain audit logs, monitoring, and incident response procedures that are tested regularly
  • Implement a vendor risk management program covering your third-party software and cloud providers
  • Produce a policy suite covering data handling, change management, and security operations

HIPAA

For Healthcare Providers, Health IT Vendors & Business Associates

HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) sets the rules for protecting patient health information (PHI). If your business handles, stores, or transmits medical records in any form, or if you work with companies that do, HIPAA applies to you. Non-compliance carries civil penalties up to $2 million per violation category per year.

  • Conduct a formal risk analysis to identify threats to PHI, required by law and foundational to every other control
  • Implement administrative safeguards: security officer, training programs, access management procedures
  • Deploy technical controls: encryption at rest and in transit, automatic logoff, audit controls on PHI access
  • Execute Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) with every vendor that touches PHI
  • Establish a breach notification procedure meeting 60-day reporting requirements to HHS and affected individuals

PCI-DSS v4

For Merchants, Payment Processors & Fintech Companies

PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) is the set of rules that apply to any business that accepts, processes, stores, or transmits credit or debit card data. Version 4.0, effective since March 2024, introduced more flexible, outcome-based requirements and significant new controls around authentication and anti-phishing. Failure to comply can result in card brand fines and loss of the ability to process payments.

  • Scope your cardholder data environment (CDE), the key to controlling compliance cost and complexity
  • Install and maintain network security controls separating cardholder data from the rest of your network
  • Protect stored cardholder data with encryption and strictly limit retention periods
  • Implement multi-factor authentication for all access to the CDE
  • Maintain a vulnerability management program including regular penetration testing and patch management

CMMC 2.0

For U.S. Defense Contractors & DoD Supply Chain

CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) is the Department of Defense's mandatory cybersecurity standard for contractors handling sensitive government information (called Controlled Unclassified Information, or CUI). As of 2025, CMMC 2.0 requirements are being phased into all DoD contracts, if you're a prime contractor or subcontractor in the defense supply chain, you must demonstrate compliance to maintain contract eligibility.

  • Level 1 (17 practices): Basic cyber hygiene, antivirus, password requirements, limiting access to authorized users
  • Level 2 (110 practices): Full NIST SP 800-171 compliance, the backbone of most defense contractor requirements
  • Develop and maintain a System Security Plan (SSP) documenting how every control is implemented
  • Conduct annual self-assessments (or third-party C3PAO assessments for Level 2 contract requirements)
  • Submit your SPRS (Supplier Performance Risk System) score to the DoD before contract award

NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF)

For Any Organization Wanting a Strong Security Foundation

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework (developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology) is the most widely used voluntary security framework in the world. Unlike compliance mandates that prescribe specific controls, the NIST CSF provides a flexible, risk-based approach organized around five core functions. CSF 2.0 (released in 2024) added a sixth function: Govern. It's an excellent starting point and also the foundation underlying many mandatory frameworks.

  • Govern: Establish cybersecurity policy, roles, responsibilities, and risk tolerance at the leadership level
  • Identify: Know your assets, data, and risks, you can't protect what you don't know you have
  • Protect: Implement safeguards, access controls, training, data security, and maintenance
  • Detect: Put monitoring and anomaly detection in place to catch incidents before they become disasters
  • Respond & Recover: Have tested plans for when something goes wrong, and how to get back on your feet

ISO 27001

For Organizations Pursuing International Market Access or Enterprise Vendor Approval

ISO 27001 is the internationally recognized standard for information security management systems (ISMS). Where SOC 2 is preferred in U.S. markets, ISO 27001 is the certification that opens doors in Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and with multinational enterprises. It requires building a complete, documented security management system, and undergoing certification by an accredited third-party auditor.

