Skip to content
If you’re researching CMMC enclaves, you’ve probably asked one of these questions:
- What is a CMMC enclave?
- How much does a CMMC enclave cost?
- Do we need an enclave to achieve CMMC Level 2?
They’re all reasonable questions. But in our experience, they’re not the right place to start.
One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding CMMC is that an enclave is a product you can buy. It isn’t.
A CMMC enclave is a strategy, not a solution. Every organization’s environment, workflows, and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) are different. That means every enclave should be designed around the way the business operates, not around a standard technology stack.
At Charles IT, we’ve found that organizations rarely struggle because they chose the wrong technology. They struggle because they started with technology instead of understanding their business. That’s why so many enclave strategies become more expensive, more disruptive, and more difficult to maintain than expected.
What Is a CMMC Enclave?
A CMMC enclave is a segmented environment that isolates the systems, users, and data that store, process, or transmit Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).
The purpose of an enclave is to reduce the scope of your CMMC assessment by limiting where CUI exists and who has access to it. When implemented correctly, an enclave can simplify compliance efforts and reduce the number of systems that must meet CMMC Level 2 requirements.
What an enclave is not is an off the shelf product.
There is no one size fits all enclave because no two manufacturers handle CUI the same way. The right approach depends on your business processes, your users, your applications, and your operational requirements.
That is why the best enclave strategies begin with understanding your business, not pricing technology.
Why Do Most CMMC Enclave Strategies Fail?
Most enclave strategies do not fail because the technology doesn’t work.
They fail because organizations make important decisions before they understand what they’re trying to protect.
Here are five of the most common mistakes we see.
Starting With Technology Instead of Understanding Your Operations
Many organizations begin their CMMC journey by asking for enclave pricing or requesting a technical solution.
That skips the most important step.
Before designing an enclave, you need to understand how your organization operates. That includes identifying which departments handle CUI, which business systems are involved, how employees complete their work, and where security or operational gaps already exist.
Without that foundation, organizations often build environments that technically meet security requirements but create unnecessary complexity for employees.
Technology should support your operations, not dictate them.
Not Knowing Where Your CUI Actually Lives
You cannot build the right enclave if you don’t know what you’re protecting.
Many organizations believe they have a clear understanding of where CUI resides, only to discover it exists in far more places than expected.
Common examples include:
- Shared network folders
- Email attachments
- ERP and manufacturing systems
- Engineering applications
- Cloud storage platforms
- Employee laptops and devices
Until your CUI is identified and mapped, it’s impossible to accurately determine your compliance scope or design an effective enclave.
Giving Too Many People Access
One of the biggest benefits of an enclave is reducing the number of users and systems that fall within your CMMC assessment boundary.
Unfortunately, many organizations unintentionally expand that boundary by providing access to people who don’t actually need it.
Every additional user, device, or application increases complexity, administrative effort, and compliance costs.
A well designed enclave follows the principle of least privilege, giving access only to those who require it to perform their job responsibilities.
Designing Around Technology Instead of Business Workflows
Security should strengthen your business, not slow it down.
We’ve seen organizations implement technically sound enclave environments that force employees into inefficient workarounds because normal business processes were never considered during the design phase.
When employees cannot complete their work efficiently, they often find shortcuts that introduce new security risks and make compliance more difficult to maintain.
An effective enclave should balance security with productivity by supporting the way your business actually operates.
Treating CMMC as an IT Project
Perhaps the biggest misconception surrounding CMMC is that compliance is simply an IT initiative.
It isn’t.
Technology is only one part of a successful compliance program.
CMMC also requires documented policies, employee training, governance, risk management, access controls, incident response planning, and ongoing operational discipline.
Organizations that focus only on technical controls often discover additional gaps when preparing for an assessment because the operational side of compliance was overlooked.
An enclave can support compliance, but it cannot create compliance on its own.
Does Every Organization Need a CMMC Enclave?
No.
An enclave can be an excellent strategy for many manufacturers, but it is not the right solution for every organization.
The decision depends on factors like:
- The type of CUI you handle
- Where CUI moves throughout your organization
- Who needs access to it
- Your existing security maturity
- Whether your workflows can realistically support segmentation
Some organizations benefit significantly from an enclave.
Others introduce unnecessary cost and operational complexity by implementing one when another compliance strategy would have been more effective.
That is why asking whether you need an enclave should come before asking what one costs.
What Does the CMMC Phase II Pause Mean?
The Department of Defense recently paused the rollout of CMMC Phase II, giving organizations additional time before broader contract requirements are implemented.
That does not mean manufacturers should pause their planning.
Many prime contractors continue requiring subcontractors to demonstrate strong cybersecurity practices and CMMC aligned controls before awarding work. Organizations that use this time to understand their environment, reduce compliance scope where appropriate, and develop a thoughtful strategy will be better positioned as requirements continue to evolve.
Rather than rushing to deploy technology, manufacturers have an opportunity to build a stronger compliance program that supports long term business success.
Start With the Right Questions
The most successful enclave projects don’t begin with technology.
They begin with understanding your business.
Before investing in an enclave, every manufacturer should be able to answer four critical questions:
- What CUI do you handle?
- Where does it move throughout your organization?
- Who actually needs access?
- Can your business realistically support a segmented environment?
Those answers help determine whether an enclave is the right strategy and can prevent costly mistakes later in your CMMC journey.
If you’re evaluating your options, download our CMMC Enclave Decision Framework to walk through these four questions and better understand what approach makes the most sense for your organization. If you’re ready for a deeper conversation, Charles IT’s Operational Maturity Assessment can help you evaluate your current environment and build a CMMC strategy designed around your business, not a one size fits all solution.
