Ep. 257 How Native AI-First Strategies Are Simplifying Federal Tech Compliance

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Fifteen years ago, Vivek Kundra began the “Cloud First” policy in the federal government.  It took five years for people beginning to talk about “cloud native” applications.  In other words, instead of a lift and shift to the cloud, developers could take advantage of the cloud’s capabilities resulting in increased agility, scalability, and resilience.

Well, here we are in 2025, and it sure looks like the early days of cloud computing.  Lots of dazzling, but few people know how to leverage efficiency, speed, and personalization of AI.

Today, we sat down with Sri Iyer, CTO and Co-founder of a company called KOVR.AI.  Finally, he presents to listeners how AI can be applied to the tedious process of federal certification.

We look at the complex process of CMMC. One aspect of CMMC is CUI.  It does sound simple, but if a company over scopes or under scoped CUI it can make for difficulty in completing the certification.

Further, assets are changing all the time.  How can a company provide a detailed report of its assets at a specific moment in time? 

Next, the employees in a typical federal contractor are billing 40 hours a week.  Is a business owner supposed to pull people off a revenue-generating position to complete CMMC tasks?

Finally, what about the companies who supply the DIB?  In a normal supply chain, more than just the company seeking CMMC is part of the puzzle.

Listen to the interview to see how the innovation Sri Iyer can be applied to making the CMMC process faster and easier to document.

Iyer emphasizes the importance of proper documentation and training for CUI (Controlled Unclassified Information) and offers practical advice for companies to prepare for CMMC, including creating an inventory of IT systems and vendors, and seeking expert help.