An open letter to the government contracting community from Hermathena Labs
You Weren't Wrong. You Were Misled.
To every government contractor currently facing questions about your Microsoft GCC-High cloud decisions:
You made the right choice with the information you had. It's time someone said that clearly.
When your technology partners and resellers told you Microsoft's "digital escort" model was secure and government-approved, choosing GCC-High was the rational, responsible decision. When they assured you that supervised foreign engineers posed no security risk, you trusted their expertise and Microsoft's FedRAMP certifications.
You performed due diligence. You followed compliance requirements. You trusted technology partners who positioned themselves as experts in government cloud solutions.
You couldn't have known what ProPublica just revealed: Chinese engineers weren't just maintaining Pentagon systems—they were supporting Justice Department criminal investigations, Treasury operations, Commerce data, EPA compliance systems, and Department of Education records.
You couldn't have known because your technology partners didn't know either. Or if they did know, they didn't think you needed to know.
Your clients understand this. What they want now is to see how you respond.
The Real Question Isn't Why You Chose Microsoft
The real question is: What does this moment reveal about the fundamental challenges facing government contractors today?
The Technology Partner Knowledge Gap
Many government contractors relied on technology partners—resellers, MSPs, and cloud consultants—who positioned themselves as Microsoft experts. These partners sold GCC-High solutions while apparently lacking deep understanding of Microsoft's actual operational practices.
The uncomfortable questions now being asked:
- Did your technology partners understand the "digital escort" model they were selling?
- Were they aware of foreign engineer involvement in federal systems?
- Should they have been asking these questions before recommending these solutions?
This isn't about blame—it's about recognition that the government contracting community needs technology partners with deeper operational knowledge and more rigorous security evaluation processes.
The Information Asymmetry Problem
As contractors, you're asked to make technology decisions that could impact national security, yet you're often given incomplete information about how those systems actually operate. You're held responsible for security outcomes while being denied visibility into security practices.
The Microsoft situation exposes a systemic problem: You can't protect what you can't see, and you can't be held accountable for risks you weren't told existed.
The CMMC Compliance Challenge
The Microsoft situation becomes even more critical when viewed through the lens of the upcoming Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program. CMMC requires defense contractors to demonstrate rigorous cybersecurity controls and supply chain security practices.
Key CMMC implications:
- Supply Chain Transparency (SC.L2-3.11.1): Contractors must identify and document supply chain elements for systems processing CUI
- Personnel Security (PS.L2-3.9.1): Organizations must screen individuals with access to organizational systems
- System and Information Integrity (SI.L2-3.14.1): Contractors must identify and manage information system flaws
The "digital escort" model directly conflicts with these requirements. How do you document supply chain elements when foreign engineers access your systems through supervision models? How do you ensure personnel security when you don't know which foreign nationals work on your contracts?
CMMC assessors will ask hard questions:
- Can you identify all personnel with access to CUI systems?
- Do you have visibility into your technology partners' workforce practices?
- How do you verify the security of supervised foreign engineer access?
Contractors using Microsoft GCC-High may find themselves in difficult positions during CMMC assessments, not because they made poor decisions, but because they lacked the transparency tools necessary to meet CMMC requirements.
The Compliance Theater Challenge
FedRAMP compliance, security clearances, and government approvals created an illusion of security while foreign engineers accessed federal systems for nearly a decade. The certifications were real. The approvals were valid. The security was compromised.
This isn't a failure of government contractors—it's a failure of a system that prioritizes documentation over actual security practices.
The Trust Reconstruction Imperative
Your clients—whether federal agencies, prime contractors, or mission-critical organizations—are now asking harder questions. Not because they doubt your judgment, but because they need confidence in an uncertain environment.
They want partners who can provide complete transparency, not just compliance checkboxes.
How Smart Contractors Are Responding
The most successful government contractors we've observed are using this moment to strengthen client relationships rather than defend past decisions. Here's how:
1. Proactive Communication
"We want to discuss the recent cloud security developments and review our technology partnerships to ensure they meet your evolving security requirements."
This positions you as a proactive partner monitoring industry developments, not a vendor scrambling to fix problems.
2. Enhanced Due Diligence
"We're implementing enhanced vetting processes for all technology subcontractors to provide complete visibility into who manages your sensitive data."
This demonstrates learning and improvement without admitting fault for decisions made with incomplete information.
3. Transparency Leadership
"Moving forward, we can tell you exactly who will be working on your systems—names, clearances, locations, and technical qualifications."
This addresses the core concern revealed by the Microsoft situation: the need for complete visibility into technical operations.
4. Strategic Partnership Reevaluation
"We're expanding our network of trusted technology partners and implementing deeper due diligence processes to ensure our partners actually understand the systems they recommend, not just sell them."
This shows strategic thinking and lessons learned without directly criticizing previous partners.
What Government Contractors Actually Need
Based on our work with defense research institutions and our observations of this crisis, government contractors need technology partners who can provide:
Deep Technical Understanding, Not Just Sales Expertise
Technology partners who actually understand the systems they're recommending, not just the marketing materials and pricing sheets. Partners who ask probing questions about operational practices and can explain exactly how security is implemented.
