FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Integration with Microsoft Office Secures Email and File Workflows, Enhancing Meerkat Cyber’s Secure C3PAO Enclave
Great Falls, VA — 10.31.25 — Meerkat Cyber, a CMMC consultancy firm specializing in defense industrial base (DIB) compliance, today announced it has successfully passed its Certified Third-Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO) Assessment, empowering the company to conduct official CMMC assessments for other organizations seeking certification.
Aside from the Microsoft GCC license, Meerkat Cyber’s sole additional layer of protection was the implementation of the XQ Zero Trust Data Protection Platform, which provided advanced encryption and policy-based governance for both email and file workflows, directly integrated withMicrosoft Office.
“Earning C3PAO certification demonstrates our commitment to the highest standards of cybersecurity and compliance,” said Chris Haigh, Certified CMM Assessor, Professional, and Instructor for Meerkat Cyber. “We overlayed XQ’s Zero Trust Data Protection Platform, which achieved end-to-end encryption and persistent policy control of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) across email and file workflows. This enhanced level of protection was exactly what we needed – and enhanced our security as we passed the C3PAO assessment.”
XQ’s Zero Trust Data Protection Platform enables organizations to maintain continuous control of sensitive data — whether in motion or at rest — by applying encryption and access policies directly to the data itself. For clients that utilize XQ, this means:
- Seamless protection of CUI within Microsoft Outlook and SharePoint environments.
- Granular access control through policy-based encryption that travels with the data.
- Assessment-ready compliance for NIST 800-171 and CMMC Level 2 requirements.
“Meerkat Cyber’s success is a great example of how Zero Trust Data protection enables faster, more efficient compliance,” said Brian Wane, CEO, XQ. “By embedding encryption and governance directly into existing workflows, XQ helps organizations like Meerkat Cyber meet CMMC and NIST standards without compromising usability or productivity.”
With its new C3PAO designation, Meerkat Cyber is now positioned to help other members of the defense industrial base accelerate their own path to CMMC compliance through practical, tested solutions.
About Meerkat CyberMeerkat Cyber is a cybersecurity compliance and CMMC consultancy firm specializing in helping defense contractors and other critical infrastructure organizations meet federal cybersecurity requirements, including NIST 800-171 and CMMC. Meerkat Cyber provides consulting, assessment, and CMMC compliance solutions designed to simplify compliance while strengthening cyber resilience. Meerkat Cyber is also a Certified Third-Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO). https://meerkatcyber.com/
About XQXQ provides a Zero Trust Data Protection and Governance Platform that enables organizations to secure, track, and control data across any cloud, network, or endpoint. With XQ, organizations maintain continuous control of their data through cryptographic enforcement, ensuring compliance with standards like CMMC, NIST 800-171, GDPR, and HIPAA.
https://xqmsg.co/
Media Contacts: For Meerkat Cyber: Chris Haigh
CEO
chris@meerkatcyber.com
For XQ: Brian Wane
CEO
sales@xqmsg.copm
Frequently asked questions
What is a Certified Third-Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO)?
A Certified Third-Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO) is an organization that has passed its own assessment and is authorized to conduct official Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) assessments for other organizations seeking certification. Meerkat Cyber, a CMMC consultancy serving the defense industrial base, passed its C3PAO assessment using Microsoft GCC plus the XQ Zero Trust Data Protection Platform as its additional layer of protection.
How did Meerkat Cyber use XQ to protect CUI in Microsoft Office?
Meerkat Cyber overlaid the XQ Zero Trust Data Protection Platform on its Microsoft GCC environment to achieve end-to-end encryption and persistent policy control of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) across email and file workflows. XQ integrates directly with Microsoft Office, protecting CUI within Outlook and SharePoint and applying policy-based encryption that travels with the data. Aside from the GCC license, XQ was Meerkat's sole additional protection layer.
How does XQ help defense contractors prepare for CMMC Level 2 assessments?
XQ helps defense contractors become assessment-ready for NIST 800-171 and CMMC Level 2 requirements by embedding encryption and governance directly into existing workflows. It applies encryption and access policies to the data itself, keeping continuous control whether data is in motion or at rest, and provides granular policy-based access control, so organizations can address requirements without compromising usability or productivity.