Digital Beachhead

What Digital Beachhead does

Digital Beachhead is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) cybersecurity consulting firm founded in 2005 by CEO Mike Crandall, a 21-year Air Force veteran. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado with additional offices in Las Vegas (Nevada), Bolivar (Tennessee), and London, Ontario (Canada), the company operates with a small team of 6-10 credentialed professionals and serves two primary segments: small-to-medium businesses requiring affordable cybersecurity, and Department of Defense contractors requiring CMMC, NIST 800-171, and DFARS compliance.

The company's core offerings are delivered as professional services rather than a unified software platform. The flagship product is its fractional vCISO service, which delivers cybersecurity strategy, risk management, 24/7 SOC monitoring, incident response, and compliance oversight as a team-based subscription marketed at 35-40% below full-time CISO compensation. The Small Business Solution bundles 24/7 endpoint monitoring, email security (Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace), browser protection, user awareness training, and phishing tests for under $1/day per endpoint, with SOC infrastructure sourced through a partnership with Coro. The company is an Authorized C3PAO formally accredited by the CMMC Accreditation Body, enabling it to conduct official CMMC Level 2 assessments, and operates CMMC/NIST compliance services including gap analysis, POA&M development, and policy documentation. Supporting modules include penetration/vulnerability testing, multi-standard compliance assessments (NIST, HIPAA, DFARS, FISMA), dark web monitoring, and the recently launched AuthorizedC3PAO.com platform for end-to-end CMMC certification booking.

Digital Beachhead generates revenue through a mix of recurring subscription (vCISO retainers and SMB endpoint monitoring) and project-based professional services (CMMC assessments, pen tests, remediation, and consulting engagements). Pricing is customized for SMB under-$1/day per endpoint vCISO and larger CMMC assessment engagements on multi-year contracts. Distribution combines direct consultative sales, MSP channel partnerships (with SureShield as a co-delivered CMMC partner), and event-driven lead generation (GTIA ChannelCON, CEO podcast appearances, and earned media features). The company is privately held with no disclosed external funding, boot-strapping growth through service revenue, SDVOSB set-aside eligibility, and broadcast-channel thought leadership.

Name

Digital Beachhead

Legal name

Digital Beachhead, Inc.

Website

https://digitalbeachhead.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Digital Beachhead is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned cybersecurity consulting firm offering vCISO services, authorized C3PAO CMMC assessments, and 24/7 managed security for SMBs and defense contractors across the US and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cybersecurity Consulting Services

NAICS

Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621)

akta.pro primary industry

Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) (HDABAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Data Security & Privacy for Cloud (DLP, DSPM, Tokenization) (HDABAHAK), Email Data Loss Prevention & Encryption (HDADAKAD)

Keywords

• Cybersecurity consulting
• CMMC compliance
• Virtual CISO services
• Managed security services
• Penetration testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Colorado Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. vCISO Services: Fractional/virtual Chief Information Security Officer services providing strategic cybersecurity guidance, risk management, compliance support, and ongoing monitoring. Delivered as a team of certified experts rather than single consultant.
2. Managed Security Services: 24/7 endpoint monitoring, email security, browser security, and data protection services bundled under small business solution for under $1/day per endpoint. Includes SOC monitoring through partnership with Coro.
3. CMMC/C3PAO Assessment Services: Formal certification assessments for defense contractors including gap assessments, readiness preparation, remediation services, and formal certification assessments as an authorized C3PAO.
4. Compliance Consulting: Governance and compliance assessments for NIST, HIPAA, DFARS, FISMA, and CMMC standards. Includes gap analysis, POA&M development, policy creation, and remediation action documentation.
5. Penetration/Vulnerability Testing: In-depth security testing with detailed executive and technical reporting. Includes internal/external testing and meets annual HIPAA requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Digital Beachhead is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business delivering cybersecurity consulting and managed security services, including fractional vCISO leadership, 24/7 endpoint monitoring for small businesses, CMMC/NIST compliance and authorized C3PAO assessments for defense contractors, penetration testing, multi-framework compliance assessments, and dark web monitoring. Offerings are delivered by a team of certified cybersecurity professionals following the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.

Product overview

Digital Beachhead offers a suite of cybersecurity and compliance services primarily delivered as consulting engagements rather than a unified software platform. The core offerings include vCISO (Virtual Chief Information Security Officer) services providing fractional cybersecurity leadership, and Small Business Solutions offering 24/7 endpoint monitoring with email security and user training. Supporting these are specialized modules for CMMC/NIST Compliance Services, Penetration/Vulnerability Testing, Compliance Assessments, and Dark Web Monitoring. The company recently launched AuthorizedC3PAO.com as a dedicated platform for defense contractor CMMC certification support. Services are priced flexibly to accommodate organizations of varying sizes, with small business solutions starting at under $1 a day per endpoint.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AuthorizedC3PAO.com: Online platform designed to guide organizations through the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) process, offering end-to-end support including gap assessments, readiness preparation, remediation services, and formal certification assessments.

