Clinkenbeard Gains CMMC Confidence and Credibility with Primes

Background

Clinkenbeard has become a trusted name in the defense industrial base and aerospace sectors for engineering and manufacturing.

The company began in 1966 as a pattern shop specializing in foundry tooling and has grown into a prominent contract manufacturer, working on high-complexity parts for aerospace, defense, and commercial industries.

Clinkenbeard has built a reputation for precision, quality, and innovation over its long history, serving customers like Collins Aerospace and Woodward, Inc.

However, as they took on more defense work, the need for enhanced cybersecurity became increasingly critical, especially with the advanced requirements of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). 

Challenge

By 2019, Clinkenbeard began hearing about the new CMMC requirements that would soon be mandatory for all companies in the defense industrial base.

With large amounts of sensitive data stored and exchanged, Clinkenbeard needed to protect this information while ensuring compliance with government regulations.

The company's IT infrastructure, although robust, lacked the specific cybersecurity controls necessary to meet CMMC standards.

After initially working with another IT provider, Clinkenbeard realized they needed a more specialized partner capable of handling CMMC compliance.

The challenge was threefold:

1. Identifying a partner with deep expertise in both IT and CMMC compliance.
2. Implementing complex cybersecurity solutions across a legacy infrastructure that included multiple suppliers and manufacturing processes.
3. Finding ongoing manages services to support and secure this advanced environment.

Solution

Summit 7, a recognized leader in CMMC compliance and a Microsoft partner, was brought in to help Clinkenbeard tackle their cybersecurity challenges. Summit 7 conducted a comprehensive gap analysis to assess Clinkenbeard's existing IT infrastructure and identify areas needing improvement.

Summit 7 implemented several key changes, including:

• Migrating Clinkenbeard’s data from on-prem servers to a secure Azure Government environment, ensuring all information was protected within U.S.-based servers, safeguarding critical data and enhancing compliance with federal security standards.
  
  
• Transitioning to Microsoft 365 GCC High, a highly secure cloud infrastructure designed specifically to meet NIST SP 800-171 controls, offering Clinkenbeard a robust platform to handle sensitive defense-related data securely.
  
  
• Transitioning from commercial to Federal multifactor authentication (MFA) and tightening access control through enhanced identity and access management protocols. This ensured that only authorized personnel could access sensitive information, reducing the risk of data breaches.

Following these foundational improvements, Summit 7 introduced two critical services to manage and secure Clinkenbeard’s IT environment:

• Guardian (Managed Service Provider - MSP): Summit 7's Guardian service specializes in providing comprehensive IT security solutions to protect Clinkenbeard from both internal and external threats. It offers 24/7 monitoring, ongoing risk assessments, security patching, and reporting. By utilizing Guardian, Clinkenbeard could ensure that their systems were continuously monitored and updated, reducing IT costs while staying compliant with industry regulations.
• Vigilance (Managed Security Services Provider - MSSP): Vigilance provides advanced, around-the-clock threat scanning and management. It includes services such as managed firewall protection, web and email security, endpoint protection, and threat intelligence. Through Vigilance, Clinkenbeard could rest assured that their cloud, devices, and network was constantly being scanned for vulnerabilities, and any threats were quickly identified and addressed.

Summit 7’s expertise in compliance allowed Clinkenbeard to meet current CMMC requirements and proactively address future regulatory changes.

Our close partnership with Microsoft enabled us to deliver the latest compliance configurations and security updates without delay.

Results

With Summit 7’s guidance, Clinkenbeard transformed its cybersecurity infrastructure, preparing for CMMC compliance and strengthening its position as a trusted defense contractor.

Key outcomes include:

• Enhanced Security: Clinkenbeard's data is now fully protected, reducing the risk of data breaches and ensuring compliance with federal regulations. The combined strengths of Summit 7’s Guardian and Vigilance services provided comprehensive protection for Clinkenbeard’s systems, from continuous IT management to advanced threat detection.

"Summit 7 is watching with Guardian and Vigilance. Guardian is like the boots on the ground, and Vigilance is like the drones in the sky. Knowing they’re all over it gives me peace of mind." - Matt Gustafson, President of Clinkenbeard

• Operational Efficiency: The implementation of automation and security protocols, such as 24/7 monitoring via Guardian and round-the-clock threat management through Vigilance, allowed Clinkenbeard to maintain uninterrupted operations, even in the face of increasing cyber threats.

"It seems unfathomable to me that you would hire an IT person who could handle everything Summit 7 is handling for us. They have architects, engineers, and subject matter experts for every part of the system." - Matt Gustafson, President of Clinkenbeard

• Business Growth: Clinkenbeard’s early adoption of CMMC has provided them with a competitive advantage. New defense contracts have been awarded, in part due to their demonstrated commitment to cybersecurity. In several cases, prospective customers were familiar with Summit 7, providing Clinkenbeard an immediate boost in credibility during security audits.

"When I tell big-name defense contractors we’re working with Summit 7, there’s a sigh of relief. That’s a huge advantage." - Matt Gustafson, President of Clinkenbeard

• Future-proofed: Summit 7’s ongoing Guardian and Vigilance support means Clinkenbeard can focus on its core business while being confident that their IT and cybersecurity systems are well managed and future-proofed.

Ultimately, the partnership with Summit 7 has provided Clinkenbeard with CMMC confidence: the peace of mind that comes from knowing their systems and sensitive data are secure. Their investment in cybersecurity, though significant, has paid off by enhancing their reputation within the defense and aerospace industries, enabling future growth, and solidifying their position as a leader in the market.