CONFIDENTIAL Client - Virtual SCIF Cyber Defense

Encrypted SCIFs with Sophos Intercept X, RED-60 SD-WAN, and MDR to secure federal agents from ransomware, cartels, and insider threats.

A higly CONFIDENTIAL client in San Francisco engaged TaylorMade Software to safeguard federal agents operating in some of the highest-risk environments imaginable—both overseas in Afghanistan and across the United States. The mission: create software-defined SCIFs (Secure Compartmented Information Facilities) that would enable agents to investigate cartel infiltration, asymmetric terrorism threats, and high-profile medical fraud without fear of ransomware, insider sabotage, or nation-state interference.

Leveraging Sophos Intercept X with CryptoGuard anti-ransomware, combined with Sophos Central's policy control plane, we engineered zero-trust investigative enclaves. Endpoints were hardened with exploit prevention, application allowlists, phishing-resistant MFA, and encrypted workstation builds. With XDR/MDR “human-on-the-loop” response, agents gained 24x7 visibility and the ability to isolate compromised devices in minutes.

To connect remote field offices and agents worldwide, we deployed Sophos RED-60 SD-WAN appliances with high-availability Sophos firewalls at U.S. hubs. This architecture provided a secure, encrypted backbone for agents working abroad while keeping command-and-control systems in CONUS uncompromised. We also applied strict network micro-segmentation, DLP policies, sealed evidence workflows, and one-click isolation playbooks to protect the integrity of operations.

The impact was immediate: investigators successfully pursued the massive California “Billion-Dollar Back Surgery” fraud case (Fox News, CBS Whistleblower) and dismantled cartel-linked infiltration efforts, while overseas agents were able to operate without exposing sensitive intelligence to hostile networks. Not a single ransomware event was recorded inside the enclaves during the multi-year engagement.

For TaylorMade Software, this project underscored our ability to apply USMC/NSA-honed tradecraft to modern cybersecurity problems. The result: repeatable, tamper-evident investigative enclaves that now serve as a blueprint for high-risk missions across government and regulated industries.