For organizations already operating under Microsoft 365 GCC High (GCCH) requirements, the primary challenge is not determining whether GCCH is needed, but ensuring it is implemented, governed, and sustained correctly.
Rolle IT supports executive leadership and procurement stakeholders by providing structured oversight and long-term partnership for GCC High environments, reducing operational risk and ensuring contractual obligations are met.
Executive and Procurement Priorities
Organizations required to operate in GCC High face several non-negotiable priorities:
Proper eligibility validation and license issuance
Secure, defensible tenant configuration
Alignment with contractual and regulatory obligations
Audit readiness and documentation support
Long-term operational sustainability
Rolle IT works with leadership teams to ensure these priorities are addressed consistently and deliberately, without introducing unnecessary complexity or risk.
Rolle IT’s Role as Your GCC High Partner
Rolle IT acts as a governance-focused Microsoft partner, supporting GCC High environments throughout their lifecycle.
Our role includes:
Eligibility and Licensing Assurance Supporting accurate qualification, documentation, and license procurement through authorized channels.
Tenant Architecture and Governance Advisory Advising on administrative structure, identity strategy, and access models aligned with security and compliance expectations.
Security and Compliance Alignment Ensuring GCC High configurations support requirements such as NIST SP 800-171, DFARS, ITAR, and CJIS, where applicable.
Operational Readiness and Continuity Supporting adoption, change management, and long-term sustainability within the GCC High environment.
This approach enables leadership to make defensible, well-informed decisions.
Designed for Oversight and Accountability
GCC High environments must withstand scrutiny—from auditors, assessors, and contracting authorities.
Rolle IT emphasizes:
Clear governance models
Documented configuration decisions
Repeatable security practices
Reduced reliance on ad-hoc or reactive changes
This structure supports accountability and reduces long-term risk.
Engagement Beyond Initial Implementation
GCC High is not a one-time project. Licensing changes, new users, evolving contracts, and assessments introduce ongoing demands.
Rolle IT remains engaged to support:
Licensing lifecycle management
Configuration and governance reviews
Audit and assessment preparation
Strategic guidance as requirements evolve
Our clients value continuity and institutional knowledge, not one-time delivery.
A Partner for Leadership and Procurement Teams
Rolle IT complements internal IT organizations by providing specialized expertise and advisory support where it matters most. We help leadership and procurement teams move forward with confidence, clarity, and documented assurance.
Partner with Rolle IT
For organizations already committed to GCC High, selecting the right Microsoft partner is a critical governance decision.
Rolle IT provides the oversight, experience, and continuity required to operate GCC High environments with confidence and control.
How Cybersecurity and IT Professionals Work Together to Ensure Security, Accuracy, and Trust
For law enforcement agencies, maintaining Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) compliance is more than a regulatory requirement. It is a responsibility that protects sensitive information, supports officer safety, and upholds public trust. When a department undergoes a CJIS audit, the process can feel overwhelming without the right technical expertise and documentation in place.
Recently, our team had the opportunity to assist a law enforcement department as they prepared for a full CJIS compliance audit. Cybersecurity professionals, CISSP-certified analysts, system administrators, and our managed security services staff worked hand in hand with the agency’s LASO (Local Agency Security Officer) and leadership team. Together, we created a smooth, structured, and successful audit experience.
Preparing for an Audit Requires a Unified Effort
CJIS compliance touches every aspect of an agency’s digital operations. From access controls to encryption, from physical security to personnel training, no single person can manage it alone. Our approach brought together:
• CISSP-certified cybersecurity professionals to interpret policy language, ensure proper security controls, and validate alignment with CJIS Security Policy requirements.
• System administrators to verify server configurations, review group policies, validate password controls, and document how systems enforce compliance.
• Managed security services teams to provide logs, monitoring data, alert histories, vulnerability scans, and incident response documentation that auditors expect to see.
By bringing these roles together, we ensured that the LASO was fully supported through every stage of preparation.
Strengthening Documentation and Evidence
For many agencies, documentation is the most challenging part of a CJIS audit. We worked closely with leadership to gather, organize, and prepare:
Access control and personnel authorization records
Background check confirmations
Network diagrams and security architecture documentation
MFA and encryption configurations
Incident response and disaster recovery procedures
Security training acknowledgments
Vendor and contractor compliance evidence
With clear, complete documentation, the agency entered the audit confident and ready.
