Cuick 10

In this episode of the Cuick 10 Podcast , Derek White, Chief Operating Officer of Cuick Trac , is joined by Rachel Bassford, CUI Consultant at DEFCERT , to explore how organizations should approach identifying Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). Rachel explains why companies often jump straight into technology decisions without fully understanding their scope—and how that leads to wasted ti...

In this episode of the Cuick 10 Podcast , Derek White, Chief Operating Officer of Cuick Trac , is joined by Carter Schoenberg, Vice President - Cybersecurity & Chief Cybersecurity Officer at SoundWay Consulting Inc. , to discuss how the CMMC ecosystem is evolving now that regulatory requirements are becoming enforceable. Carter shares firsthand insights from conducting assessments as a C3PAO,...

In this episode of the Cuick 10 Podcast , Derek White, Chief Operating Officer of Cuick Trac , is joined by Alex Major, Partner & Co-Leader of the Government Contracts and Global Trade Group at McCarter & English , to discuss the challenges organizations face when identifying Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). Alex explains why CUI identification has become one of the most critical...

To kick off Season 3, Derek White, COO of Cuick Trac, sits down with Kyle Lai, President & CISO at KLC Consulting, to discuss what makes someone truly effective in the CMMC consulting space. Kyle brings unique perspective as both an experienced assessor and a trusted advisor to organizations navigating DFARS, NIST 800-171, and CMMC compliance. In this episode, they explore what separates techn...

In this episode of the Cuick 10 Podcast, Derek White, Chief Operating Officer of Cuick Trac, sits down with Jeff Smedley, retired CIO and CMMC strategy consultant, to explore how CMMC can go beyond compliance to drive organizational value. Jeff shares how his company achieved a perfect assessment score and leveraged CMMC to unlock board alignment, private equity support, and a billion-dollar exit....

In this episode of the Cuick 10 Podcast, Derek White, Chief Operating Officer of Cuick Trac, is joined by James Harper, CEO at Quatronics, to break down FIPS encryption, validated crypto modules, and how governance underpins both CMMC compliance and long-term company growth. James shares real-world examples of where small businesses stumble—from improper data mapping to lack of documented roles—an...

In this episode of the Cuick 10 Podcast, Derek White, Chief Operating Officer of Cuick Trac, is joined by Brad Taylor, Senior Information Security Consultant at Foregenix, to explore what goes into a successful CMMC assessment from the assessor’s perspective. Brad shares insights from a recent real-world engagement, including how strong inheritance documentation, pre-assessment reviews, and clear...

In this episode of the Cuick 10 Podcast, Derek White, Chief Operating Officer of Cuick Trac, is joined by Heather Siemens, CEO of iFortress, to explore the growing call for standardization across federal cybersecurity frameworks — particularly for contractors serving both defense and energy sectors. Heather shares lessons from her background in NERC compliance, the challenge of overlapping framewo...

In this episode of the Cuick 10 Podcast, Derek White, Chief Operating Officer of Cuick Trac, is joined by Nancy Laney, CEO of Peak Complyance, to discuss why executive leadership buy-in is essential for successful CMMC compliance. Nancy shares insights into building a cyber-aware culture, shifting compliance ownership beyond IT, and the growing importance of executive affirmations—even at CMMC Lev...

In this episode of the Cuick 10 Podcast, Derek White, COO of Cuick Trac, is joined by James Harper , CEO of Quatronics , to explore two critical — and often misunderstood — areas of cybersecurity compliance: FIPS encryption and corporate governance. James shares practical insights on what FIPS-validated encryption actually means (and doesn’t mean), where it’s required, and how misconceptions aroun...

In this episode of the Cuick 10 Podcast, Derek White, Chief Operating Officer of Cuick Trac, sits down with TJ Hope, Sales Engineer at Senteon, to discuss how configuration management plays a vital role in meeting CMMC requirements. TJ explains how automation, visibility, and environment-specific baselining can transform the way organizations approach hardening—without breaking things or burning o...

n this episode of the Cuick 10 Podcast, Derek White, Chief Operating Officer of Cuick Trac, sits down with Dy Edington, Director of Information Security at AV, to share lessons from the front lines of achieving CMMC certification. Dy offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to drive a successful compliance program—from cross-functional alignment to hands-on training and executive support....

In this episode of the Cuick 10 Podcast, Derek White, Chief Operating Officer of Cuick Trac, is joined by Kayli Keough, US Government Contract Compliance Counsel at Collins Aerospace. Kayli shares her unique perspective as a legal and contracts professional navigating the world of cybersecurity compliance. They discuss how legal, contracts, and cyber teams can collaborate more effectively, the gro...

