Army’s NCODE Program Taps Enclaves to Fortify Defense Cybersecurity

Source Domain: briefglance.com

DALLAS, TX – May 20, 2026 – The U.S. Army has selected Dallas-based Beryllium and seven other companies for its Next-Gen Commercial Operations in Defended Enclaves (NCODE) pilot program, a $49 million initiative designed to overhaul cybersecurity for the nation’s defense contractors. The selection validates a growing industry shift towards secure, isolated digital environments as the primary method for protecting sensitive government data and streamlining complex compliance mandates.

Beryllium will participate in the five-year program through its flagship managed enclave platform, Cuick Trac. The NCODE initiative will see selected Verified External Service Providers (VESPs) compete for task orders to assist defense contractors in meeting the stringent requirements of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) SP 800-171 and preparing for the mandatory Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). This program represents a critical intervention for a defense supply chain grappling with the high costs and complexities of modern cybersecurity regulations.

The Crushing Cost of Compliance

For years, organizations within the Defense Industrial Base (DIB), particularly small and medium-sized businesses, have faced a daunting challenge: meet the Pentagon’s increasingly rigorous cybersecurity standards or risk losing their contracts. The CMMC framework, designed to protect Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) from sophisticated cyber threats, has proven to be a significant hurdle.

Industry analyses reveal that achieving CMMC Level 2 compliance—a requirement for any company handling CUI—can cost anywhere from $50,000 to over $300,000. These costs cover essential steps like gap assessments, developing system security plans, extensive remediation, and technology upgrades. For many smaller firms, such an investment is simply untenable, especially when coupled with the potential for operational disruption as new security controls…

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