Forgewise helps defense subcontractors meet NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC. We help build audit-ready IT infrastructure without the big price tag and position small-to-mid-size DoD subcontractors with a competitive advantage without building more than their work requires.
Nathan Kaufman founded and built Forgewise on a simple conviction: small DoD subcontractors deserve enterprise-grade IT leadership and compliance expertise, not a watered-down version of it. He is a Cyber AB Registered Practitioner (RP).
With 25+ years of experience spanning defense contractors, healthcare systems, and enterprise infrastructure, Nathan has built IT departments from zero, survived audits, navigated M&A integrations, and hardened organizations against every threat vector CMMC is designed to address.
Most subcontractors are closer to compliance than they think. They just need a clear map. Every service is scoped specifically for small-to-mid-size DoD subcontractors. No bloated retainers. No generalist consultants. Real outcomes on your timeline.
Know what you're protecting and where it lives. We map every place controlled information touches your business: email, file shares, engineering drawings, SOWs, vendor portals. Most subcontractors are surprised by what qualifies. Better to see it now, on your terms.
A full evaluation of your environment against all 110 NIST 800-171 controls and 320 objectives. You get a straight answer on where you stand, a prioritized list of what to change, and a realistic timeline and before you commit to a remediation budget. No fluff. No upsell. Just a clear picture of where you stand and what to prioritize.
Already have a gap assessment? We execute the remediation. We've taken organizations from a failing posture to audit-ready in under 18 months, zero operational disruption.
CMMC Level 2 certification expires. Controls drift. Personnel changes. New systems get added outside your compliant environment. We stay engaged after the audit, annual affirmation support, control monitoring, policy updates, and assessor-readiness checks so you don't lose what you worked to earn.