Become compliant in as little as two months* with a Managed CUI Enclave. This approach gives organizations the fastest and most predictable path to preparing for a CMMC Level 2 assessment.

TLDR:
A Managed Controlled Unclassified Information Enclave allows you to meet CMMC requirements in the shortest possible time by placing all CUI activity inside a controlled and pre-secured environment. This reduces complexity, lowers risk, and helps you focus on only the systems that matter. It also gives you the flexibility to begin with a small footprint today and move toward a full organizational implementation in the future.

The Demand for Speed After the CMMC Final Rule

Now that the CMMC Final Rule is published, organizations that postponed their compliance efforts are realizing that time is no longer on their side. The quicker you establish a compliant foundation, the stronger your position will be when the assessment arrives. For many companies, a focused enclave is the only realistic way to reach compliance in the next few months.

This article explains why an enclave approach accelerates timelines and how a managed Microsoft Azure–based enclave can get you to a credible assessment posture faster than any full-environment remediation project.

Why Choose a CUI Enclave and Start Small

A CUI Enclave is a secure, isolated portion of your environment that contains all systems and data associated with CUI. Think of it as building a small, highly controlled island that meets every CMMC requirement without dragging your entire organization into scope.

By separating CUI from the rest of your IT infrastructure, you immediately reduce the number of systems that must comply. This simplifies engineering, documentation, and assessment activities.

Many companies do not know their full CUI footprint when they start. What they do know is that they must protect CUI and meet contractual obligations. A Managed Enclave allows you to stand up a compliant environment quickly and then migrate new data or systems into scope as you discover them.

The enclave becomes your compliance foundation. Once that foundation is built, you can expand it based on contract needs rather than reconfiguring your entire business on day one. This approach removes guesswork, avoids unnecessary disruption, and keeps productivity intact for employees who do not process CUI.

A CUI Enclave is Simpler and More Cost Effective

How a CUI Enclave Makes Compliance Easier

When the number of in-scope systems is small, assessments become far less complex. A virtualized enclave based on Azure Government and Azure Virtual Desktop takes this even further because Microsoft carries a large portion of the underlying security responsibility.

Most organizations struggle with the cultural and workflow disruptions that occur when every employee is forced into a CMMC compliant system. Users who do not handle CUI often feel slowed down or confused. This creates friction and drains internal resources.

A CUI Enclave limits that disruption. Only the users who work with CUI move into the new environment. Everyone else continues their daily work without changes. This approach allows IT teams to control change management and avoid impacting the entire organization when only a small percentage actually touches CUI.

How a CUI Enclave Saves Money

A small compliant footprint means fewer workloads, fewer systems, and a smaller volume of user licenses and support costs. If only a small segment of your business operates in the defense supply chain, there is no reason to force your entire company into a high-security environment.

The enclave approach lets you align cost with revenue. You pay for compliance where compliance is required and preserve standard operations everywhere else. This is one of the primary reasons we recommend enclaves for SMBs with limited CUI exposure.

Hosted Enclaves and Managed Enclaves Are Not the Same

There are generally two ways to obtain a CUI enclave. A hosted enclave means a vendor owns the infrastructure and you operate inside their environment. A managed enclave means you own the Microsoft environment and the vendor builds and manages it for you.

Benefits of a Managed Enclave with AVD Masters

With an AVD Masters Managed Enclave, your organization owns the Microsoft 365 GCC High tenant and the Azure Government subscription outright. Your data, your identity systems, and your workloads remain under your control at all times. If support ends, nothing disappears and nothing becomes inaccessible.

Other advantages include:

• Ownership and control of your tenant, including the ability to scale whenever needed
• Azure Government and Microsoft 365 GCC High infrastructure built on FedRAMP High controls
• Flexible growth from a small enclave to a hybrid model that includes printers and on-premise systems
• Support exclusively by US persons, which is essential for environments with ITAR considerations
• A documented Shared Responsibility Matrix that maps NIST 800-171 requirements to the exact controls we operate and the controls you operate

This structure provides clarity, scalability, stability, and long-term ownership. You are never dependent on a vendor’s hardware inventory or data extraction policies.

Limitations of Hosted Enclaves

Hosted enclaves come with several drawbacks that organizations often discover too late.

• Scaling may require manual tickets and hardware purchases, which delays growth
• You have limited insight into whether the vendor meets FedRAMP expectations
• Extracting your data can be difficult if the relationship ends
• Extending the enclave to on-premise devices or specialized workflows is often restricted
• Responsibility boundaries are unclear, which complicates audits and increases risk

Hosted solutions may work for very small or temporary needs, but they often hinder long-term compliance maturity.

Work With Experienced Engineers to Accelerate Your Timeline

Reaching CMMC compliance in two months is aggressive but achievable with a focused enclave strategy and a structured implementation plan. A Managed Enclave allows you to secure CUI, meet regulatory expectations, and limit organizational disruption while controlling cost and risk.

If you want the fastest path to compliance without rebuilding your entire business, a Managed Enclave is the most effective option.

Actual timelines depend on scope and complexity. Two months is based on the fastest deployments AVD Masters has completed. A precise estimate requires a review of your current environment and CUI workflows.

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