The situation
A U.S. Space Force program office was bringing an existing federal facility back into service as an accredited SCIF to support a classified mission program. The facility had been previously commissioned for federal use, was being salvaged rather than constructed from scratch, and required classified network integration across multiple tiers — the program’s primary classified network, SIPRNet for secondary workflows, and future paths to JWICS and other federal networks as the mission matured.
The engagement was distinctive in two ways. First, the program office — not the prime contractor — named Fortinetics as the primary point of contact for networking coordination and integration. The prime was the executing contractor, but the network advisory relationship ran directly between Fortinetics and the government program office. Second, the facility was a reuse case rather than a new build, which changed the engineering constraints significantly.
The constraints
Three factors shaped this engagement differently from a greenfield SCIF build.
Facility reuse rather than new construction. Previously commissioned federal facilities carry legacy infrastructure, documentation history, and accreditation context. Reusing them for a new program requires reconciling what exists with what the new mission needs — not starting from a clean sheet. Network pathways, cable plant, rack layouts, and power provisioning were not design decisions we got to make; they were existing conditions we had to plan around.
Multi-network prioritization with evolving mission scope. The program’s initial requirement centered on a specific classified network, but the mission roadmap included additional networks reaching into JWICS and related federal paths over time. Committing to the full network ladder at engagement start would have over-scoped the initial spend; building only for the immediate need risked expensive rework later. We advised a prioritized sequence — primary network operational first, secondary networks phased in — with architecture designed to accept the full set without redesign.
Government-direct advisory relationship. The program office’s decision to name Fortinetics as the network integration POC placed a layer of responsibility on the advisory role that would not exist in a purely prime-subcontract relationship. Coordination calls, status briefings, and decision reviews ran directly with government personnel. The formal executing contract still ran through the prime, but the technical direction flowed through the government relationship.
The approach
The engagement is organized around sustained coordination across four parties — the government program office, the executing prime, the facility’s FSO staff, and the cross-program network providers whose paths the SCIF will touch.
In the first weeks, we held an integration kickoff with the full coordination set to agree on the network prioritization and the phased rollout plan. Network priority was established: the program’s primary classified network first, SIPRNet on a parallel track, additional federal network paths phased as mission requirements mature.
We produced architecture coordination deliverables — rack and cable-plant integration plans that respected the existing facility conditions while providing clean growth paths. Boundary enforcement between the program’s network and the facility’s existing networks was specified with the government’s security requirements in mind.
TEMPEST countermeasure review coordination began in parallel, including coordination with the appropriate authorities on required attestations for the reuse scenario.
Cross-program network path integration remains in active planning. The program’s network must integrate with existing federal network infrastructure operated by other organizations, which requires cross-program coordination that a small-firm advisor is uniquely positioned to do without introducing unnecessary layers.
What made this engagement fit
Trusted advisor posture at the government level. Small advisory firms are almost never named as primary POCs by government program offices. The appointment here reflected a trust level built during the preceding engagement with the prime. For the program office, having a single point of technical coordination — named, accountable, documented — simplified the cross-party dynamics that network integration always involves.
Facility-reuse expertise. Most classified network engagements are new construction. Reuse engagements require a different mindset — honoring what’s there, understanding the prior accreditation context, and planning around existing conditions. Fortinetics’ depth across ICD 705 and NISPOM, combined with practical facility-engineering sensibility, made the reuse pattern tractable.
Multi-network prioritization. The government program office was explicitly receptive to advice that not all networks needed to come up simultaneously. Our prioritized-build recommendation — primary network first, others phased — saved procurement cost, simplified initial operations, and positioned the program to mature its network footprint as mission requirements clarified.
Commercial structure
The engagement is structured as an ongoing advisory arrangement with the executing prime, with technical direction flowing through the government program office relationship. Engagement pricing is scope-dependent and is defined during scoping discussions; we do not publish price lists.
Status
The engagement is ongoing. The network prioritization has been agreed by all coordinating parties. The primary network path is in active planning. The TEMPEST review coordination is in motion. Cross-program network integration is under negotiation with the relevant federal partners. Fortinetics continues as the primary network integration POC for the program office, advising through each milestone.
Outcomes will be updated here as the program reaches additional integration and operational milestones.
Related reading
- Service: Classified networks & SCIF — our advisory model for accreditation
- Framework: SCIF / SAPF accreditation — what ICD 705, CNSSI 1253, and NISPOM require
- SCIF / SAPF accreditation playbook — full arc from design through accreditation
- SCIF vs SAPF — the difference — seven dimensions compared
- First SCIF for a venture-backed startup — the smaller end of the same problem
- Companion case study: Multi-enclave SAPF advisory for a Space Force prime — the prime-side counterpart
If you’re sponsoring or building a SCIF and need a network integration POC who can sit at both the government and contractor tables, book a scoping conversation — we’ll talk through the situation directly.