Principal-ledDIB + regulatedAudit-ready cadence

Make security and compliance decisions fast, defensible, and audit-ready.

Principal-led advisory for DIB and regulated teams. We turn CMMC, NIST, DFARS, and FedRAMP/StateRAMP requirements into owners, evidence, and vendor accountability.

Decision logRisk registerEvidence planVendor pressure-test

Book a 25-minute fit call See the retainer

Live availability from the principal calendar.

Why Fifth Season

Strategy is easy. Operating cadence is where programs win.

Decision log

Weekly exec cadence

Risk register

Named owners

Evidence plan

Audit-ready

Primary

Executive Advisory Retainer

Decision cadence and accountability for high-consequence programs.

Weekly decision cadence + log
Standards mapped to owners + evidence
AI governance for SOC/IR + analytics
Vendor accountability + sequencing

Check availability LinkedIn

Email: berginjm@gmail.com

Outcomes

Board-ready narrative

Decision velocity

Evidence system (not a scramble)

Vendor accountability

Vendor-neutral, confidential

Outcomes over tool resale.

John Bergin

Founder - Principal advisor

Principal advisor for security and compliance in high-consequence environments. I work directly with leadership teams to make decisions defensible and evidence repeatable.

Start

Book a call. If decisions are unclear, start with the 30-day diagnostic. If they are clear, start the retainer.

View diagnostic

Capabilities

US-wide cybersecurity and compliance advisory capabilities

Dedicated pages for CMMC, FedRAMP, GDPR, US defense, cyber defense, cyber advisory, business transformation, and DOD market engagement.

Browse full capability index

CMMC advisory services

CMMC 2.0 execution for DIB teams: control ownership, evidence design, and decision cadence.

Open capability page

FedRAMP advisory services

FedRAMP and StateRAMP readiness with repeatable evidence, governance, and delivery sequencing.

Open capability page

GDPR advisory services

US-based delivery with GDPR-aligned privacy controls, data governance, and audit-ready operating models.

Open capability page

US defense cyber advisory

Cybersecurity strategy and compliance execution for US defense programs and high-consequence missions.

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Cyber defense program advisory

Risk-based cyber defense operating model for SOC, IR, threat detection, and governance.

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Cyber advisory for executives

Executive-level cyber advisory for decision velocity, vendor accountability, and measurable outcomes.

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Business transformation for cyber

Business transformation programs aligned to cyber risk, compliance, and mission delivery goals.

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DOD market engagement advisory

Go-to-market and capture support for DOD market engagement with compliance-aware positioning.

Open capability page

Retainer

Steady hand for high-consequence decisions

Retainer keeps decisions, evidence, and vendors on cadence.

What you get

Designed for executives, not another reporting layer.

Decision cadence
Weekly exec cadence and log.
Standards to owners + evidence
Controls mapped to owners and evidence.
AI-for-cyber plan
SOC/IR and analytics use cases with guardrails and metrics.
Vendor accountability
Pressure-test plans and outcomes.

AI governance

Measurable, controlled, auditable AI for CUI and regulated data.

Data handling rules (CUI, regulated data)

Logging + audit trails

Approval + change control

Outcome metrics (toil down, signal up, MTTR down)

How the retainer works

Clear cadence, clear boundaries

Simple model with clear boundaries.

Cadence

Weekly exec sync
Monthly decision review (60-90 min)
Async doc + vendor review

In scope

Executive security/compliance decisions
Controls + evidence strategy
AI-for-cyber planning + governance
Vendor accountability + sequencing

Out of scope

Hands-on implementation
Legal counsel
Tool resale or commissions

Request availability

Diagnostic

30-day diagnostic

Focused sprint to surface stuck decisions, quantify risk, and deliver an executive plan.

You get

Decision log with blockers and owners
Risk register with owners
Evidence plan aligned to standards
Vendor and dependency pressure-test

Best when

CMMC readiness is unclear
FedRAMP/StateRAMP evidence is heavy
AI-for-cyber is desired but risky
Vendor plans do not withstand scrutiny

Fast path

If the top three decisions are clear, skip the diagnostic and start the retainer.

Start a conversation

We reply with a concrete next step.

Optional sprints

Focused sprints

Short sprints to build the plan; the retainer keeps it alive.

AI Cybersecurity Accelerator (2-6 weeks)

Identify SOC/IR and analytics use cases with governance baked in.

SOC workflow map
Detection/use-case backlog
Guardrails + measurement plan

CMMC Readiness Sprint (3-6 weeks)

CUI protection aligned to NIST SP 800-171 and contract reality.

Gap-to-control ownership
Evidence plan + cadence
Execution roadmap

FedRAMP / StateRAMP Evidence Design (3-6 weeks)

Turn controls into repeatable evidence and ownership.

Control mapping
Evidence automation opportunities
Sustainment plan

Privacy & Data Governance (2-6 weeks)

Operationalize GDPR-aligned practices without stalling delivery.

Data inventory approach
Risk-based controls
Evidence-ready docs

Standards

Aligned to what gets enforced

Translate standards into owners, evidence, and cadence.

Common frameworks

Common alignment points for DIB and regulated programs.

CMMC 2.0NIST SP 800-171NIST SP 800-53DFARS (cyber)FedRAMPStateRAMPGDPRZero Trust

CMMC + DFARS

Control ownership and repeatable evidence.

FedRAMP / StateRAMP

Evidence design and sustainment.

GDPR

Privacy controls and data governance that scale.

AI governance

Guardrailed AI in cyber ops with auditability and measurement.

Policy signals

Executive Orders as inputs

Policy changes are inputs for sequencing and risk. We build systems so compliance is a byproduct.

EO 14028 (2021): Modernization, zero trust
Cyber EO (2025): Secure software, encryption, PQC
AI EO (2025): Federal AI direction

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Direct answers about scope, model, and compliance positioning.

Do you work across the United States?

Yes. Fifth Season Advisors operates US-wide and supports distributed teams across defense and regulated sectors.

What capabilities do you focus on?

Primary capabilities include CMMC advisory, FedRAMP and StateRAMP advisory, GDPR and privacy advisory, US defense cyber advisory, cyber defense programs, cyber advisory services, business transformation, and DOD market engagement.

What engagement model is typical?

Most clients start with a 25-minute fit call and then move to either a 30-day diagnostic or an executive advisory retainer with a weekly decision cadence.

Do you provide legal counsel or certification representation?

No. Fifth Season Advisors provides advisory services only and does not provide legal counsel or certification representation.

Schedule

Book a 25-minute fit call

Share top three decisions and deadlines. We recommend diagnostic or retainer next.

Calendar

Book a 25-minute fit call

Pick a slot. Time zones are auto-detected, and availability reflects live free/busy data.

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Desktop view of availability.

Intake

Short intake

1Book a 25-minute fit call.
2Share the top three decisions and deadlines.
3We recommend diagnostic or retainer next.

What to prepare

Program, contract, or business unit in scope.
Primary standards (CMMC, NIST, DFARS, FedRAMP, GDPR).
Deadlines, audits, incidents, or vendor risk.

Contact

Prefer email?

Send program, deadline, standards, top decisions, and blockers.

Name

Organization

Topic

Message

Email Fifth Season

Opens your email client; no data is stored.

Best fit

Good fit when

CMMC deadlines are approaching and ownership/evidence is unclear.
AI in the SOC needs governance and safety.
Vendor plans do not withstand scrutiny.

Principal advisor

berginjm@gmail.com

Email with a few bullets. We respond with a concrete next step.