Walking Leadership Through Technical Configurations
Auditors often require demonstrations of system settings, logs, and controls. Our technical teams walked the LASO and command staff through each item, explaining:
How log retention requirements were met
How intrusion detection and SIEM systems were monitored
How permissions were assigned and reviewed
How device security and patch management were enforced
How CJIS-compliant tools (such as MFA, TLS, and encryption standards) were configured
This collaborative review ensured leadership understood not only what was in place, but why it mattered.
Partnering With State Auditors, Not Pushing Against Them
A successful CJIS audit is not adversarial. It is a partnership that ensures agencies can securely access and protect criminal justice information. Throughout the audit, we worked directly with the state auditing team to:
Provide documentation and technical evidence
Answer configuration and policy questions
Clarify security procedures
Resolve discrepancies in real time
This cooperative, transparent approach helped build trust among auditors and reinforced the agency’s commitment to maintaining a high standard of security.
Empowering Law Enforcement Agencies With Confidence
At the end of the process, the agency not only passed its audit but gained a deeper understanding of its systems, its safeguards, and its responsibilities under CJIS policy. For our team, the success was more than compliance. It was about supporting the people who protect our communities.
Whether a department is preparing for an audit, addressing gaps, or building a long-term cybersecurity strategy, having an experienced partner makes all the difference. Rolle IT is proud to stand beside law enforcement agencies, ensuring they have the tools, expertise, and confidence needed to meet CJIS requirements with excellence.
DNS Outages Are a Business Redundancy Wake-Up Call
Recent internet disruptions caused by DNS failures have highlighted something every organization needs to take seriously: even the biggest players in the world can go down without warning. For businesses that rely on cloud tools, communications platforms, remote operations or online services, DNS outages are not just an IT problem. They are a business continuity risk.
In October 2025, Amazon Web Services experienced a DNS related issue that disrupted major services in its US-EAST-1 region. Businesses that depended on AWS suddenly found key systems unreachable.
In July 2025, Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 DNS resolver went offline worldwide for almost an hour, preventing millions of users from accessing websites and cloud applications.
In November 2025, another DNS related event affected thousands of sites, again proving that a single DNS system failure can ripple across the entire internet.
These were not small companies with outdated infrastructure. These are some of the largest, most advanced providers in the world. If they can suffer DNS failures, any business can be impacted.
Why DNS Issues Threaten Business Redundancy
DNS is a critical layer of redundancy that many organizations forget to plan for. When DNS fails:
Redundant servers do not matter if users cannot reach them
Cloud failover does not activate because DNS cannot direct traffic
Communication systems and customer portals become unreachable
Revenue producing systems stop functioning
Employees cannot access essential tools or data
A single weak point in DNS can quietly undermine every other redundancy strategy a business has invested in.
How a Tier 3 IT Team Like Rolle IT Strengthens Redundancy
This is where advanced expertise becomes essential. Rolle IT, provides the deep technical skills required to build and support real redundancy across DNS, networking and cloud environments.
A strong Tier 3 team can:
Architect redundant DNS providers and failover paths
Detect DNS resolution issues before they become outages
Apply advanced monitoring and real-time troubleshooting
Configure DNS to support high availability systems
Restore resolution quickly during an incident
Review and harden your environment to prevent repeat failures
Business redundancy is only as strong as its least resilient component. DNS is often that overlooked component until something breaks.
Partnering With Experts Protects Your Business
The recent outages across AWS, Cloudflare and other major platforms make one message clear. Businesses must invest in the right expertise to ensure continuity, resilience and uptime. Rolle IT’s Tier 3 engineers help organizations design redundant, fault-tolerant systems that keep operations running even when the unexpected happens.
If you want help strengthening your DNS strategy and overall resilience, Rolle IT is ready to support you.
We are proud to share that Rolle IT has earned the 2025 HIRE Vets Platinum Medallion from the U.S. Department of Labor for our commitment to hiring and supporting America’s veterans.
This recognition reflects our values and the impact veterans have on our team, our clients, and our community.
