Needling Worldwide, KBR team up on compliance and cyber services

Needling Worldwide and KBR Commercial Security & Cyber Services have formed a strategic partnership to combine certification, compliance and operational security services for defense, government and commercial clients. The companies say the arrangement gives customers a single path for CMMC and related requirements instead of managing multiple vendors.

Why it matters: - The partnership combines compliance advisory work with physical security and cybersecurity operations in one offering. - Defense contractors, government agencies and commercial enterprises often face overlapping regulatory, contractual and security requirements. - A single coordinated relationship can reduce gaps between certification work and day-to-day security controls.

What happened: - Needling Worldwide announced a strategic partnership with KBR Commercial Security & Cyber Services, a division of KBR focused on protecting government and commercial clients from digital and physical threats. - The announcement said the partnership is designed to give clients one path to cybersecurity. - The companies said the combined services are available to new and existing clients.

The details: - Needling Worldwide builds and certifies compliance programs. - KBR CSCS provides personnel security, physical security and cybersecurity operations. - Paige Needling, CEO of Needling Worldwide, said compliance and security are often treated as separate disciplines and that clients should not have to manage risk in silos. - Needling Worldwide and KBR CSCS both are Cyber AB Registered Practitioner Organizations for CMMC. - The combined portfolio includes CMMC readiness and assessment support for defense contractors and their supply chains. - The partnership also covers certification and compliance consulting across ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, ISO 27701, ISO 22301, ISO 20000, ISO 9001, ISO 42001, SOC 1 Type 1 & 2, NIST 800-53, NIST 800-171, CMMC, TISAX, HIPAA, FFIEC and other standards. - The firms will offer internal audit and audit defense support. - The firms will also provide vCISO services and security awareness training. - Needling Worldwide is based in Greenville, South Carolina, and is led by Paige Needling, who holds CISA, PMP and ITIL credentials and was named 2023 ISSA Security Professional of the Year. - Needling Worldwide is a WOSB-certified small business. - KBR CSCS staff includes cleared facility security officers, Department of Defense and Intelligence Community policy experts, information system security professionals and technology control specialists. - KBR CSCS is part of KBR, Inc., which employs approximately 35,000 people and serves customers in more than 80 countries. - More information is available at Needling Worldwide and KBR. - The companies also listed Needling Worldwide on LinkedIn.

Between the lines: - The partnership reflects a push to bundle compliance certification with the operational security needed to maintain those controls over time. - For customers under CMMC and similar obligations, the value proposition is less vendor management and fewer handoffs between assessment and implementation. - The message also positions both firms as specialists in regulated environments where audit readiness and security operations need to stay aligned.

What's next: - Needling Worldwide and KBR CSCS are now offering the combined services to clients across defense, government and commercial sectors. - The companies did not announce deal terms, financial details or a timeline for additional joint offerings. - Future work will likely focus on helping clients meet overlapping certification, audit and security requirements through one coordinated team.

The bottom line: - Needling Worldwide and KBR are betting that customers want compliance and cybersecurity delivered together, not as separate projects.