Security · Zero Trust & Secure Architecture · 09
Secure enclave design for sensitive workloads
Secure enclave design creates a bounded, hardened environment for the organization’s most sensitive workloads and data: a defined set of systems, identities, networks and controls that can be assured, audited and defended as a unit. It is needed when regulated data such as Controlled Unclassified Information or protected health information is spread across a general-purpose environment, when a certification scope is too large to pass, when a customer requires isolation for its data, or when the cost of securing everything to the highest standard is unjustifiable. The design produces the enclave boundary and what lives inside it, the controls at the boundary and within it, the identity, device and network rules for entry, and the migration plan that moves workloads in without interrupting the business that depends on them.
Scope
What the review covers.
- Workload and data inventory to determine what belongs in the enclave
- Boundary definition: identity, network, devices, administrative paths
- Controls inside the enclave to the standard required
- Entry rules: who, from what device, with what authentication
- Migration planning and dependency handling
- Assurance and audit approach for the enclave as a unit
Deliverables
What you receive.
| Deliverable | Form |
|---|---|
| Enclave design | Boundary, membership, controls and entry rules |
| Migration plan | Sequenced workload moves with dependencies |
| Control specification | Mapped to the obligation the enclave satisfies |
| Assurance plan | How the enclave is audited and evidenced |
Prerequisites
What we need from you.
- The obligation driving the enclave: regulation, contract, certification or customer requirement
- Inventory of the workloads and data in scope
- Decision on hosting: on-premises, cloud, or a managed enclave platform
Related
Where this sits.
By David Selakovic · Published 2026-10-16 · Revised 2026-10-16 · Reviewed every 180 days
Questions
Asked before engaging.
Does an enclave have to be a separate network?
It is a separately governed environment. Network separation is usually part of it; identity and device separation are just as important.
Is this how to reduce a CMMC scope?
Often, yes. Moving Controlled Unclassified Information into an enclave reduces the assessment boundary. See CMMC readiness.
Can the enclave be in the cloud?
Yes. Cloud enclaves are common and can be built to the required standard. The design is independent of where it is hosted.