GCC High Migration Services for DoD Contractors

In today's digital landscape, DoD contractors are under increased scrutiny to meet stringent security requirements for handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). Migrating to Microsoft Azure Government Cloud High (GCCH) is the ideal solution to secure your IT infrastructure, comply with NIST 800-171, DFARS, and CMMC, and enable future growth. At CyberSecurity, we provide a comprehensive, phased migration process designed to ensure that your organization transitions smoothly to GCC High without disruption.

Our expertise in working with DoD contractors makes us a trusted partner for your migration needs, covering everything from initial discovery and setup to ongoing support and user training.

Learn how ZYX Corp. successfully navigated DoD cybersecurity challenges and established a compliant, cost-effective GCCH enclave with our tailored solution.
Download this exclusive case study to discover how we helped them overcome resource limitations, achieve 800-171 compliance, and position their business for long-term success in the government contracting market. Fill out the form to get your copy now!

Our GCC High Migration Process

1. Discovery, Setup, and Kickoff

The migration journey begins with a **thorough discovery phase** where our expert team collaborates with your internal stakeholders to evaluate your current IT infrastructure, compliance status, and overall security posture. This involves:

  • Current Infrastructure Assessment: We perform a full audit of your on-premise systems, cloud setups, network architecture, and data repositories. This helps us identify potential risks, outdated systems, and gaps in compliance.
  • Compliance and Security Analysis: We ensure your existing systems align with NIST 800-171, DFARS, and other DoD requirements. We also assess cybersecurity risks, looking at access controls, encryption, and overall resilience.
  • Migration Strategy Development: Based on the findings, we create a customized migration strategy, including timelines, project milestones, risk management plans, and integration roadmaps.

The kickoff meeting sets expectations, timelines, and responsibilities for all parties involved, ensuring a smooth start to the migration process.

2. GCC High Environment Configurations

At this stage, we configure your **Microsoft Azure Government Cloud High (GCCH)** environment. This step ensures you have the proper cloud infrastructure required to meet government security standards. Key configuration tasks include:

  • Office 365 Government Setup: We configure Office 365 Government, enabling secure collaboration, communication, and productivity tools designed for government contractors. This includes Exchange, SharePoint, and Teams.
  • Networking and Connectivity: We establish secure network connections between your on-premises infrastructure and the GCC High environment using VPN or ExpressRoute for low-latency, high-security data transfers.
  • Data Sovereignty and Compliance: All configurations are tailored to meet US data sovereignty laws, ensuring sensitive information remains within GCC High data centers.

This phase ensures your infrastructure is securely migrated to Azure, ready to meet the compliance needs of DoD contractors.

3. Entra Security and Identity Management Configurations

Effective security hinges on **identity management and access control**. In this phase, we configure **Microsoft Entra (formerly Azure AD)** to ensure that only authorized personnel can access critical systems. Key actions include:

  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): We enforce MFA for all users, ensuring that access to your environment requires more than just a password, significantly improving security.
  • Conditional Access Policies: These policies allow you to restrict access based on location, device, and user behavior, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
  • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): We implement RBAC, ensuring that users only have access to the resources they need for their role, following the principle of least privilege.

By securing identity and access management through Entra, we ensure that your GCC High environment is protected against unauthorized access and data breaches.

4. Enterprise Mobility + Security (EM&S) Intune Setup

As remote work and mobile devices become standard, we configure **Microsoft Intune** as part of your Enterprise Mobility + Security (EM&S) suite. This provides seamless control over mobile and remote devices. Core activities include:

  • Mobile Device Management (MDM): We set up Intune to manage your mobile devices, ensuring that only compliant and secure devices can access your GCC High environment.
  • Mobile Application Management (MAM): This ensures that sensitive data remains within managed applications, even on personal devices, preventing unauthorized access or data leakage.
  • Conditional Access for Devices: We enforce compliance policies to ensure that only up-to-date and secure devices can access sensitive applications and data.

With EM&S Intune, your organization can operate flexibly while ensuring full control and security of mobile devices and remote workers.

5. Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Setup & Configuration

For secure remote access, we configure a **Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)** that enables your team to work remotely without compromising security. Key benefits include:

  • Secure Remote Access: Employees can access applications, data, and services from anywhere, without exposing sensitive information to insecure networks.
  • Centralized Management: IT administrators can manage virtual desktops from a centralized location, ensuring consistent updates, patches, and security controls across all users.
  • Compliance with DoD Standards: The VDI environment meets all DoD and NIST requirements for handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).

This solution is ideal for contractors managing sensitive projects across distributed teams while ensuring secure access and minimal risk of data leakage.

6. AvePoint Backup & Data Protection

Data integrity and availability are crucial in any IT environment. We configure **AvePoint** to provide a complete backup and disaster recovery solution, ensuring that your data is protected at all times. Our approach includes:

  • Automated Data Backup: AvePoint automatically backs up all critical files, emails, and application data, ensuring real-time data protection.
  • Fast Recovery Time: In the event of a disaster, we ensure that data can be recovered quickly, minimizing downtime and operational disruptions.
  • Compliance with Backup Policies: We configure AvePoint to meet compliance standards for data retention, ensuring that backups align with DoD regulations.

With AvePoint, your organization gains robust data protection, ensuring business continuity even during critical incidents.

7. Microsoft Purview Setup & Configuration

Data governance and compliance are critical for organizations working with sensitive information. We implement **Microsoft Purview** to help manage, classify, and protect your data. Key activities include:

  • Data Classification & Labeling: We configure data classification policies, ensuring that sensitive data is tagged, tracked, and appropriately handled throughout its lifecycle.
  • Compliance with NIST 800-171 and DFARS: Our setup ensures that your organization complies with all relevant DoD regulations, including NIST 800-171 and DFARS.
  • Data Loss Prevention (DLP): We implement DLP policies to prevent sensitive information from being shared or accessed improperly, ensuring data remains secure within your environment.

With Microsoft Purview, your data is not only secure but fully compliant with government standards.

8. CONOPs Documentation (Concept of Operations)

As part of the migration process, we create detailed Concept of Operations (CONOPs) documentation. This essential document outlines the operational structure and processes of the newly implemented GCC High environment, ensuring clarity and consistency across your organization. Key elements include:

  • Operational Procedures: Clear guidelines on how to use and manage the GCC High environment on a day-to-day basis.
  • Roles and Responsibilities: Definitions of who is responsible for what, ensuring accountability and smooth operations.
  • Compliance and Security Protocols: Steps to maintain compliance with NIST 800-171, DFARS, and CMMC requirements, integrated into daily operations.

CONOPs documentation provides your team with a practical, detailed roadmap for securely and efficiently operating in the GCC High environment, ensuring that all processes are aligned with DoD regulations and cybersecurity best practices.

9. User Training and Support

Finally, we ensure that your team is fully trained on the new systems and security protocols. Our training includes:

  • IT Staff Training: We provide in-depth training for your IT staff on managing and maintaining the GCC High environment, ensuring they have the knowledge to operate securely and efficiently.
  • End-User Training: We provide easy-to-understand training for employees, focusing on the tools and platforms they'll use daily, emphasizing secure usage and recognizing potential security threats.
  • Ongoing Support: Even after the migration, we provide continuous support, updating your team on new features, security best practices, and compliance updates.

Proper user training is key to ensuring the successful adoption of new systems and maintaining security compliance over the long term.