The Compliance Framework
Built for Federal Contractors

A four-phase methodology that takes your organization from scope ambiguity to assessment readiness, systematically and defensibly, whether the assessor represents the Department of War, a civilian agency, or your prime.

Cyber G.A.R.D.™ is a proprietary framework of Globe-America Consulting, Inc.  ·  All rights reserved.
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The Four Phases of Cyber G.A.R.D.™
G
Govern the Boundary
Lock the scope. Establish ownership. Eliminate ambiguity before anything else.
  • Define and lock the CUI and FCI environment
  • Eliminate scope ambiguity at every layer
  • Establish ownership and accountability
  • Document CUI data flows — entry, storage, and disposition
A
Align Evidence
Map every control to a verifiable artifact. No orphaned claims.
  • Map every control to verifiable, accessible artifacts
  • Build audit-ready evidence repositories by domain
  • Eliminate orphaned controls — every claim must be provable
  • Connect SSP narratives directly to the evidence map
R
Reinforce Implementation
Validate what you’ve built. Test it before an assessor does.
  • Validate configurations against SSP claims
  • Conduct pre-assessment technical verification testing
  • Ensure personnel execution matches documentation
  • Close the gap between design and actual system behavior
D
Defend the Assessment
Walk into the assessment with zero surprises.
  • Prepare for Examine, Interview, and Test methods
  • Conduct mock assessments using the assessor's own methods
  • Eliminate contradictions before the assessor arrives
  • Brief staff and Affirming Officials for interview readiness
Phase 1 — Govern
Phase 2 — Align
Phase 3 — Reinforce
Phase 4 — Defend
Why Cyber G.A.R.D.™ Works

Built on How Assessors
Actually Evaluate

Phase Sequence
Order Is Not Arbitrary
You cannot align evidence before governing the boundary. You cannot reinforce implementation before evidence is aligned. Cyber G.A.R.D.™ follows the logical dependency chain that assessors follow — no wasted effort, no backtracking.
Assessment Alignment
Maps Directly to CAG Methods
Every phase addresses one or more NIST SP 800-171A assessment methods. Govern prepares your documentary posture. Align builds your Examine evidence. Reinforce validates your Test surface. Defend prepares your Interview readiness.
Lifecycle Design
Built for the Full 3-Year Cycle
Cyber G.A.R.D.™ is not a one-time assessment checklist. After initial certification, organizations cycle through the phases continuously — keeping the boundary current, evidence aligned, and assessment posture defended across every assessment, affirmation, and re-verification cycle.
Small Business Fit
Designed for Small Contractors
Most frameworks were built for enterprise compliance teams. Cyber G.A.R.D.™ was built for contractors with 5 to 200 employees, in the Defense Industrial Base and the broader federal market, who need a clear, structured path — not a 500-page methodology guide. Each phase has defined outputs and completion signals.
One Framework, Two Markets

The Requirements Differ.
The Phases Do Not.

Defense Industrial Base
DFARS, SPRS, NIST SP 800-171, and CMMC
Govern locks the CUI boundary your SPRS score depends on. Align builds the SSP and evidence a prime or Third-Party Assessment will examine. Reinforce closes the POA&M by point value. Defend rehearses the interview.
See the defense contractor page →
Broader Federal Contractor Market
CUI, NIST SP 800-171, FAR, and agency-specific clauses
Govern reads the agency clauses and scopes the CUI and FCI they cover. Align maps each requirement to an artifact. Reinforce verifies the controls are real. Defend prepares you for the agency reviewer or the prime who asks to see the program.
See the federal contractor page →
Intellectual Property Notice
The Cyber G.A.R.D.™ Framework is a proprietary compliance methodology developed by Globe-America Consulting, Inc. Cyber G.A.R.D., G.A.R.D., the GARD Framework, the Cyber G.A.R.D. shield mark, and Govern · Align · Reinforce · Defend are trademarks of Globe-America Consulting, Inc. The framework structure, phase definitions, and associated documentation may not be reproduced, distributed, or adapted without written authorization from Globe-America Consulting, Inc.
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