What This Means for Our Community Veterans bring leadership, problem-solving skills, discipline, and a strong sense of purpose. By creating real career pathways in technology and cybersecurity, we help strengthen local families, our workforce, and the community as a whole. This award highlights what can happen when organizations invest in those who have served.
What This Means for Our Clients Many of our clients operate in the Department of Defense and Defense Industrial Base. Veterans understand mission readiness, security requirements, and the urgency these environments demand. Their experience helps us deliver services that align with DOD expectations and the unique needs of defense contractors. This recognition reinforces our commitment to providing clients with a team that understands the mission, the stakes, and the responsibility that comes with supporting critical national security work.
What This Means for Rolle IT Supporting veterans is part of who we are. Many members of our team served in the military, and their experience directly shapes the quality of the work we deliver. Earning the Platinum Medallion reinforces our commitment to providing meaningful careers, ongoing development, and a workplace where veterans can grow and succeed.
We are grateful for our veteran employees and honored to be recognized for helping them thrive in their civilian careers.
An estimated 90% of today’s cyberattacks target Active Directory. It’s no surprise, given that AD is the gateway to your entire digital infrastructure.
A single AD breach enables bad actors with a centralized location to take control, deny access to critical applications and data, and even bring your entire network-and business-to a standstill.
That’s why the protection and recoverability of AD is a top priority for Rolle IT’s clients.
Rolle IT leverages Commvault’s Cloud Backup & Recovery for Active Directory bringing resilience to your entire digital infrastructure. Let’s talk about how we can help secure your critical identity services.
CMMC Compliant Services, as well as commercial platforms available.
For defense contractors, achieving and maintaining CMMC compliance isn’t optional—it’s the key to winning and keeping Department of War (DoD) contracts. But staying compliant is complex, time-consuming, and expensive if handled in-house:
Detailed Requirements and Configurations: Rolle IT MSSP Administrators are experienced and well versed in CMMC compliant configurations.
High Costs: Hiring full-time compliance, cybersecurity, and IT operations staff is not always cost effective for small and medium size businesses.
Resource Drain: Managing all IT, Compliance and Cybersecurity needs in house diverts attention from your core mission of serving the DoD
Audit Stress: Gathering evidence and maintaining documentation consumes valuable time.
The Smart Choice: Outsource to Rolle IT Cybersecurity
Outsourcing to Rolle IT means you get compliance expertise + 24/7 cybersecurity protection without the overhead of building it all yourself.
Benefits of Outsourcing:
✅ Lower Cost, Higher Value
Pay only for the services you need—far less than hiring a full cybersecurity, compliance, and IT operations team.
✅ Always Audit-Ready
We map technical controls directly to your SSP and CMMC requirements and maintain documentation, so you’re prepared when auditors arrive.
✅ Specialized Expertise
Our MSSP services are designed for the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) and backed by CMMC, NIST 800-171, and DFARS expertise.
✅ More Than An Internal Team
Instead of relying on one or two internal hires, Rolle IT delivers a full team of subject matter experts across compliance, cybersecurity, and IT operations.
Our team brings diverse skills—policy, monitoring, threat intelligence, forensics—that a couple of associates simply can’t match.
Greater efficiency: Less reliance on outside contractors since we cover more domains in-house.
✅ Better Buying Power
As an MSSP, we can procure software licenses, cybersecurity tools, and hardware at negotiated rates—saving you money compared to going it alone.
Existing relationships with CMMC compliant Tools and FedRamp High Certified tools allows easier implementation and shorter ramp up times.
✅ 24/7 Monitoring & Protection
Our CrowdStrike-powered SOC detects and stops threats in real time—keeping you compliant and secure.
✅ Focus on Your Core Business
You deliver for the DoD, while we handle compliance and cybersecurity.
Why Rolle IT?
Defense-Grade MSSP: Serving the DIB with CMMC-ready services.
Compliance-First Approach: Every service mapped to CMMC controls.
Scalable Solutions: From readiness assessments to full compliance-as-a-service.
Trusted Partner: A team dedicated to keeping you contract-eligible.
Take the Next Step
Don’t let compliance hold you back from DoD opportunities. Partner with Rolle IT and stay secure, audit-ready, and competitive.
