RMF & ATO Support for Federal Systems
Support for federal system owners working through the Risk Management Framework (NIST SP 800-37): NIST SP 800-53 control validation, Security Test & Evaluation, SSP and POA&M development, and ISSO support and continuous monitoring after the ATO. Controls are tested hands-on, so the package describes the system as built.
Accreditation support from people who test for a living.
Secure Consulting Solutions (SCS) is a HUBZone-certified small business, founded in 2014, that supports federal agencies and contractors through the Risk Management Framework and the Authority to Operate process.
The same offensive security practitioners who run SCS penetration tests validate the controls, so assessment evidence comes from the running system rather than from interviews and policy review.
Prior federal work includes the Department of Homeland Security (CISA), where penetration test findings provided evidence for federal system accreditation, and the Department of State. TS/SCI-cleared staff are available for classified or sensitive environments.
RMF services
| Control validation | NIST SP 800-53 controls tested against the running system, with documented evidence. |
| ST&E | Security Test & Evaluation planning and support. |
| Package | System Security Plan and POA&M developed from actual system state. |
| After the ATO | ISSO support, security engineering, and continuous monitoring. |
| Related frameworks | FedRAMP moderate and high gap analysis, FISMA compliance support, CMMC, and NIST SP 800-171. |
Where SCS fits in the Risk Management Framework.
NIST SP 800-37 Rev. 2 defines seven steps. The system owner and authorizing official own categorization, control selection, and the authorization decision. SCS works in the steps where technical evidence is produced and kept current.
| RMF step | SCS support |
|---|---|
| Prepare, Categorize, Select | Led by the system owner and authorizing official. SCS works from your categorization and control baseline, and secure architecture review can surface design problems early. |
| Implement | SSP control descriptions written from how the system is actually configured, plus secure architecture and network segmentation review. |
| Assess | NIST SP 800-53 control validation, ST&E planning and support, and penetration testing of the system's applications, APIs, and networks, all with documented evidence. |
| Authorize | SSP and POA&M developed for the authorization package from the tested state of the system. |
| Monitor | ISSO support, continuous monitoring program development, POA&M updates as findings are remediated, and retesting to validate fixes. |
A documented control isn't a working control.
An SSP can say access is restricted to authorized users without showing whether the access control actually stops anyone. SCS tests the implementation the way an attacker would check it, before your security control assessment rather than during it.
Each finding comes with reproduction steps and a fix, which makes it straightforward to track as a POA&M item and to retest once remediated.
Found before the assessment, not during it.
- Misconfigured access controls and privilege paths
- Audit logging and monitoring gaps
- Authentication weaknesses
- Configuration that has drifted from the documented baseline
- Network segmentation and boundary weaknesses
Accreditation work in federal and defense environments.
Department of Homeland Security (CISA)
Onsite penetration testing from insider and outsider perspectives across 50+ applications. Findings contributed to CVE publication and provided evidence for federal system accreditation.
Department of State
Security engineering and assessment support across mobile, web, LAN, and WLAN environments, with findings reported to security leadership to support sustained compliance.
Defense contractor
NIST SP 800-171 gap assessment, SSP, POA&M, and continuous monitoring, with CUI scope reduced through FedRAMP cloud isolation.
View full past performance or see the System Accreditation overview for CMMC and NIST SP 800-171 work.
HUBZone small business on GSA Schedule.
SCS holds GSA Multiple Award Schedule contract 47QTCA24D0077 under Highly Adaptive Cybersecurity Services (HACS) SIN 54151HACS, and is an SBA HUBZone-certified small business headquartered in Capon Bridge, West Virginia.
Contracting details
| HUBZone | SBA-certified small business. |
| GSA MAS | Contract 47QTCA24D0077. |
| SIN | 54151HACS, Highly Adaptive Cybersecurity Services. |
| UEI | EP16NRKQ45H8 |
| CAGE / NCAGE | 7D7B2 |
| Clearances | TS/SCI-cleared personnel available where required. |
RMF and ATO support: questions.
Which RMF and ATO services does SCS provide?
NIST SP 800-53 control validation, Security Test and Evaluation (ST&E) planning and support, security control testing with documented evidence, System Security Plan and POA&M development, ISSO support, and continuous monitoring program development. SCS also performs FedRAMP moderate and high gap analysis and FISMA compliance support.
Can SCS test NIST SP 800-53 controls and support ST&E before our ATO?
Yes. Controls are tested against the running system and documented as evidence, and ST&E is planned around your control baseline. Problems found before the assessment can be fixed or tracked in the POA&M instead of being discovered during it.
Does SCS develop the SSP and POA&M?
Yes. SSP narratives and control descriptions are written from the system's actual state, not from a template, and the POA&M is built from tested findings and updated as they are remediated.
Does SCS support systems after the ATO?
Yes. SCS provides ISSO support, security engineering, continuous monitoring program development, POA&M updates, and retesting to validate remediation, so the package stays current as the system changes.
Does SCS have cleared personnel for classified environments?
Yes. SCS maintains TS/SCI-cleared staff for engagements that require access to classified systems or sensitive federal environments. Prior engagements include DHS and the Department of State.
How can a federal agency contract with SCS?
SCS is a HUBZone-certified small business (UEI EP16NRKQ45H8, CAGE 7D7B2) and holds GSA Multiple Award Schedule contract 47QTCA24D0077 under Highly Adaptive Cybersecurity Services (HACS) SIN 54151HACS.