Cybersecurity and Compliance
We spent years in the defense space doing Risk Management Framework work, building the security packages that decide whether a system is allowed to operate at all. That world is unforgiving about evidence. You cannot assert that a control is in place; you have to show it.
The sign-off at the end of that process is called an ATO, an Authority to Operate. It is a formal decision by a government official that a system has proven its security well enough to be switched on and connected. Getting one means documenting every control, proving each is working, and accepting whatever risk is left in writing.
Most small businesses will never need an ATO. But they are increasingly being asked security questions by their insurer, their bank, their largest customer, or their regulator, and they have no idea how to answer.
Where We Help
Answering the questionnaire. The security review a client or carrier sent you, answered accurately rather than optimistically
Posture assessment. What you actually have, what you think you have, and the distance between them
Framework work. CMMC, NIST, HIPAA, or a client's own standard, tailored so the ceremony matches the risk
Evidence and documentation. Policies and records that hold up when someone asks for proof
Incident readiness. Knowing who does what, before rather than during
Proportionate, Not Theatrical
The failure mode in this field is selling a twelve-person company a program designed for an enterprise, then billing for the paperwork. We would rather find the handful of controls that genuinely reduce your risk and get those right.
Some of this is uncomfortable. The assessment usually surfaces something nobody wanted to hear, and we will still tell you.
Defense and government programs are handled under our engineering practice at Maxon Inc. What is described here is the commercial side. Start with a conversation.