On July 22, 2025, the Department of Defense took a major step toward finalizing its long-anticipated 48 CFR (DFARS) rule implementing the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). The rule was officially submitted to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) for interagency review.
This submission marks the last checkpoint before the rule is published in the Federal Register and becomes binding on contractors. Once cleared by OIRA, DoD can move forward with inserting the updated DFARS requirements into new solicitations and contracts.
What Comes Next
OIRA Review: OIRA cleared it on August 25, 2025.
Federal Register Publication: The rule will be published in the Federal Register along with an official effective date. Federal regulations generally become enforceable within 1 to 60 days of publication.
Contract Implementation: Contractors can expect DFARS clauses referencing the CMMC requirements to begin appearing in solicitations as early as late 2025.
Why It Matters
This milestone carries real implications for defense contractors. Once the rule takes effect, companies that lack a CMMC-certified environment may find themselves ineligible to win or execute DoD contracts. It won’t be enough to have plans in place—contracting officers will need assurance that sensitive Department of Defense work is performed within a secure, certified environment.
For many small and mid-sized businesses, this could mean the difference between maintaining a foothold in the Defense Industrial Base or being locked out of future opportunities. Companies that have delayed compliance run the risk of being passed over in favor of competitors who are audit-ready.
Final Thought
For defense contractors, this is the clearest signal yet that CMMC compliance is no longer optional or “someday.” With the rule in OIRA’s hands, the countdown to enforcement has begun. Contractors handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) should ensure their NIST 800-171 controls are implemented, documented, and verifiable inside a certified environment.
🎙️ Cordell Rolle Speaks at Space Coast Women In Defense Annual Awards Panel: CMMC, AI, and How to Stay Smart and Secure
At the Women In Defense Space Coast (WIDSC) Annual Awards Event, Rolle IT’s CEO Cordell Rolle joined an expert panel of cybersecurity and compliance leaders to unpack the evolving challenges of CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The panel brought together perspectives from across the industry and was expertly moderated by David Bragg from the University of Florida.
Cordell spoke alongside:
Reagan Edens, Chief Technologist and Founder at DTC Global
Elizabeth Huy, VP of Business Operations at Alluvionic
David Bragg, Moderator and Cybersecurity Programs Director, University of Florida
Together, they tackled some of the most urgent and nuanced topics facing the defense industrial base and government contractors today.
🔐 CMMC: Building a Culture of Compliance, Not Just Checking Boxes
The panel opened by reinforcing the mission behind CMMC:
“CMMC isn’t a hurdle — it’s a shield. It’s how we protect our nation’s supply chain, intellectual property, and the future of our industrial base.”
The panel addressed real-world concerns many small and mid-sized contractors face:
Confusion around what level of CMMC is required for subcontractors
Cost implications of CMMC Compliance and Assessments- which should have already been factored into contract prices
Companies looking to “just get compliant” without understanding the risk landscape
Cordell emphasized education and empowerment, not fear-mongering:
“We can’t just talk about compliance as a cost. It’s a capability. It tells our partners we’re ready, responsible, and reliable.”
🤖 AI & Compliance: Smart Technology Needs Smarter Boundaries
The conversation then shifted to Artificial Intelligence — one of the most anticipated and complicated topics of the evening.
Cordell discussed how AI can be a powerful force multiplier in cybersecurity, automating detection, correlation, and even response in ways humans can’t match. But he also cautioned against blind adoption:
“You can’t use just any AI tool in a compliant environment. You need to know exactly where your data is going — and who owns it once it leaves your network.”
One key insight from Cordell: Using AI within your controlled environment — not as an external, public tool — may be the only way to remain compliant under frameworks like CMMC, NIST 800-171, and DFARS.
He challenged companies to ask:
Is the AI processing data locally or in the cloud?
Is the model trained on your proprietary information — and if so, how is it secured?
Can you control retention, deletion, and auditability?
Who has access to your prompts, responses, and metadata?
How are permissions set for access to information within your environment?
“AI isn’t the enemy — it’s your responsibility. If you can’t explain where your information is going, then you’re not compliant. And you’re definitely not secure.”
