Forte Technologies Acquires Business Cyber Security Solutions, Launches Dedicated Cyber Assurance Practice

New Forte Cyber Assurance practice strengthens objective cybersecurity review, compliance validation, and oversight for organizations facing CMMC and other complex regulatory requirements.

Forte Technologies, a national provider of managed IT, cybersecurity, private and public cloud, and compliance services, announced its acquisition of Business Cyber Security Solutions (BCSS), which now operates as Forte Cyber Assurance, a dedicated practice within Forte Technologies.

Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Inverness, Illinois, BCSS specializes in helping managed service providers (MSPs) expand their cybersecurity and compliance capabilities. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of services, including virtual CISO (vCISO), managed security operations, threat detection and response, vulnerability assessments, and compliance support for frameworks such as HIPAA, PCI, CMMC, and NIST. Through its partner-first approach, white-label delivery model, and proprietary Cybersecurity Pyramid framework, BCSS enables MSPs to strengthen client relationships, serve regulated industries, and grow recurring revenue without expanding their internal teams.

With this acquisition, Forte, a portfolio company of Broadwing Capital, adds a dedicated CMMC practice for the defense industrial base. Forte Cyber Assurance gives organizations objective review, validation, and oversight to show their security controls meet applicable regulatory requirements.

The announcement coincides with Forte’s participation in CS5 East 2026, October 22–23, in Washington, D.C. The conference brings together defense contractors, cybersecurity professionals, assessors, and compliance experts focused on Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) and the evolving requirements of the defense industrial base.

Independent by Design

Forte Cyber Assurance includes a dedicated CMMC Services team, led by a Director of CMMC Services and made up of Registered Practitioners (RPs) and Registered Practitioner Advanced (RPA) professionals. The team helps defense contractors scope their Federal Contract Information (FCI) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) environments, build System Security Plans and POA&Ms, close gaps against NIST SP 800-171, and prepare for Level 1 self-assessments and Level 2 certification assessments conducted by Certified Third-Party Assessment Organizations (C3PAOs). For contractors who need a compliant environment, Forte also delivers a managed CMMC secure enclave built on Microsoft GCC High and secure virtual desktop, followed by ongoing compliance maintenance after the assessment.

Forte Cyber Assurance operates separately from Forte’s technology and cybersecurity delivery teams, providing objective reviews of security posture, compliance readiness, and supporting evidence. This separation helps organizations prove the effectiveness of their security programs to auditors, regulators, insurers, customers, and boards of directors.

“Clients don’t get credit for controls they can’t prove,” said Ron Searle, Executive Vice President, Cyber Assurance at Forte. “Bringing BCSS into Forte gives our clients the same people and continuity they know, with more resources behind them. We’ve also kept Cyber Assurance separate from delivery, so the evidence we help clients build holds up when someone checks it.”

Also Read: CIO Influence Interview with John Elliott, Cybersecurity Author Fellow at Pluralsight

Cyber Assurance for Regulated Industries

Forte Cyber Assurance supports organizations across highly regulated industries, including defense contracting, healthcare, financial services, legal, and manufacturing. The practice helps businesses assess and maintain alignment with requirements and frameworks such as CMMC, HIPAA, SOC 2, SEC Regulation S-P, GLBA, PCI DSS, and ISO standards. Forte Cyber Assurance capabilities include:

• CMMC Readiness, Secure Enclave, and Compliance Maintenance
• Cybersecurity and Compliance Readiness Assessments
• Framework Readiness and Evidence Review
• Compliance Program Development
• Ongoing Compliance Oversight
• Advisory, Validation, and Security Testing
• Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Management
• Security and Compliance Reporting

Forte Cyber Assurance follows a defined governance process that separates security implementation from independent evaluation, with additional oversight of assurance conclusions and client-facing reports. Forte’s approach allows organizations to strengthen their cybersecurity and compliance programs while maintaining their existing IT providers, or to complement the managed IT, cybersecurity, and compliance services available through Forte Technologies. Organizations gain access to independent review and validation alongside the broader technical resources, helping them identify gaps, improve readiness, and provide credible evidence of their security and compliance posture.

“Building on the combined expertise of CloudScale365, Valeo Networks, and PCS International, Forte provides organizations with integrated technology services and dedicated expertise to address increasingly complex security and regulatory obligations,” said Bret Kidd, Chief Executive Officer of Forte Technologies. “The BCSS acquisition represents another step in our continued investment in specialized cybersecurity and compliance capabilities.”