  • Establish a formal Information Security Management System (ISMS) covering people, process, and technology
  • Conduct a comprehensive risk assessment and treatment process to define your control choices
  • Implement controls from Annex A, 93 controls across four themes covering organizational, people, physical, and technological security
  • Maintain documented evidence of controls, conduct internal audits, and perform management reviews
  • Achieve certification through a Stage 1 (documentation review) and Stage 2 (on-site audit) by a UKAS/DAkkS-accredited body

What Our GRC Engagements Cover

End-to-end compliance program development, from initial gap assessment through audit-ready documentation and auditor liaison.

Gap Assessment & Scoping

  • Framework applicability analysis and scoping
  • Current-state controls evaluation vs. target framework
  • Gap register with prioritized remediation sequencing
  • Effort estimation and compliance timeline development

Policy & Procedure Development

  • Complete information security policy suite (20+ policies)
  • Procedures, standards, and guidelines aligned to framework
  • Data classification and handling procedures
  • Incident response and business continuity plans

Control Implementation Guidance

  • Technical control configuration recommendations
  • Access control and identity governance design
  • Encryption and key management guidance
  • Logging, monitoring, and SIEM configuration requirements

Evidence Collection & Management

  • Evidence collection strategy and artifact mapping
  • Control evidence compilation and organization
  • Auditor request fulfillment preparation
  • Evidence retention scheduling and automation guidance

Audit Readiness & Liaison

  • Pre-audit readiness assessment and mock review
  • Auditor selection guidance and RFP support
  • On-site and remote audit coordination support
  • Audit finding remediation and exception management

Ongoing Compliance Maintenance

  • Annual policy review and update cycle
  • Continuous control monitoring and evidence refresh
  • Regulatory change monitoring and impact analysis
  • Annual recertification and surveillance audit support

Our Compliance Lifecycle

A repeatable, framework-agnostic compliance program methodology grounded in the NIST Risk Management Framework and hands-on audit experience.

01, CATEGORIZE

System Categorization & Scoping

We define the scope of your compliance program, identifying the systems, data, and processes in scope, categorizing information sensitivity, and mapping the applicable framework requirements to your specific operational context. Proper scoping prevents both under-compliance and costly over-engineering.

02, SELECT

Control Selection & Baseline Development

We develop a tailored control baseline, mapping the required controls of your target framework to your environment and customizing the implementation approach based on your size, architecture, and risk profile. Common controls across multiple frameworks are identified to eliminate duplication of effort.

03, IMPLEMENT

Control Implementation & Policy Development

We guide implementation of required technical, administrative, and physical controls, developing or refining the policy documentation, configuration baselines, process workflows, and training materials required to satisfy auditor expectations and actually reduce risk.

04, ASSESS

Internal Control Assessment & Evidence Review

Prior to audit engagement, we conduct a thorough internal assessment, testing controls against their stated implementation requirements, reviewing evidence quality and completeness, and identifying any remaining gaps that would result in audit findings. This pre-audit review dramatically improves first-attempt outcomes.

05, AUTHORIZE

Audit Engagement & Certification Support

We manage the auditor relationship, coordinating information requests, facilitating auditor interviews, providing context for findings, and tracking remediation commitments. Our principals serve as the knowledgeable liaison between your technical team and the assessment organization throughout the certification process.

06, MONITOR

Continuous Monitoring & Program Maintenance

Post-certification, we establish a continuous monitoring cadence, scheduling periodic control testing, evidence refresh cycles, policy review windows, and training updates. This ongoing maintenance prevents compliance drift and positions you for efficient annual surveillance audits and Type II renewals.

What You Receive

Compliance Gap Assessment ReportDetailed current-state vs. framework requirements analysis with prioritized remediation sequencing and effort estimates.
Complete Security Policy Suite20+ tailored policies covering access control, data classification, incident response, change management, vendor management, and more.
Control Matrix & Evidence PackageOrganized, auditor-ready evidence package mapping each control requirement to supporting documentation and system configurations.
Risk Assessment DocumentationFormal risk assessment reports required by HIPAA, SOC 2, CMMC, and ISO 27001, produced to framework-specific standards.
System Security Plans (SSP)For CMMC and NIST 800-171 engagements, complete System Security Plan documentation describing how each control is implemented across your environment.