In this episode of the Cuick 10 Podcast, Derek White, Chief Operating Officer of Cuick Trac, is joined by Eric Levitas, Vice President of Business Development at ControlCase, to unpack why mock assessments are more critical than ever for defense contractors navigating CMMC. Eric explains the most common mistakes he sees contractors make when jumping straight into their C3PAO audit, how to properly...

In this episode of the Cuick 10 Podcast, Derek White, COO of Cuick Trac, is joined by Matt Hoeper, Director of Commercial/Cybersecurity at Edwards Performance Solutions, to unpack how cybersecurity leaders can better align their CMMC programs with business goals. Matt explains why CMMC should be positioned not just as a regulatory requirement, but as a strategic business investment. From reducing...

In this episode of the Cuick 10 Podcast, Derek White, Chief Operating Officer of Cuick Trac, is joined by Tom Conkle, CEO of Optic Cyber Solutions, to discuss the often-overlooked importance of the Customer Responsibility Matrix (CRM) in CMMC compliance. Tom shares firsthand experience from CMMC readiness engagements where organizations mistakenly assumed their MSPs had implemented necessary contr...

In this episode of the Cuick 10 Podcast, Derek White, Chief Operating Officer of Cuick Trac, is joined by Prabhat Nigam, Global CTO at Golden Five Consulting, to discuss the critical interplay between scope, cost, and risk in CMMC compliance. Prabhat shares practical lessons on how over-scoping can drive up compliance costs, how to manage subcontractor and MSP risk, and the importance of simplifyi...

In this episode of the Cuick 10 Podcast, Derek White, Chief Operating Officer of Cuick Trac, is joined by Justin Hensley, Principal Program Manager at CloudFit Software, to explore how Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is helping defense contractors scale securely. Justin discusses the recent DoD VDI memo and how it has changed the game for flexibility, cloud-first strategies, and scalability i...

In this episode of the Cuick 10 Podcast, host Derek White (COO, Cuick Trac) sits down with Mike Bramm, Owner & CTO at BomberJacket Networks, to unpack what it really takes to pass a CMMC assessment—and why most failures start by skipping Phase 1. Mike explains the importance of readiness assessments , how the Lead CCA role helps ensure structure and accountability, and why implementation is of...

In this episode of the Cuick 10 Podcast, Derek White, Chief Operating Officer of Cuick Trac, is joined by Michael Greenman, Sr. Product Marketing Manager at Deltek, to unpack the latest industry data and FedRAMP developments shaping the CMMC landscape. They discuss the significance of FedRAMP Moderate Equivalency, cloud security documentation best practices, and the must-ask questions when evaluat...

In this episode of the Cuick 10 Podcast, Derek White, COO of Cuick Trac, is joined by Khanh Tran, CEO at Biorn Group Cyber, to discuss how empathy, education, and scoping are at the core of a sustainable CMMC strategy. Khanh shares how his nonprofit roots shaped a mentorship-first approach to cybersecurity consulting and why SMBs often get overwhelmed by overbuilt solutions. They break down how cl...

In this episode of the Cuick 10 Podcast, Derek White, Chief Operating Officer at Cuick Trac, is joined by Amy Williams, Vice President of CMMC at Coalfire Federal. Together, they unpack the real value of CMMC preparation—from mapping CUI data flows and understanding current vs. desired states, to reducing scope and aligning security with business priorities. Amy shares lessons from the field, incl...

In this episode of the Cuick 10 Podcast, Derek White, Chief Operating Officer of Cuick Trac, is joined by Mark DeBry , VP of Business Operations, Lead CCA, and vCISO at Shadowscape, to unpack the top mistakes organizations make heading into a CMMC assessment. Mark shares key insights from recent assessments—including how poorly structured SSPs, incomplete diagrams, and lack of hands-on readiness c...

In this episode of the Cuick 10 Podcast, Derek White, COO of Cuick Trac, is joined by Scott Singer, CEO of CyberNINES, for a fast-paced conversation following CyberNINES' successful DIBCAC assessment. Scott breaks down what organizations should be doing now to prepare — including the role of mock assessments, the impact of managed service providers (MSPs), and the evolving guidance assessors are w...

In this episode of the Cuick 10 Podcast, Derek White, COO of Cuick Trac, sits down with Bobby Guerra, CEO of Axiom, to discuss the realities of supporting defense contractors through their CMMC journey as a Managed Service Provider. Bobby explains why most organizations seeking certification don’t fully grasp what they’re buying, how Axiom approaches implementation in phases, and why preserving bu...