Question 1

How much does a NIST consultant cost in San Diego?

Accepted Answer

With SideGuy: $100/hr, operator-honest, no Big-4 markup and no retainer. A focused NIST CSF gap assessment or an 800-171 self-assessment + POA&M is usually a few days of work; full readiness scopes after seeing your stack, data flows, and deadline. You pay for the human hours that move you toward implemented, not a monthly drip.

Question 2

NIST CSF vs NIST 800-171 — which one do I need?

Accepted Answer

NIST CSF (Cybersecurity Framework) is the broad, voluntary posture framework most companies use to organize security (Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, Recover) — often what a customer, board, or cyber-insurer wants. NIST 800-171 is the 110-control standard required if you handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) for a federal contract — and it's the base for CMMC. SideGuy tells you honestly which one your situation actually requires before you spend a dollar.

Question 3

Do I need NIST for a government contract or cyber insurance?

Accepted Answer

Federal/DoD contracts touching CUI generally require NIST 800-171 (and increasingly CMMC). Many cyber-insurance renewals and enterprise customers now ask you to map to NIST CSF. SideGuy maps your current controls to the right NIST profile, writes the System Security Plan (SSP) and POA&M, and gets you to a defensible posture without over-scoping.

Question 4

Can't a tool or platform just do NIST for me?

Accepted Answer

Tools (Vanta, Drata, etc.) track NIST controls and pre-fill evidence — but NIST is a controls + documentation framework, and you still need a human to map the controls to how you actually operate, write the SSP/POA&M, and make the risk decisions. SideGuy is the human layer over your tool: use the platform you like, own the operating layer SideGuy builds with you.

A NIST consultant right here in San Diego.

What you get

Use your stack — just don't rent the brain forever