Who Needs GRC Advisory

SaaS & Cloud Providers

Technology companies whose enterprise sales pipeline requires SOC 2 reports. A SOC 2 Type II is effectively table stakes for B2B SaaS, without it, deals stall or are lost entirely.

Healthcare & Life Sciences

Healthcare providers, payers, health IT vendors, and business associates who handle protected health information (PHI) and face HIPAA Security Rule compliance obligations.

Defense Contractors

DoD prime contractors and subcontractors handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) who must demonstrate CMMC 2.0 compliance to maintain contract eligibility in the DFARS clause environment.

Financial Services & Fintech

Merchants, payment processors, and fintech companies subject to PCI-DSS v4 requirements who need expert guidance on scope reduction, SAQ completion, or QSA engagement preparation.

Our Compliance Advantage

Certified

The GRC Gold Standard

Our practitioners are industry-certified in governance, risk management, and compliance program management. This is specialized work and we treat it that way, every engagement is delivered by someone who has been through the process before.

12+

Frameworks. One Practice.

We navigate over twelve compliance frameworks with equal fluency. Organizations frequently face multiple simultaneous obligations, our cross-framework expertise allows us to design unified control environments that satisfy multiple frameworks without duplicating effort.

First

First-Attempt Track Record

Our pre-audit internal assessment process is specifically engineered to identify and remediate every finding before the external auditor sees it. Our clients achieve first-attempt certification outcomes, not after multiple rounds of remediation cycles.

Compliance & GRC FAQ

How long does it take to achieve SOC 2 Type II certification?

A SOC 2 Type II audit requires a minimum observation period of six months. However, organizations typically require three to six months of preparation prior to beginning that observation period. A realistic timeline from engagement start to certified report is 12 to 18 months. Type I certifications can be achieved in three to six months from the start of a well-managed engagement.

What is the difference between a CMMC Level 2 self-assessment and a C3PAO assessment?

CMMC Level 2 companies with contract requirements for formal certification must undergo a third-party assessment by a CMMC Third Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO). Companies subject only to annual self-assessment requirements submit a SPRS score. Our practice prepares organizations for both pathways, we help you determine which applies to your contracts and prepare accordingly.

Can one GRC engagement satisfy multiple frameworks simultaneously?

Yes, and this is specifically how we design our engagements. A robust SOC 2 control environment shares significant overlap with ISO 27001, NIST 800-171, and HIPAA Security Rule. We map controls across frameworks from the outset to avoid redundant effort and produce a unified control environment that satisfies multiple obligations from a single set of documentation.

Do you perform the actual audit, or do you prepare us for an external auditor?

We do not perform the certification audit, that would create an independence conflict. We prepare you for the external auditor: building the control environment, developing documentation, managing evidence, conducting internal assessments, and serving as your expert liaison during the external audit process. We help you select the right auditor for your engagement.

What if we already have policies in place, do we start from scratch?

We begin every engagement with a review of your existing documentation. Many organizations have partial or outdated policy suites that can be revised and expanded rather than replaced. We build on what you have rather than discarding usable work product.

What are the consequences of HIPAA non-compliance for a business associate?

HIPAA civil monetary penalties now range from $137 to $2.067 million per violation category per year. Criminal penalties can reach $250,000 and ten years imprisonment for willful neglect. Beyond regulatory penalties, business associates face contract termination and loss of covered entity relationships, which in healthcare technology can be existential. The cost of compliance is a fraction of these exposure figures.

Ready to Achieve Audit-Ready Certification?

Request a no-cost compliance scoping consultation. We will identify your applicable framework obligations, estimate the gap-to-certification timeline, and provide a fixed-fee engagement proposal within 48 hours.