CASE STUDY • AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE • DIB
Cloud migration and compliance readiness for aerospace and defense
Full lifecycle migration from Microsoft 365 Commercial to GCC High, built to protect CUI, reduce compliance drag, and give leadership an audit and customer-review story that holds up.
Executive outcomes
This engagement was built for executive buyers. The outcome was not just “moved to cloud.” The outcome was reduced compliance overhead, tighter control of CUI, and a cleaner cost and vendor footprint.
Environment aligned to CMMC and NIST 800-171 requirements with audit-ready controls and evidence.
Compliance reporting overhead reduced, cutting audit preparation time by 40%.
Zero Trust controls and continuous monitoring reduced attack surface and improved detection and response.
License procurement plus vendor consolidation and triage reduced sprawl and created cleaner monthly control.
Where the savings came from
- Audit time Less internal time spent assembling evidence, screenshots, and narratives during reviews.
- Vendor consolidation Fewer overlapping tools, fewer invoices, fewer support paths, cleaner accountability.
- License control Procurement and SKU normalization reduced waste and removed duplicate or mis-sized licensing.
- Loss avoidance Better containment boundaries reduces the cost of an event when it happens.
What leadership received
- Executive readiness pack What was changed, what controls were implemented, and what evidence exists.
- Tenant baseline Post-migration configuration standards for identity, access, data handling, and logging.
- Operational runbooks Support workflows and escalation paths, including monitoring and response.
- Cost control Consolidated licensing and vendor footprint with ongoing optimization.
The executive value is measurable: reduced audit prep time, fewer vendors to manage, controlled licensing, and stronger protection of CUI.
Starting point
The client needed to migrate to a secure cloud environment while meeting CMMC, NIST 800-171, and DFARS requirements. The legacy environment was fragmented, which made access control, security management, and compliance reporting inefficient.
- Fragmented tooling and policy Inconsistent controls and unclear enforcement created risk and reporting overhead.
- CUI handling requirements Needed a defensible approach for controlled data, including an enclave strategy.
- Downtime sensitivity Migration had to minimize business disruption and protect operational continuity.
- Threat visibility gaps Needed real-time detection and monitoring to reduce incident cost and response time.
Full lifecycle delivery
CloudByte Group owned the migration end-to-end, from procurement and vendor triage through post-migration hardening and ongoing support. This was executed as a phased program so leadership could control risk and timeline.
- Phase 1: discovery and gap mapping Current-state assessment, compliance gaps, identity and data flow review.
- Phase 2: procurement and consolidation Licensing, vendor triage, SKU alignment, billing and ownership cleanup.
- Phase 3: migration design GCC High target architecture, CUI enclave approach, cutover and rollback plan.
- Phase 4: migration execution Workload moves, validation, user readiness, disruption control.
- Phase 5: tenant configuration and hardening Zero Trust, least privilege, conditional access, logging and monitoring configuration.
- Phase 6: operations and support Post-migration support, optimization, and ongoing monitoring and escalation.
What we implemented
The technical build focused on CUI protection, least privilege access, and audit-ready controls. Implementation included a secure enclave strategy, GCC High migration, Zero Trust enforcement, and continuous monitoring and logging.
- Secure enclave for CUI Controlled access boundaries to protect regulated data and reduce spill risk.
- Zero Trust access model Least privilege enforcement and attack surface reduction.
- Continuous monitoring and logging Threat detection and response workflow built to reduce incident time and cost.
- Audit-ready controls and policy support Controls implemented with evidence and reporting paths that reduce audit overhead.
Results
The client now operates in a controlled, audit-ready cloud environment with government-grade security and a clearer compliance narrative.
- Improved security posture Zero Trust controls and monitoring improved visibility and containment capability.
- Reduced compliance reporting overhead Evidence and baseline standards reduced internal scramble during audits and reviews.
- Cleaner operations Vendor consolidation and license control reduced sprawl and simplified ownership.
Executive FAQ
Questions that typically come from CEOs, CFOs, and CIOs when evaluating a Commercial to GCC High migration with compliance drivers.
What do we actually get, beyond “we migrated”?
A controlled GCC High tenant, a CUI handling approach (including enclave strategy), a security baseline, continuous monitoring, and an evidence pack that reduces audit prep time. Plus procurement, vendor consolidation, and post-migration support so the environment stays stable.
How do you control downtime and user disruption?
Phased execution with a cutover plan, validation checkpoints, rollback planning, and post-cutover support coverage. The goal is operational continuity, not a “big bang” weekend gamble.
Where does the cost reduction show up?
Reduced audit prep time, fewer vendors and overlapping tools, tighter licensing control, and lower incident cost due to improved containment and monitoring.
What happens after the migration?
Post-migration tenant configuration, security baseline enforcement, ongoing license optimization, vendor management, and support. The environment is maintained as a controlled system, not left to drift.
Can you support prime contractor and customer security reviews?
Yes. The deliverables are built for third-party scrutiny: documented baseline, access model, monitoring approach, and evidence artifacts aligned to CMMC and NIST 800-171 expectations.
Need a Commercial to GCC High migration that reduces cost and audit drag?
CloudByte Group runs the full lifecycle: licensing, vendor consolidation, migration execution, tenant hardening, and post-migration support built for CUI and compliance.
DISCLAIMER: This case study reflects a DIB environment with CMMC and DFARS drivers. The engagement included procurement, vendor triage, Commercial to GCC High migration, tenant configuration and hardening, and ongoing support designed to reduce compliance overhead and protect CUI.