CUI Enclave vs Enterprise Scope Cost Calculator
The cheapest control is the one you do not have to apply to everyone. This calculator compares applying CUI safeguards across the whole company with building a smaller enclave and finds where the two options cross.
Your numbers
SIEM, vulnerability management, assessor support, policies and program staff.
Licenses, virtual desktops or a government community cloud tenant.
Your results
Excludes the baseline cost of ordinary IT for non-CUI users, which you pay in both options. Confirm boundary design with your assessor.
Total cost vs number of CUI users
Sweeps Users who need CUI access from 5 to 250, holding your other inputs fixed.
Optional scoping workshop
A short call to map where CUI sits across your ERP, file shares and email, and whether an enclave fits.
Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.
How to use it
Enter total headcount and the number of people who genuinely need CUI such as contract engineers, program managers and the buyers who handle controlled drawings. Then fill in fixed and per-user annual costs for each approach plus the one-time enclave build. Choose a planning horizon of three to five years. The results show both totals, the savings and the break-even CUI headcount.
The method
Enterprise cost equals years times fixed cost plus users times per-user cost. Enclave cost equals years times enclave fixed cost plus CUI users times enclave per-user cost plus a one-time migration. Break-even solves for the CUI user count where the two totals are equal. The chart sweeps CUI users so you can see how quickly the enclave advantage disappears as more staff need access.
- An enclave is attractive when CUI users are a small share of staff.
- Per-user enclave costs are usually higher because of premium licensing.
Pitfalls to watch
An enclave only reduces scope if CUI truly stays inside it. Email forwarding, shared drives, ERP exports and chat can leak CUI into the wider network and pull it back into scope. Security protection assets such as identity providers and log systems are in scope even when they sit outside the enclave. Plan data flows, not just the user count.
- Document the boundary and data flows before choosing a platform.
- Include the cost of training users to work inside the enclave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an enclave remove all CMMC obligations for other staff?
It can remove them from the CUI assessment scope if CUI never enters their systems, but baseline security and security protection assets that support the enclave still matter. Your assessor decides what is in scope.
What if my costs differ by year?
Use averages across the horizon, or run the tool twice for two periods. The model assumes flat annual costs for simplicity.
Why can break-even exceed total headcount?
If the enclave fixed cost and migration are low relative to enterprise costs, the enclave stays cheaper even when everyone uses it. Treat that as a signal to check your inputs.
Is the enclave always a separate cloud?
No. It may be a virtual desktop environment, a government community cloud tenant or a segregated on-prem network. The right choice depends on contract flowdowns and your data.
Manufacturing ERP data often carries drawings and specifications that count as CUI. We can help you decide where that data should live and how to query it privately.
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