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With the publication of CMMC Rule under 48 CFR and compliance requirements to be binding as of November 10, 2025, in Department of Defense (DoD) contracts, one of the first important questions for your organization to determine is which CMMC approach to take: Enclave or Enterprise. In this article, we will look at the pros and cons of each approach and explain how your organization should determine which approach to follow.
What is the CMMC Enterprise Approach?
The CMMC Enterprise approach is when your organization’s goal is to ensure your entire IT environment including all users, networks, systems, and assets are CMMC-compliant. There are no exceptions in this approach as IT security controls will apply to all employees, systems, emails, file storage, and data across the organization.
What is the CMMC Enclave Approach?
The goal of the CMMC Enclave approach is to build a separate, tightly restricted subset of your organization’s IT environment that complies with the requirements for Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) on DoD contracts. The rest of the organization will continue to operate with its current IT security policies and procedures unaffected by the CMMC Enclave.
Main Benefits of the CMMC Enterprise Approach
There are three main benefits to the Enterprise approach:
-Scope simplicity
With this comprehensive approach, there is no need for your organization to worry about efficiency issues caused by operating different systems in various departments. All employees operate under the same rules with no need for concern that shared data does not meet compliance requirements. No time or effort must be spent on managing different systems or sector boundaries.
-Eases employee collaboration and enhances flexibility
With all users trained to maintain the same level of cyber hygiene, employees will have peace of mind when they work together on diverse tasks and projects. Users won’t have to go back and forth between security environments and will be able to better focus on completing their specialized tasks.
-Creates a stronger cybersecurity culture at your core
By choosing the Enterprise approach, your organization will gain the benefits of an enhanced attention to cybersecurity that will be ingrained in your current and future DoD contracts. This comprehensive approach will improve all aspects of your business and will clearly communicate your ability to participate on DoD contracts.
Main Drawbacks of Enterprise Approach
Although the enterprise approach offers key benefits, there are also associated drawbacks that your organization needs to consider before implementing it.
-Increased implementation cost
The cost to make any part of your organization CMMC-compliant is considerable, and it will increase significantly if you decide to go down this route. The size of your company and the amount of IT assets, users, and different departments and systems will be the determining cost factor.
-Greater complexity leads to longer timeline
Along with cost, the enterprise approach will also demand a longer timeline because of its comprehensive and complex nature. The same factors that will influence the ultimate price of this effort will also determine the timeline until completion.
-Risk of IT compliance overkill
The enterprise approach has the real risk of compliance overkill if your organization is not committed to pursuing DoD contracts or your mission and objectives have the potential to change. The problem of overinvestment is especially concerning if the percentage of your organization dealing with Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) on DoD contracts is small or has the potential to decrease.
Main Benefits of the CMMC Enclave Approach
There are three main benefits to the enclave approach:
-More cost effective
There will be a considerable cost savings for organizations that focus their CMMC compliance efforts on a smaller segment of their operations.
-Provides more focused security where necessary
With an enclave, organizations can center their most intensive cybersecurity efforts on a smaller area that needs the most attention and is likely the most likely to be targeted by hackers.
-Reduced scope makes CMMC compliance quicker and easier
An enclave streamlines the compliance process as your organization can concentrate your efforts on meeting the required controls in a small area. This approach reduces the amount of time and money spent on the project, involves fewer employees, and results in minimal disruption to ongoing operations.
Main Drawbacks of Enterprise Approach
-Data spillage and operational inefficiencies
Depending on how your organization is structured and if multiple employees are involved in diverse job functions and systems, the enclave approach can lead to serious issues such as data spillage and operational inefficiencies. Data spillage can occur when CUI protected in the enclave accidentally gets introduced to the non-compliant IT environment. If your employees are engaged in enclave and other functions, they will have to be diligent about switching back to the proper security procedures and IT assets when working in the enclave. These issues can be alleviated with proper procedures and policies and employee training, but this will require additional time and expense.
-Duplicate systems will be required
When using the enclave approach, your organization will likely have to run separate systems for email, file storage, and applications for the enclave and your non-enclave operations. Installing, using, and maintaining duplicate systems will cost time and money and can negatively impact employee flexibility and productivity.
-Will have farther to go if your business plans to seek more DoD work
Simply put, if your organization has plans to focus on more DoD work in the future, and you start with the enclave approach, you will still have more ground to cover to make more or all of your company CMMC compliant. It would be more cost-effective and time-effective to follow the enterprise approach if your company is committed to a certain level of involvement on DoD contracts.
Consult with a CMMC Compliance Expert to Determine Which Approach Works Best
The importance of determining the proper approach to CMMC compliance for your organization cannot be overstated, which makes consultation with a CMMC compliance expert critical in the decision-making process.
We recommend your organization consult immediately with a CMMC compliance expert, like Network Depot, who has the knowledge and experience to help you make this decision. Your trusted partner will review the current IT state of your company, discuss your DoD contract objectives, and guide you through the challenging CMMC assessment process.
Focusing on the key components of this article and working closely with a proven CMMC compliance partner will help ensure you make the right choice on your approach to CMMC compliance.
