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 technical know-how from true client impact—from soft skills like listening and empathy to real-life stories of consulting gone wrong (and right).

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—and explains how CMMC can be a catalyst for sustainable scaling. If you’ve ever asked, “Do I really need FIPS validated equipment?” or struggled to track CUI across your team, this one’s for you.

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. From cultural transformation to financial metrics, this conversation reframes CMMC as a growth opportunity—not just a mandate.

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 traceability helped one OSC complete their assessment in under two days.

This episode is full of practical tips for preparing your environment, aligning your SSP and policies, and ensuring your team is ready to show up informed and confident.

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 frameworks like NIST SP 800-171 and NIST 800-161, and what needs to happen for agencies like DoD, DOE, and DHS to speak a common cybersecurity language.

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 Level 1. She also outlines the risks of relying on a single point of failure, the importance of documentation for sustainability, and how coaching and tools can help organizations operationalize compliance.

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 around equipment can lead to costly and unnecessary decisions. More importantly, he makes the case that governance — not just tech — is the backbone of scalable, effective CMMC compliance.

Whether you're confused about encryption, overwhelmed by data flows, or wondering how to grow securely, this episode offers a down-to-earth look at getting CMMC right.

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 out staff.

Whether you’re preparing for your first CMMC Level 2 assessment or inheriting someone else’s security posture, this episode delivers a practical look at one of the most challenging aspects of compliance.