Regulated organizations
Cybersecurity for regulated organizations, with readiness built in
ACS Cyber provides managed cybersecurity, compliance readiness, and incident response for regulated organizations: gap assessments, remediation, and evidence preparation for frameworks such as CMMC, NIST SP 800-171, SOC 2, and PCI DSS, backed by 24/7 monitoring from our in-house SOC. Start with a free 30-minute consultation, or call our 24/7 incident line if you have an active incident.
- CMMC and NIST SP 800-171 readiness
- SOC 2 readiness
- PCI DSS control alignment
- Breach-notification planning
Regulatory risk
The risks we see in regulated environments
Defense contractors, service providers, merchants, and other regulated organizations face specific control expectations from customers, regulators, and assessors. A security gap can stall a contract, delay an audit, or create notification duties after an incident.
Compliance readiness is the work of understanding which requirements apply, closing the gaps, and organizing evidence before an assessor or auditor reviews your controls. Having controls is not enough; you need to show that they work and that someone maintains them.
- CMMC and NIST SP 800-171 for defense contractors. Organizations that handle controlled unclassified information for the Department of Defense face detailed control requirements and assessments.
- SOC 2 for service organizations. Customers often expect an independent SOC 2 report before trusting a provider with their data or systems.
- PCI DSS for card payments. Organizations that store, process, or transmit cardholder data are expected to meet PCI DSS.
- State breach-notification laws. Obligations can depend on where affected people live, not only where you operate, so one incident can involve several jurisdictions.
Readiness, not paperwork
We focus on controls that actually operate, then document them.
We help you prepare for independent assessors and auditors, and work with your legal counsel on regulatory questions.
Clear roles
Who does what in an assessment or audit
Readiness support and independent assessment are different jobs.
| Task | Who does it |
|---|---|
| Scoping and gap assessment | ACS Cyber, with your team |
| Remediation and putting controls into operation | Your organization, with ACS Cyber’s help |
| Evidence preparation, organized by control | ACS Cyber, with your team |
| CMMC assessment | A self-assessment, an authorized third-party assessor, or a government assessor, depending on your contract |
| SOC 2 audit report | An independent CPA firm |
| Regulatory and notification decisions | Your organization and its legal counsel |
Have you been compromised?
If regulated data may have been exposed, call our 24/7 incident line
If you suspect unauthorized access to controlled, cardholder, health, or personal information, we contain the threat, work to establish what was accessed through in-house forensic investigation with documented chain of custody, coordinate with your insurer and counsel when you authorize it, and help you restore operations and strengthen controls.
Ransomware involved? See ransomware response. Some reporting duties, such as DFARS cyber-incident reporting for defense contractors, run on short deadlines, so bring in counsel early. Notification decisions belong with your counsel; we provide the technical facts.
Regulated-sector incidents we respond to
- Data breach and exposure
- Ransomware
- Controlled information exposure
- Cardholder data compromise
- Account takeover
- Insider activity
How ACS Cyber helps
Services matched to regulated environments
Each service supports a part of your readiness, and one accountable team keeps it connected. For sector-specific detail, see healthcare and accounting and financial services.
Gap assessments and control alignment
We compare your current controls with the framework that applies, such as NIST SP 800-171, SOC 2, or PCI DSS, and turn the gaps into a prioritized remediation plan.
Program ownership
A virtual CISO maintains policies, risk registers, and vendor reviews, and keeps leadership informed so readiness does not fade between assessments.
Continuous monitoring
Many frameworks expect ongoing monitoring and log review. Our in-house SOC provides 24/7 monitoring and human-led investigation, with reporting that supports your evidence.
Vulnerability management and testing
Scheduled scanning, risk-based prioritization, and validation after remediation, with penetration testing performed in-house when your framework or customers call for it.
Incident response planning and support
We help you build and test an incident response plan. If an incident occurs, our in-house forensic investigation helps establish the facts your counsel needs.
Security awareness training
Role-based training and phishing simulations, with reporting that supports your evidence package.
Readiness
What we help you prepare
Readiness work and evidence preparation that assessors, auditors, customers, and insurers can follow.
- A scoping review of which systems, data, and locations a framework covers
- A gap assessment against NIST SP 800-171, SOC 2, PCI DSS, or the framework you face
- A system security plan and plan of action and milestones for NIST SP 800-171
- Policies and procedures that match how your organization actually operates
- Evidence collections for assessors and auditors, organized by control
- Vulnerability scanning and penetration testing results with remediation records
- An incident response plan that accounts for notification obligations
- Vendor and service-provider risk reviews
Getting started
How we start
A clear path from the first conversation to a program you can maintain.
01
Free 30-minute consultation
Talk with a cybersecurity expert about your obligations, your timelines, and what concerns you most. You leave with a clear next step, whether or not we work together.
02
Scoping and gap assessment
We confirm which frameworks apply and what is in scope, then assess your current controls against them.
03
Roadmap
You receive a prioritized remediation plan in business language, sequenced around your assessment or audit timeline.
04
Remediate and maintain
We help close the gaps, organize evidence, and keep monitoring and documentation current between assessments.
Questions
Regulated organization cybersecurity questions
ACS Cyber helps defense contractors prepare for CMMC: we clarify scope, assess gaps against NIST SP 800-171, help you remediate, and organize the documentation an assessment requires. As the MSSP and cybersecurity division of Atlantic Computer Systems, we also provide 24/7 monitoring from our in-house SOC.
Depending on your contract, the assessment itself is a self-assessment, a third-party assessment by an authorized assessment organization, or a government-led assessment.
No. SOC 2 reports are issued by independent CPA firms. We help you prepare: choosing a sensible scope, closing gaps, putting controls into operation, and organizing evidence before the auditor arrives.
Start by understanding how card data flows through your business, because reducing where cardholder data lives can shrink your scope. We help you map that flow, align controls, and prepare for the validation your payment processor or acquiring bank requires. Depending on how you validate, PCI DSS can also call for penetration testing, which we perform in-house. Atlantic Computer Systems, our parent company, describes these penetration testing services in more detail.
That depends on where affected people live, what data was involved, and your industry, and it is a determination for your legal counsel. We help by working to establish the technical facts through in-house forensic investigation. If you suspect an active incident, call our 24/7 incident line at 1-650-300-7557 or see data breach and exposure support.
Often, yes. Many frameworks share controls such as access management, logging, vulnerability management, and incident response. NIST CSF 2.0 and the CIS Controls make a useful common baseline, and we show how each control supports the requirements you face.
Your team, with our help, or we can carry out the work with you. Atlantic Computer Systems, our parent company, provides managed IT, including fractional IT services for organizations without an IT team, so fixes in the underlying IT can be carried through when you want that. Learn about Atlantic Computer Systems.
Regulated environments
Prepare for your next assessment with a clear plan
Start with a free 30-minute consultation. We will talk through the frameworks you face, your timelines, and your current controls, and suggest a practical next step.