XQ vs. GCC High
CMMC 2.0 promised to be easier than its predecessor. It still can be with XQ.
The new CMMC 2.0 requirements will result in the greatest consolidation in the Defense Industrial Base as members are forced to leave when they can not meet the new requirements. XQ is here to support those in the Defense Industrial Base who can not afford to adopt and can not support the constrained workflows of GCC High.
The Defense Industrial Base (DIB) is diverse. Members don’t fit in a single box, and neither will Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC 2.0) solutions.
Yet, one solution, Microsoft’s GCC High, is sometimes touted as the one-size-fits-all CMMC solution. However, GCC High is not a wise investment for most DIB members. For small businesses, GCC High is often unnecessarily complex and cost-prohibitive.
If the choice is between CMMC compliance and leaving the DIB, many organizations will be excluded from the lucrative (sub)contract opportunities DIB membership provides.
That’s where XQ comes in. XQ delivers future-proof Zero Trust security and compliance for cloud data transfer, storage, and communications.
If you are one of the small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that make up 80% of the DIB and rely on email and files to manage CUI, XQ can help. Use XQ to meet CMMC security requirements more quickly, affordably, and easily than with other solutions, including GCC High.
XQ integrates directly into Microsoft Business Premium 365, so your workflows don't have to change.
Prohibitively Expensive vs. Cost-Effective
GCC High comes with a significant price tag. While the cost is justifiable for a small subset of organizations, it makes little sense for most. XQ offers a cost-effective solution to the high costs associated with GCC High, saving you precious resources.
Ownership Fees: XQ costs 70% less than GCC High! XQ costs less per seat, and unlike GCC High, which requires universal adoption, XQ can be deployed selectively. With XQ, you pay less per seat and only for the seats you need.
Deployment Timeline: GCC High deployment takes up to six months. XQ is deployed in a matter of hours. XQ quick deployment saves you significant costs associated with GCC High’s complex and time-consuming onboarding process.
Term Length: GCC High requires a minimum commitment of 24 months. This means you’re locked into a major contract. With XQ, your contract is month-to-month, and you only pay for what you need.
Closed Architecture vs. Needs-Focused Design
A Wall Between You and Your Favorite Tools: The adoption of GCC High by businesses necessitates replacing their current system. Unfortunately, GCC High is a closed environment with limited customization capabilities. It is incompatible with many commercial products, including those within the Microsoft ecosystem. GCC High may require you to do without critical tools and programs. Adjusting will be challenging, and any organization implementing GCC High should heavily reinforce its IT team in preparation.
Moves with You: XQ can be layered seamlessly into your existing workflow to support CMMC compliance. Add-on XQ and existing email accounts can compliantly send and receive emails and files containing CUI. What if you want to store those files somewhere? Protect your Azure or S3 buckets with XQ, and store CUI in compliance with CMMC.
XQ Products for CMMC
Box-Checking vs. Top-of-the-Line Security
Bureaucratic Lag: GCC High is a widely recognized name and a reputable provider of compliance, but when it comes to protecting your data, GCC High is not the best in class. Its architecture is still fundamentally based on an outdated style of doing cybersecurity: using walls to keep the bad guys out. The behemoth is tied up in relationships with too many government agencies to move quickly enough to be on the cutting edge of anything, and the product has limited value to those outside of a highly specific market niche.
Keep Up with the Bad Guys: XQ provides a data security and compliance solution that beats out the old guard, every time. Traditional cyber security solutions - like GCC High - focus on the application, identity, and network while leaving the most significant asset - data - to fend for itself. XQ does the opposite.
Under XQ’s data-centric approach, data - including CUI - remains protected even if it is stolen or lost. All emails and files are automatically end-to-end encrypted using Quantum-Safe, Zero Trust technology. Data cannot be decrypted by anyone but the intended recipient(s). Additionally, XQ gives you the capability to remotely revoke access to your data, meaning you can vaporize data anytime. With XQ, you can stop red flags from turning into embarrassing news stories.
Buying Bad Debts vs. Future-Proofed Investment
In November 2022, the Department of Defense (DoD) published a Zero Trust Strategy paper with the stated objective of making data available to warfighters wherever and whenever needed. In doing so, the DoD has defined a new standard for data protection and Zero Trust.
The DoD’s new strategy represents a significant change in protecting classified data, typically stored in a secure facility (such as a military base or warship) and only accessed via a secure network.
Brand Recognition: While GCC High’s reputation helps it to maintain its market share and high costs today, it is becoming increasingly apparent that GCC High is a poor investment for anyone who can avoid it. In addition to being cost-prohibitive and often software non-compatible, GCC High is rooted in old ways of thinking. It appears ill-prepared for the DoD’s emerging Zero Trust Strategy. As cyber security best practices progress beyond the capabilities of GCC High, the name GCC High may not be enough to maintain the product in the competitive market.
The Future is Now: XQ is the first company to provide a commercial Zero Trust Data (ZTD) solution aligned with all seven capabilities defined in the DoD’s Zero Trust Strategy and Roadmap. XQ meets the DoD’s ZTD framework via a patented solution involving wrapping encrypted data in secure ‘envelopes.’ The seamless, future-proofed result is security and compliance years ahead of XQ competitors and the DoD itself.
Everyone - including GCC High - should strive to meet the new ZTD standard. It may be a step ahead of conventional best practices today, but it won’t be for long. The standard will likely become mandatory within the next few years. For most, this means extensive system-wide overhaul. However, by working with XQ, you can avoid the growing pains associated with transitioning to DoD’s latest data-centric Zero Trust guidelines because we’re years ahead of the competition.
Purchasing GCC High is probably a mistake unless you run a large organization or handle CMMC Level 3 controlled unclassified information (CUI). XQ offers comparable, and in many cases superior, support for a fraction of the price. Plus, it’s easier to implement, too!
Are you a sub-contractor whose prime uses GCC High?
For sub-contractors and vendors whose primes rely on GCC High, XQ may still be the best choice for compliance support. It’s easier, faster, and cheaper to adopt and can be integrated with Microsoft Business Premium 365. Use XQ for CMMC Level 2 and get your business open for CMMC work sooner.
