CMMC Level 2 applies to the systems that store, process, or transmit CUI. An enclave draws a hard line around those systems, so the assessment covers that boundary and not your entire organization. Fewer systems in scope, and a lower cost to certify.
Sanity-check whether an enclave is the right way to scope your CUI.
110
NIST 800-171 controls across 14 control families
CCA-Led
Implementation by credentialed assessors
CMMC Pause
Doesn’t stop the compliance requirement
3-Yr Cycle
Certification valid three years, with annual affirmation required
The controls are the same either way. What changes is how many systems you apply them to. Pull CUI into a defined enclave and the assessment shrinks to that boundary.
Reduce Compliance Scope
Scope drops to the enclave. Only the systems inside the boundary go under assessment, not every laptop and server you run.
Strengthen Data Protection
Enforce access control, encryption, and monitoring within a secure The controls get easier to prove. Access control, encryption, and monitoring are enforced in one defined zone instead of across the whole organization. .
Save on Compliance Costs
You stop paying to certify systems that never touch CUI.
An enclave can be virtual, physical, or hybrid. Which one fits depends on how CUI moves through your organization and where it sits. Segment those systems correctly and you have a defensible boundary to bring to an assessment.
There are usually two ways to handle enclave users. Some keep two accounts per person: a standard account for general work and a separate enclave account for CUI. Others move users fully into the enclave, so it becomes their only account. The right call depends on how CUI flows and how many people touch it.
Licensing rules and platform configurations change often, so the Microsoft partner you pick has to stay current and have configured this enough times to get it right. Few partners have that depth. We were one of the original six AOS-G partners for GCC High, and we have built the environments to prove it.
STEP 1 0F 5
Discovery and Planning
Identify where CUI lives, how it moves, and who touches it. Define the enclave boundary before any build work begins.
STEP 2 0F 5
Design
Segment the network and select the right technology for your environment. Virtual, physical, or hybrid. The architecture gets decided here.
STEP 3 0F 5
Deployment
Build systems and apply the controls required for your compliance scope. Every configuration decision is made against CMMC requirements.
STEP 4 0F 5
Validation
Test the configuration against the defined boundary. Identify and resolve gaps before assessment.
STEP 0F 5
Operations
Monitor the environment, train users, and maintain controls over time. The enclave has to hold up after it’s built, not just at go-live. Ongoing evidence of compliance has to be collected continuously, and organizations are required to re-assess annually. Certification is the first step, not the finish line.
Good Fit If:
Not Ideal If:
Certification Gates the Contract
DoW requires CMMC Level 2 certification before awarding applicable contracts. An enclave reduces what must be certified, which makes that certification more manageable to reach.
The Certification Is the Advantage, Not the Enclave
The advantage comes from holding the certification, not from the enclave itself. An enclave using GCC High covers a significant portion of the technical controls and reduces what assessors need to review, which makes certification more achievable and less costly to pursue.
A Smaller Attack Surface
It also tightens security on its own terms. Isolating CUI within a defined boundary reduces your attack surface and limits exposure if a breach happens.
AgileThrive is Agile IT’s CMMC compliance management program. It keeps the enclave compliant after go-live, so contracts stay defensible and new bids stay open.
Before the build begins, the boundary must be defined. The strategy session is a working conversation about your environment, where CUI lives, and what the right enclave structure looks like for your situation.
Tell us where you are and what you’re working toward.
A CMMC enclave is a segmented IT environment used specifically for handling Controlled Unclassified Information. Instead of applying CMMC requirements to your entire infrastructure, an enclave limits the compliance boundary, making it faster, cheaper, and easier to meet CMMC 2.0 standards.
No, an enclave isn’t required, but it’s often the most efficient and cost-effective approach for organizations that only handle CUI in specific roles or departments. By using an enclave, you reduce the number of systems and users in scope for your audit.
Yes. CMMC enclaves can be deployed on-premises, in a virtualized private cloud, or in a compliant public cloud environment such as Microsoft GCC High or Azure Government. The choice depends on your business needs and IT strategy.
The timeline depends on your current infrastructure, the complexity of your environment, and how much preparation has already been done. For many defense contractors, Agile IT can help plan, implement, and validate a CMMC enclave in a matter of weeks.
Our CMMC Enclave service includes:
Agile IT is a four-time Microsoft Partner of the Year, one of the original six authorized AOS-G partners, and a CMMC Registered Provider Organization (RPO). We’ve helped hundreds of organizations meet federal cybersecurity requirements by combining Microsoft cloud expertise with practical compliance strategies.
Costs vary depending on infrastructure size, licensing, and scope. Implementing a focused enclave is usually appreciably more affordable than applying CMMC controls across your entire network.
You come in with what you know about your environment. We bring the experience to make sense of it.
If compliance shapes your organization, it should shape your IT. The boundary is a decision you can still make on your own terms, or one an assessment date makes for you. Which of those are you working on this quarter?