🧠 Key Takeaways from the Panel
This year’s WIDSC event brought together government leaders, defense tech innovators, women in STEM, and cybersecurity trailblazers. Cordell’s message was clear:
✅ CMMC compliance is achievable — if you start early and build smart habits ✅ AI should be internalized, audited, and tested before use in sensitive environments ✅ Zero trust applies to software too — especially those with autonomous learning ✅ Education is the strongest defense — and free, public guidance must continue
💬 The Bigger Picture: Rolle IT Leads With Purpose
Cordell Rolle’s panel appearance reflects a broader principle at Rolle IT: We don’t just offer cybersecurity solutions — we help shape the cybersecurity conversation.
From supporting small DIB contractors to contributing on non-sponsored expert panels, Rolle IT shows up where it counts — with practical advice, not a sales pitch.
To learn more about how we support compliant AI adoption, CMMC readiness, and cyber risk reduction, visit us at https://rolleit.com.
🚨 Security Alert: Business Email Compromise (BEC) Campaign Targeting Government Contractors Date: June 17, 2025 Threat Level: High Audience: Government Contractors and Client Partners
Summary: Rolle IT has identified an active and sophisticated Business Email Compromise (BEC) campaign targeting government contractors and their clients. In this campaign, attackers are sending emails directly from legitimate, but compromised email accounts belonging to trusted partners, subcontractors, or government personnel. As a result, these messages appear authentic at first glance — they may pass SPF/DKIM checks and match known contacts in your address book.
However, the contents of the emails are malicious. The embedded links redirect to fraudulent document-sharing portals or credential harvesting sites. In many cases, the email signature blocks have been altered or spoofed — they may look familiar but include subtle changes or incorrect information.
This compromise prompts users to log into their OneDrive, allowing the bad actors access to critical systems and accounts.
Key Red Flags to Watch For:
Inflated Sense of urgency to complete a task Unexpected document collaboration requests or urgent contract discussions Hyperlinks pointing to suspicious or non-standard domains Slight alterations in email signature details (phone numbers, job titles, etc.) Odd tone or timing of emails from known contacts
What You Should Do:
Do not click on unexpected or unsolicited document links — even if they come from known contacts. Verify independently via phone or a different communication method before responding or opening any attachments. Report immediately to your IT or security team if you suspect compromise. Ensure MFA is active on all user accounts and that staff are trained on BEC red flags. Ensure you have appropriate Email Security Protection.
Far offshore, deep under the ocean, a powerful shift occurs—an earthquake, a volcanic eruption, or a landslide. At first, the surface looks almost calm. There’s no immediate towering wall of water. Just a subtle change: a slight pull of the tide, a few ripples moving outward.
But beneath the surface, an unstoppable force has been unleashed. A massive surge of energy races silently across the water at hundreds of miles per hour. As it approaches land, the seafloor rises. The wave, once almost invisible, grows into a towering wall of water.
When a tsunami hits, it doesn’t just flood the coastline—it redraws it. Entire towns are swept away. Harbors are wiped clean. The landscape is forever altered, and only the most prepared—or the highest ground—survives intact.
Tsunamis are not ordinary storms. They are transformational forces.
Now, across the Defense Industrial Base (DIB), another tsunami is approaching—not made of water, but of regulation, enforcement, and cybersecurity evolution. This tsunami is called CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification).
The warning signs have been there. The ripples started years ago.
The only question left is: Will you be ready when it hits?
🌱 The First Ripples: Early Warnings Ignored
Years ago, the Department of Defense (DoD) recognized a growing threat: foreign adversaries were targeting the U.S. through the supply chain. Sensitive defense information was bleeding out through small and mid-sized contractors who lacked robust cybersecurity.
In response, early guidance like NIST SP 800-171 and DFARS 7008 & 7012 requirements were issued. These policies were the first ripples—small movements in the water that signaled a shift in expectations. While many companies unknowingly drifted closer to this impending disaster, each DFARS 7008 and 7012 clause they signed legally obligated them to have already fully implemented NIST 800-171 standards. These contractual commitments weren’t mere bureaucratic formalities—they were early tremors, subtle but undeniable confirmations of the seismic event beneath the surface. Those early ripples, largely ignored or misunderstood, were legal liabilities accumulating beneath calm waters, now coalescing into the regulatory tsunami known as CMMC.
