When Apex Automation, Inc needed to move quickly toward CMMC compliance for a Department of Defense contract requirement, the team did what many smaller IT/compliance teams do: they tried to build an open-source stack and manage the process internally. But as the requirements grew more complex, the overhead of maintaining logging, documentation, and control evidence started to slow everything down.
That’s when they adopted NeQter Core, the all-in-one cybersecurity and compliance platform.
The Challenge
Apex Automation’s compliance journey began with a small internal team and a big requirement: implement NIST SP 800-171 controls and prepare for CMMC assessment. With just 25 employees and a lean IT/compliance team of roughly 1.5 people focused on cybersecurity and CMMC, they needed a solution that could reduce manual work and keep the effort moving forward.
Before NeQter, the team was trying to stand up an open-source SIEM solution locally, but the burden of configuration, indexing, protections, and maintenance quickly became overwhelming. The result was too much time spent fighting the tools and not enough time burning down controls.
“The overhead of trying to write all the protections and the grok patterns and all the indexing and all that, it became overwhelming.”
At the peak of the effort, compliance work consumed 40–50 hours per week.
The Solution
Apex Automation selected NeQter after being introduced through the CMMC Discord Community. The combination of a preconfigured platform, practical feature set, and trusted recommendation from the community made it an easy decision.
With NeQter, Apex Automation was able to centralize and simplify key parts of the compliance program, including:
- Windows, Linux, Microsoft 365, and printer log aggregation
- Agent-based collection for Windows and Red Hat systems
- Software inventory management
- Periodic vulnerability scanning
- SSP creation and revision tracking in NeQter’s GRC tool, NeQter Comply.
- Change control support through revision comparisons and deltas
The NeQter support team also played an active role in deployment, with recurring check-ins and quick response times that helped the team get fully operational in just a couple of weeks.
“Anytime that I had an issue, I was able to reach out, hop on a call quickly, and get those issues taken care of.”
The Results
With NeQter in place, Apex Automation was able to streamline compliance operations and focus on assessment readiness instead of tool maintenance.
The team used NeQter evidence, exports, and screenshots extensively during the assessment process, which helped accelerate the audit and accountability portion of the review. Their C3PAO, which was recommended to them by one of our compliance experts, PKF O’Connor Davies, moved through that portion of the review quickly thanks to the organization and accessibility of the documentation and dashboards.
Apex Automation also found that the assessment itself came together much faster than expected. Instead of the long waits they had heard about, they were able to get on the calendar in just a few weeks. Most importantly, the team successfully passed its CMMC Level 2 assessment and received its certification.
What They Value Most
For Apex Automation, the biggest value from NeQter was efficiency.
The platform helped them:
- Replace a difficult open-source approach
- Reduce maintenance overhead
- Simplify documentation and revision control
- Improve software inventory accuracy
- Support evidence collection for assessment
- Keep everything internal without needing other outside service companies or consultants
In Dylan’s words, NeQter made the process “much easier” and helped the team become more efficient across the board.
Looking Ahead
Apex Automation continues to use NeQter as part of its ongoing compliance and security operations. While the initial implementation is complete, the platform remains a core part of how the team manages logs, documentation, and control evidence as their environment evolves. Apex Automation’s story is a strong example of how a small internal team can successfully handle complex compliance requirements with the right platform in place.
About NeQter Labs
NeQter Labs provides an integrated cybersecurity and compliance platform purpose-built for defense contractors pursuing CMMC. Combining SIEM, vulnerability management, asset inventory, continuous monitoring, and governance tools into one solution, NeQter helps organizations simplify compliance while strengthening their security posture.
Ready to simplify your CMMC journey? Contact NeQter Labs to learn how organizations like Apex Automation are achieving certification faster with fewer resources.
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