What Cadra does

Cadra, operating as Security Compliance Solutions, Inc., is a woman-owned cybersecurity compliance consultancy founded in 2015 by Lori Crooks and headquartered in Decatur, Georgia. The firm helps small and mid-sized SaaS companies, defense contractors, healthcare technology vendors, and FinTech firms navigate federal and commercial cybersecurity frameworks including FedRAMP, CMMC (Levels 1-3), NIST 800-53/171/172, HIPAA, SOC 2, and ISO 27001. Its service portfolio spans technical writing, audit and assessment preparation, policy and procedure creation, risk assessments, third-party assessments, and OSCP-certified penetration testing, supplemented by a 2025-launched monthly subscription product called CORE by Cadra that provides continuous SOC 2 compliance oversight.

The company's core technology approach combines traditional consulting with the Paramify compliance automation platform, which auto-generates System Security Plans, up to 80% of POA&M action items, real-time SPRS scoring, and OSCAL artifacts, while cross-mapping controls across frameworks. Cadra also publishes free downloadable resources (FedRAMP Readiness Guide, CMMC Roadmap, SPRS Worksheet) and maintains an active thought-leadership presence through a weekly blog and 10+ podcast appearances.

Cadra operates a sales-led, consultative go-to-market in which every engagement begins with a free 15-20 minute discovery call, typically led by the founder, followed by a tailored proposal or fixed-fee engagement. Revenue is generated through project-based consulting fees and the new monthly CORE subscription. The firm is privately held, bootstrapped with no disclosed institutional funding, and runs without external investors or a parent company.

Name

Cadra

Legal name

Security Compliance Solutions, Inc

Website

https://cadra.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cadra is a woman-owned cybersecurity compliance consultancy founded in 2015 that helps small and mid-sized SaaS firms, defense contractors, and regulated technology companies achieve FedRAMP, CMMC, NIST, HIPAA, SOC 2, and ISO 27001 certifications through fixed-fee engagements and a recurring SOC 2 subscription.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cybersecurity Compliance Consulting

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Cloud Compliance, Audit & Continuous Controls Monitoring (CCM/GRC) (HDABAHAI)

Keywords

• Cybersecurity compliance consulting
• FedRAMP authorization services
• CMMC assessment preparation
• SOC 2 compliance support
• Penetration testing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Decatur

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cybersecurity Compliance Consulting Services: Cadra generates revenue by providing professional consulting services including FedRAMP readiness and authorization support, CMMC assessment preparation, HIPAA compliance, NIST framework alignment, SOC 2 certification, ISO 27001, risk assessments, penetration testing, and technical writing for compliance documentation. Fees are charged through project-based engagements and monthly retainer subscriptions (CORE). The company offers a free discovery call as the initial sales touchpoint, with tailored proposals and fixed-fee engagements as the primary commercial structure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cadra is a woman-owned cybersecurity compliance consultancy that helps small and mid-sized SaaS companies, defense contractors, and government vendors achieve and maintain FedRAMP, CMMC, HIPAA, SOC 2, and ISO 27001 certifications. It delivers project-based consulting and a monthly SOC 2 subscription (CORE), with services spanning technical writing of System Security Plans, audit and risk assessments, policy and procedure development, third-party assessments, and OSCP-certified penetration testing. The firm integrates Paramify software to automate SSP and POA&M generation, SPRS scoring, OSCAL automation, and centralized evidence collection.

Product overview

Cadra is a woman-owned cybersecurity compliance consultancy founded by Lori Crooks that helps small and mid-sized software companies navigate complex regulatory frameworks including FedRAMP, CMMC, NIST, HIPAA, SOC 2, and ISO 27001. The company operates as a services firm rather than a software product company. Its core service portfolio consists of: Technical Writing Services (creating audit-ready documentation including security policies, SSPs, and compliance materials), Audit & Assessment Services (guiding organizations through FedRAMP, CMMC, SOC, and ISO certifications), CMMC Assessment Services (specialized support for defense contractors pursuing DoD CMMC Levels 1-3), Policy & Procedure Creation & Advisory Services (developing compliant policies and procedures), Risk Assessment Services (NIST 800-30 aligned security evaluations), Third-Party Assessment Services (vendor risk evaluation), Penetration Testing Services (OSCP-certified testing across multiple types), and CORE by Cadra (a monthly subscription for ongoing SOC 2 compliance management). Supplementary free resources include a FedRAMP Readiness Guide, CMMC Level 2 Roadmap, SPRS Worksheet, and CMMC Self-Assessment Checklist. The company specializes in making compliance requirements understandable and actionable for technical teams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CORE by Cadra: A monthly SOC 2 compliance subscription service that helps manage controls, track evidence, and stay ahead of audits
• CMMC Level 2 Roadmap

Products and services

• Technical Writing Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Organizations pursuing FedRAMP with Cadra have been described as 'one of the most prepared CSPs' by 3PAO assessors, according to client testimonial (Daniel E., Director of Cloud DevOps, Undisclosed).
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Booz Allen Hamilton: Booz Allen Hamilton is a large federal and commercial consulting firm with deep FedRAMP, CMMC, and federal cyber practices. It competes with Cadra on enterprise-grade federal compliance engagements and sets the upper bound on contract size and sponsor relationship depth.

Direct peers

• Pivot Point Security: Pivot Point Security is a consultancy specialized in FedRAMP, CMMC, SOC 2, and NIST 800-171 advisory. Its niche focus on federal compliance frameworks directly overlaps Cadra's federal-contractor segment.
• Coalfire: Coalfire is a long-standing FedRAMP 3PAO and cybersecurity advisory firm offering FedRAMP, CMMC, SOC 2, ISO, and pen testing. As a 3PAO it operates one layer above Cadra in the federal market, but competes for the same FedRAMP and CMMC readiness buyers before they reach assessment.
• A-LIGN: A-LIGN is a cybersecurity compliance and audit firm providing SOC 2, ISO 27001, HITRUST, PCI, FedRAMP, and pen testing. It competes head-to-head with Cadra across SOC 2 and FedRAMP engagements, with a heavier investment in its own compliance automation platform.
• KirkpatrickPrice: KirkpatrickPrice is an audit and compliance firm focused on SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI, HITRUST, and pen testing. It serves the same small/mid-sized SaaS buyer as Cadra with a similar fixed-fee, fast-track SOC 2 delivery model.
• Schellman & Co. Schellman is a top-tier compliance and cybersecurity assessment firm offering SOC 2, ISO 27001, FedRAMP, HITRUST, and PCI services. It directly competes with Cadra for the same mid-market SaaS and cloud buyers pursuing SOC 2, ISO, and FedRAMP, and is one of the most established boutique alternatives.

Emerging players

• Vanta: Vanta is a leading compliance automation platform that automates SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and FedRAMP evidence collection. It is not a direct consulting peer but its automation capabilities directly compress the manual documentation work that Cadra's advisory engagements are built on.
• Secureframe: Secureframe provides automated compliance platforms for SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI, and CMMC. Like Vanta, it commoditizes parts of the audit prep workflow Cadra services and shapes buyer expectations around automation-first compliance.
• Linford & Co. Linford & Co is a boutique cybersecurity firm specializing in penetration testing and SOC 2 audits. It competes with Cadra's OSCP-certified pen testing and SOC 2 advisory lines, particularly for startups and SaaS companies.

Others

• Paramify: Paramify is the automation platform Cadra integrates for SSP generation, POA&M automation, and SPRS scoring. It is an enabling technology partner rather than a competitor, but its increasing self-serve capabilities could shift some engagements away from advisory-heavy consultancies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@LoriCrooks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cadra-compliance

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Cadra