Cloud & Microsoft 365
GCC High Migration
The right Microsoft 365 environment for CUI, decided first and migrated carefully.
Our GCC High migration service helps defense contractors decide whether commercial Microsoft 365 still fits their contracts or whether controlled unclassified information (CUI) belongs in Microsoft 365 GCC or GCC High, then plans and runs the move. Migrations are scoped, tested, and carried out with a rollback plan, with identity, tenant backups, and CMMC requirements in view. After cutover, we administer the new tenant so it stays supportable and documented.
How a GCC High migration works
Evaluation comes first. Over-building this is as costly as under-building it.
Requirements evaluation
A review of your contract clauses, where CUI lives today, and who you collaborate with, to decide whether you need GCC High, GCC, or added controls in your current tenant.
Eligibility and planning
Microsoft validates eligibility before a GCC High environment is set up. We help you through that step and plan mailboxes, files, Teams, identity, and cutover timing.
Ongoing administration
After the move, we manage the government tenant, its identity and access settings, and the documentation your CMMC work depends on.
What to know before you move
A few facts shape every GCC High decision.
Built for CUI
Microsoft offers GCC High for contractors that hold or process DoD controlled unclassified information.
Also used for ITAR data
GCC High is also the Microsoft environment companies use for ITAR export-controlled data. Moving there does not, by itself, satisfy ITAR. See our ITAR Compliance Support page for the IT controls that program depends on.
Collaboration changes
Sharing in GCC High works differently than in commercial Microsoft 365, so partner and customer collaboration has to be planned before cutover.
Not a compliance shortcut
Moving to GCC High does not by itself satisfy CMMC, NIST SP 800-171, or ITAR. The controls and documentation still have to be in place.
Who this is for
GCC High migration is built for defense contractors and suppliers whose contracts involve CUI.
Related services and resources
References
Primary sources for the facts mentioned on this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your organization remains responsible for its own compliance program. We help you implement and document the technical and administrative work that program depends on. Nothing on this page is legal advice or a certification.
About the author
Ken Satkunam, CISM
President & Founder, NorthStar Technology Group
Ken has spent over 25 years in IT leadership, serving in roles from technical support to CIO for organizations as large as 23,000 employees. He founded NorthStar Technology Group in 2000 to help regulated organizations build secure, compliant, and operationally resilient technology environments. Ken holds the Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) credential from ISACA and is the co-author of the Amazon best-seller "Cyber Attack Prevention." He has been quoted in industry publications including eWeek and DM News, and NorthStar has been recognized on the Inc. 5000 list in both 2024 and 2025.
Find out whether you need GCC High
Tell us about your contracts and where CUI lives today. We can talk through whether GCC High, GCC, or added controls fit your situation.