Migrate without breaking compliance

Cloud architecture begins with the compliance framework, not the cloud provider's default services. We select cloud regions based on data residency requirements. We select encryption configurations based on the key management requirements of the applicable framework — FIPS 140-2 validation for FedRAMP, customer-managed keys for HIPAA, data processor agreements for GDPR. We select network architectures based on the segmentation requirements of the applicable framework — VPC designs that implement electronic security perimeters for NERC CIP, network policies that enforce PHI isolation for HIPAA. The cloud is not a default environment. It is a configurable environment that we configure for compliance before we configure it for anything else.

Infrastructure as code is the compliance mechanism, not just the operational convenience. Every infrastructure configuration is version-controlled in Terraform. Every change to the infrastructure configuration is a code change that goes through the same review and approval process as application code changes. Configuration drift — the state where the deployed infrastructure diverges from the documented configuration — is detected by SentienGuard and flagged before the next audit cycle. The Terraform modules we write encode compliance requirements as code: a HIPAA-compliant VPC module that enforces the required network segmentation is deployed the same way as an uncompliant module — but the output is compliant by construction.

Cloud compliance certification is the most misunderstood requirement in regulated cloud migrations. Organizations believe that using a FedRAMP-authorized cloud provider means their workload is FedRAMP authorized. It does not. The FedRAMP authorization covers the cloud provider's infrastructure. The organization's workload requires its own FedRAMP authorization, which requires its own security controls, its own system security plan, and its own 3PAO assessment. Our cloud infrastructure teams design systems for authorization, not just for deployment — meaning the security controls, the documentation, and the evidence collection infrastructure are built in from day one, compressing the authorization timeline from 18 months to 8-12 months.

At the end of a cloud infrastructure engagement, you have a production cloud environment configured against the CIS Benchmarks for your cloud provider, with infrastructure-as-code that encodes every compliance requirement as a Terraform module. Every service in scope for your applicable framework has been configured with the required encryption, access controls, audit logging, and network segmentation. SentienGuard monitors the production environment for configuration drift — when a configuration deviates from the compliance baseline, the alert is generated within minutes, not discovered at the next audit.

The infrastructure documentation includes: the Terraform module library that defines your compliance-configured infrastructure components, the compliance mapping that connects each configuration to its regulatory requirement, the SentienGuard monitoring configuration with alert thresholds and remediation playbooks, and the incident response procedures for the infrastructure security events that regulated environments must handle correctly. If you pursue FedRAMP authorization, the system security plan is 60% complete based on the documentation and evidence generated during the engagement.

Build vs. Outsource Decision Framework

A structured framework — with scoring — for deciding whether to build in-house, outsource, or adopt a hybrid model. Adapted for regulated industries where the cost of the wrong decision is highest.