Products and services

• vCISO (Virtual Chief Information Security Officer) Fractional cybersecurity leadership service providing strategic guidance, risk management, incident response planning, and compliance support at a fraction of the cost of a full-time CISO, delivered as a team of certified professionals for small to mid-sized businesses.
• Small Business Solutions Comprehensive 24/7 endpoint monitoring package including system monitoring, email security for Microsoft Office 365 and Google Workspace, browser protection, user awareness training, and phishing tests priced at under $1 a day per endpoint for small businesses.
• CMMC / NIST Compliance Services Compliance consulting and authorized assessment services guiding defense contractors through CMMC certification and NIST 800-171 requirements, including gap analysis, POA&M development, policy/procedure documentation, and remediation support.
• Penetration/Vulnerability Testing In-depth security testing covering scoping, reconnaissance, attack planning and execution, and detailed reporting with DREAD risk scoring, including internal and external testing, and meeting annual HIPAA testing requirements.
• Compliance Assessments Expert evaluation of organizational compliance against NIST, HIPAA, DFARS, FISMA, and CMMC standards using a 6-step risk assessment process, including gap analysis, POA&M development, policy creation, and remediation action documentation.
• Dark Web Monitoring Continuous threat intelligence service scanning thousands of Dark Web sites, marketplaces, chat rooms, and forums daily to detect compromised organizational or personal information and alert clients before data can be exploited.
• AuthorizedC3PAO.com Platform Online platform launched February 2026 providing end-to-end CMMC certification guidance including gap assessments, readiness preparation, remediation services, and formal certification assessments for defense contractors and DoD supply-chain partners, positioned as an authorized C3PAO serving the Defense Industrial Base.

Quantifiable outcome

• Small business cybersecurity solution under $1/day per endpoint
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SureShieldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSureShield is a strategic partner for CMMC 2.0 compliance. Companies present together on CMMC requirements and cost management strategies. Partnership focuses on helping organizations properly scope CUI boundaries to control compliance costs.
• CorocoreTechnology or IntegrationCoro is the SOC (Security Operations Center) partner providing 24/7 endpoint monitoring infrastructure. Alisha Smith from Digital Beachhead manages the SOC relationship and monitors client endpoints through this partnership.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• A-LIGN: Authorized C3PAO providing CMMC assessments plus broader compliance (SOC 2, ISO 27001, HITRUST). Direct competitor for CMMC assessment mandates and pre-assessment readiness work for the DIB.
• Schellman & Co. Top-tier authorized C3PAO and multi-framework compliance assessor (FedRAMP, SOC 2, ISO 27001). Competes head-to-head on CMMC Level 2 certification assessments and broader cybersecurity advisory.
• Coalfire: Large authorized C3PAO offering CMMC, FedRAMP, and other compliance assessments alongside advisory and managed security services. Competes across the same CMMC, NIST 800-171, and DFARS domains.
• Arctic Wolf: Leading managed detection and response (MDR) provider built specifically for SMB and mid-market security operations outsourcing — overlapping heavily with Digital Beachhead's under-$1/endpoint recurring SOC offering.
• eSentire: MDR provider with 24/7 SOC, threat intelligence, and managed vulnerability services for SMB and mid-market — direct competitor in the affordable managed security subscription tier.
• Pondurance: MDR plus compliance services for mid-market organizations, with strong CMMC and NIST 800-171 practice. Closely comparable business model blending managed security and compliance advisory.
• Red Canary: SMB and mid-market focused MDR and endpoint security provider. Competes in the 24/7 managed SOC and endpoint monitoring tier that Digital Beachhead bundles under its Small Business Solution.
• Expel: Managed detection and response provider with compliance-adjacent services for SMB and mid-market. Comparable subscription-based pricing model and customer profile.
• KLC Consulting: Authorized C3PAO providing CMMC certification, readiness, and broader NIST/DFARS advisory to defense contractors — directly comparable in service mix and DIB focus.

Broad incumbents

• Palo Alto Networks Unit 42: Large incumbent cybersecurity advisory and managed service arm of Palo Alto Networks, offering threat intelligence, incident response, and compliance-adjacent consulting to a much broader and enterprise-tier customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Digi_Beachhead
• Facebookfacebook.com/DigitalBeachhead
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/digital-beachhead-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Digital Beachhead