Complete Workforce Transparency
You should know exactly who works on your systems—names, backgrounds, locations, and clearances. No "global workforces" with supervision models. No foreign engineers requiring "digital escorts."
Purpose-Built Government Focus
Solutions designed specifically for government work, not commercial platforms adapted with compliance layers. The security models should be built-in, not bolted-on.
Institutional Validation
Partners who have been vetted by leading government institutions through rigorous evaluation processes. Not just FedRAMP certified, but actively chosen by organizations with the highest security requirements.
CMMC-Ready Partnership Model
Technology partners who understand CMMC requirements and can provide the documentation, transparency, and security controls necessary for successful assessments. Partners whose operational practices align with CMMC's emphasis on supply chain security and personnel screening.
Subcontractor Partnership Model
Technology partners who enhance your client relationships rather than complicate them. Partners who make you look good to your clients, not create additional risk factors you have to explain.
A Different Approach: The Hermathena Labs Partnership Model
We've spent months building what government contractors actually need: a technology partner you can point to with complete confidence.
Engineering-Led Partnership
Our recommendations come from engineers who actually build and operate the systems, not sales teams who resell other companies' solutions. We understand security at the implementation level because we implement it ourselves.
100% American Workforce
Every engineer working on government projects is US-based with appropriate security clearances. No foreign access. No supervision requirements. No "digital escorts."
Complete Transparency
We provide full visibility into our technical staff, processes, and operations. When your clients ask who's working on their systems, you have clear, confident answers.
Institutional Validation
We've been vetted and selected by leading defense research institutions through comprehensive security evaluations. Our approach has been tested by organizations with the highest security requirements.
Subcontractor Partnership Focus
We're not here to replace your existing relationships or compete for your client contracts. We're here to be the technology subcontractor that strengthens your competitive position and enhances client trust.
CMMC-Ready Operations
Our operational practices are designed to support your CMMC compliance efforts. Complete workforce documentation, supply chain transparency, and security controls that align with CMMC requirements from day one.
Government-Purpose-Built Platform
Our solutions are designed specifically for government work from day one. Multi-institutional collaboration, compliance integration, and security transparency are built into our foundation, not added as afterthoughts.
Moving Forward: From Crisis to Opportunity
The Microsoft situation creates an opportunity for government contractors who act decisively:
Enhanced Client Trust: Demonstrating proactive security thinking and transparent partnerships
Competitive Differentiation: While others defend past decisions, you're showcasing future-focused solutions
Risk Mitigation: Building a network of trusted partners who eliminate transparency gaps
Business Growth: Winning new contracts by addressing the security concerns other contractors can't
The contractors who will thrive are those who view this moment not as a crisis to survive, but as an opportunity to demonstrate the leadership and transparency their clients demand.
Our Commitment to the Government Contracting Community
Hermathena Labs was founded by professionals who understand government contracting. We know the challenges you face: balancing security requirements with operational needs, managing client relationships while navigating compliance complexity, and making technology decisions with incomplete information.
We're not here to criticize your past decisions or capitalize on industry uncertainty.
We're here to be the technology partner you can trust completely—the subcontractor you can point to when clients ask the hard questions, the partner who makes your proposals stronger and your operations more secure.
Our Promise:
- Complete transparency in all operations
- 100% American technical workforce
- Purpose-built solutions for government work
- Partnership approach that enhances your client relationships
- Immediate availability for emergency transitions
What We're Offering:
- Emergency Security Assessments: Rapid evaluation of your current technology partnerships
- Client Communication Support: Materials to help explain your enhanced security protocols
- Partnership Integration: Seamless addition to your subcontractor network
- Transparent Operations: Full visibility into our people, processes, and security practices
The Path Forward
To government contractors reading this: You have nothing to apologize for. You made smart decisions with the information available. Your clients respect that.
What they want now is confidence in your path forward.
We invite you to explore whether Hermathena Labs can be part of that path.
Not as a replacement for your existing relationships, but as a trusted technology partner who helps you deliver on your mission-critical commitments with complete confidence.
The government contracting community deserves better than "digital escorts" and foreign engineer supervision. You deserve technology partners who understand your world and share your commitment to transparency and security.
We're here when you're ready.
Contact Information
For Partnership Discussions:
- Email: partnerships@hermathenalabs.com
- Phone: 321-300-4787
- Emergency Response: Available 24/7 for urgent transitions
For More Information:
- Website: https://hermathenalabs.com
- Security Documentation: Available upon request with appropriate NDAs
About Hermathena Labs
Hermathena Labs provides secure cloud computing solutions purpose-built for government research and sensitive operations. Founded by professionals with deep experience in defense technology and government contracting, we specialize in serving as a trusted technology subcontractor for organizations that require complete transparency and American-only technical operations.
Our platform has been vetted and selected by leading defense research institutions and is designed specifically for multi-institutional collaboration, compliance requirements, and mission-critical operations.
Hermathena Labs: Pure American Security for Government Innovation
This open letter may be shared freely with proper attribution. For media inquiries or speaking opportunities, please contact info@hermathenalabs.com.