But many companies treated these requirements as minor disturbances. Some completed a checklist. Some promised improvements without making real changes, some attested to NIST 800-171 compliance without knowing a thing about it. And others simply ignored the warnings altogether, anchored by the belief that bigger threats only happen to bigger ships.
The ripples were there. But few adjusted their course.
🌊 The Rising Waves: CMMC Begins to Form
As data breaches multiplied and cyberattacks grew more sophisticated, the ripples grew into undeniable waves. The Department of Defense realized more dramatic action was needed to protect national security.
Thus, the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) was born.
No longer would companies self-attest to their cybersecurity practices. Third-party assessments would now be required to prove compliance. Without certification, companies would be barred from executing on defense contracts.
The water was no longer gently stirring. It was rising.
And those waves carried with them a heavy message: Adapt or be cast adrift.
💥 The Earthquake Beneath: A Tectonic Shift in the DIB
Many companies didn’t notice it—but while they worked through proposals and deliveries, a massive earthquake rumbled far beneath the surface.
Threat actors were becoming state-sponsored and far more sophisticated.
Legislative pressure was mounting on the DoD to shore up its vulnerabilities.
Public trust in the resilience of the U.S. defense supply chain was beginning to erode.
This earthquake is what triggered the tsunami—the seismic force of CMMC requirements reshaping the entire defense contracting landscape.
By the time the first wall of water appears on the horizon, it’s already too late for last-minute scrambling. The energy unleashed cannot be stopped—it can only be anticipated and prepared for.
🌊🌊🌊 The Tsunami Approaches: What Happens Next?
The full enforcement of CMMC is not a distant possibility—it is an inevitable, crashing wave speeding toward the DIB.
Companies that fail to adapt will face existential consequences:
Loss of Contracting Opportunities: Without certification, companies will be disqualified from defense projects.
Reputational Damage: A company caught unprepared signals unreliability not just to the DoD, but to prime contractors and teammates.
⚖️ Whistleblowers, False Claims Act, and Cybersecurity Noncompliance
“False cybersecurity certifications are no longer a hidden risk. They are ticking time bombs.” – U.S. Department of Justice
Under the False Claims Act (FCA), companies that submit false information to the government—or falsely certify compliance with federal regulations—can be sued for massive damages. And cybersecurity compliance is now a major target.
In fact, the Department of Justice launched the Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative in 2021, focusing specifically on holding contractors accountable when they:
Knowingly misrepresent their cybersecurity practices,
Fail to report breaches,
Or falsely claim they meet contract requirements like DFARS or CMMC preconditions.
🔹 Example: In 2022, Aerojet Rocketdyne settled for $9 million after a whistleblower (their former cybersecurity executive) alleged that the company failed to comply with DFARS cybersecurity clauses—even though they were required to under federal contract terms (DOJ announcement).
🔹 Key point: Individual employees—not just agencies—can trigger these lawsuits. Under the FCA’s qui tam provisions, whistleblowers are entitled to a portion of any recovered settlement.
In the context of CMMC, if a company falsely claims readiness or compliance to win a defense contract, they could face millions of dollars in penalties—and public reputation damage that is even harder to repair.
Financial Loss: Losing access to defense contracts could cripple companies, especially small and mid-sized firms that depend on this business.
This isn’t just a compliance checkbox. It’s an industry-wide rearrangement—a reshaping of who stays and who goes.
The coastline will be forever altered.
🛡️ Preparing for the Tsunami: Riding the Wave, Not Fighting It
The good news? You can survive. You can thrive.
But only if you start moving now.
Preparation looks like:
Understanding your CUI
Understanding your current cybersecurity posture
Developing robust System Security Plans (SSPs) and Plans of Action and Milestones (POA&Ms).
Engaging early with experts who can guide your certification journey.
Building a cybersecurity-first culture within your organization—before it’s forced upon you.
The organizations that prepare now will not only survive the tsunami—they’ll be the new leaders in the reshaped Defense Industrial Base.
Those who treat CMMC as an opportunity, not a burden, will rise with the wave.
