For businesses handling government, proprietary, or customer data sensitive enough to jeopardize the health of the organization should it be released, the difficulty of maintaining effective cybersecurity has grown with the increasing onslaught of hacking attempts. Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), Personally Identifiable Information (PII), financial information, and network and infrastructure diagrams are all types of targeted data that must be effectively protected to maintain cybersecurity compliance and/or protect the integrity of a company’s systems. For businesses such as Department of Defense (DoD) contractors, which are held to stringent compliance standards, using a secure enclave to protect vital information can help achieve and maintain the necessary level of effective cybersecurity.
A secure enclave is a highly protected, isolated area within a larger secured system where sensitive data and code can be processed in an isolated environment, separate from the rest of the system’s operations. This often involves using both hardware and software-based security mechanisms to ensure that data inside the enclave cannot be accessed or modified by unauthorized parties, even if the system itself is compromised. In the context of DoD contractors, a secure enclave can help in achieving NIST compliance and meeting the requirements of Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC).
How can a secure enclave facilitate DoD compliance?
| Secure Enclave Benefits | Right Click’s Take On Secure Enclaves |
| Data confidentiality and integrity | Secure enclaves encrypt data at rest, in use, and in transit within the enclave, ensuring that sensitive information is protected against unauthorized access or tampering. This aligns with DoD requirements to safeguard CUI. |
| Protection against insider threats | By isolating critical data and processes, a secure enclave reduces the risk of insider threats, a key concern for DoD compliance. The enclave ensures that sensitive operations remain secure even if an insider gains access to a system. |
| Hardware-based security | Enclaves often utilize hardware-based security to provide a physical boundary against external tampering or malware, which complies with DoD requirements for securing information. |
| NIST-compliant controls for protecting CUI | Many DoD contractors must comply with NIST SP 800-171, which mandates controls for protecting CUI. Secure enclaves support these controls by enforcing strict access and encryption mechanisms, ensuring only authorized personnel can interact with sensitive data. |
| Advanced encryption standards | Secure enclaves support high-level encryption standards in line with DoD requirements for protecting sensitive information, both at rest and in use. |
| Compliance with zero trust architecture (ZTA) | The DoD increasingly requires contractors to implement ZTA, in which trust is never assumed and every request is verified. Secure enclaves enhance ZTA by isolating sensitive data and always verifying access. |
| Controlled access and auditing | Secure enclaves can help contractors meet the DoD’s access control and audit logging requirements by tightly controlling who has access to the enclave and maintaining logs of all interactions with sensitive data. |
| Mitigation of Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) | Secure enclaves can prevent APTs (often the result of long-term cyber espionage) from gaining access to sensitive DoD information by isolating critical processes. This aligns with compliance efforts to defend against advanced cyberattacks. |
Secure enclaves are an essential tool for contractors aiming to maintain compliance with DoD security standards. At Right Click, we design secure enclaves on a case-by-case basis to create a robust, secure environment to protect sensitive data and ensure your business meets all applicable security requirements. We can help identify your cybersecurity needs to provide a clear, efficient roadmap to get and keep you in compliance. To schedule your consultation, contact us here today.
