Howder Labs, LLC
Hesperia, California
Howder Labs
Cybersecurity for the Defense Industrial Base
CAGE 12T00  ·  UEI GQBGUCTNJCT5
DUNS 139031056  ·  SDVOSB
Capabilities Statement For Prime Contractors
Vol. I  ·  No. 01  ·  MMXXVI

Cyber for
systems that
can't fail.

A service-disabled veteran-owned firm, built by a former NASA Information System Owner, delivering CMMC readiness and mission-systems security to the contractors who supply the warfighter.

Founded MMXXV  ·  Cleared Federal Lineage  ·  Hesperia, CA
Registered  ·  Verified
EntityHowder Labs, LLC
CAGE12T00
UEIGQBGUCTNJCT5
DUNS139031056
Set-AsideSDVOSB
Founded2025
CMMC L2Self-Assess Pending
ReachNationwide
SAM.gov Active
i. Part One

Six practice areas, one continuous line of federal experience.

Every engagement runs through 23 years of federal IT and direct Information System Owner experience. Not delegated. Not outsourced. Not theoretical.

i.iCompliance & RMF

Compliance & RMF

CMMC, NIST 800-171, 800-53, and 800-37 Risk Management Framework readiness.

Executed by a CyberAB Registered Practitioner who lived inside the ISO and ISSO artifact review process. Direct experience authoring and defending RMF authorization packages under DoD 8510.01. Every control mapped, every objective documented, every gap closed before the assessor arrives. Howder Labs is preparing its own CMMC Level 2 self-assessment, walking the same path our clients walk.

  • NIST 800-171 & 800-53 Gap Assessment
  • 800-37 RMF Authorization Packages
  • SSP, SAR, & POA&M Authorship
  • SPRS Score Improvement
  • Self-Assessment & C3PAO Path Support
i.iiManaged Security & vCISO

Managed Security & vCISO

Fractional executive security leadership and continuous operations.

DoD-grade discipline for contractors that cannot justify a full internal security organization. Strategy, policy, and 24x7 watch under a single accountable signature.

  • Policy, Procedure, and Plan Authorship
  • Continuous Monitoring
  • Incident Response Retainer
  • GCC High and Enclave Strategy
  • Supplier Flowdown Compliance
i.iiiZero Trust & NGFW

Zero Trust Architecture

Next-generation firewalls, segmentation, and identity-driven access.

Designed and accredited for closed, classified, and RDT&E environments. Identity is the perimeter. Network segmentation is the discipline. Continuous verification is the rule.

  • Zero Trust Reference Architecture
  • Next-Generation Firewall Deployment
  • Microsegmentation & SDP
  • Identity-Centric Access Control
  • STIG and SCAP Hardening
i.ivFlight Test Systems IT

Flight Test Systems IT

Niche capability built from NASA Armstrong flight research operations.

The communications, telemetry, and ground systems IT that sit underneath flight test programs and ranges. Specialized work that primes cannot source from generalist consultancies.

  • Flight Test DAQ & Ground Systems
  • UDP Telemetry Verification
  • Range Communications Architecture
  • E911, PA, and Paging Systems
  • SBIR Phase I Proposal Development
i.vVAR & Supply Chain

VAR & Supply Chain

IT hardware, software, and licensing sourced through tier-one OEMs and authorized wholesalers.

A value-added reseller channel built to put compliant hardware and software in the hands of federal customers and Defense Industrial Base contractors. We source through established OEM and wholesale partners, layer in compliance engineering, and deliver under the contract vehicles primes already use.

  • OEM & Wholesale Distribution Channels
  • Hardware, Software & Licensing Fulfillment
  • Section 889 & TAA-Compliant Sourcing
  • FedRAMP-Authorized Cloud & SaaS
  • GSA MAS & NASA SEWP Posture
i.viGRC Platform

GRC Platform

Proprietary multi-client compliance environment for managed CMMC programs.

The Howder Labs GRC platform gives a junior analyst the leverage of a senior assessor, with control evidence repositories, client-segregated dashboards, and AI-assisted artifact review. Built so that our managed services scale without diluting the federal pedigree behind each engagement.

  • Multi-Client Dashboard Architecture
  • Control Evidence Repository
  • Analyst-Facing Tasks & Workflow
  • AI-Assisted Artifact Review
  • Continuous Monitoring Integration
ii. Part Two

Built by someone who has been on both sides of the assessment table.

Most CMMC consultancies are former auditors. Howder Labs is led by a former Navy Validator and federal Information System Owner who has personally conducted independent assessments and authored the packages he later helped defend.

Former NASA Communications SME and Information System Owner. Former Navy Validator. Twenty-three years inside federal IT. RMF packages authored, defended, and independently assessed. Mission systems that flew. The same hands that wrote the controls now hold the pen for your audit.
From the founder  ·  Lee Howder, CISSP, CCNP, CEH
i.

Federal lineage, not theory.

NASA Armstrong, NAVSEA Corona Classified RDT&E, Pacific Range support to the Missile Defense Agency, FDIC NOC, and U.S. Army strategic communications. Decades of cleared federal practice.

ii.

Mission system fluency.

Direct technical history with X-59 Low Boom Flight Demonstrator, Sky Range, Global Hawk, UAS/NAS, and Hawk 30. We speak the language of the program offices our clients sell into.

iii.

Set-aside leverage.

SDVOSB classification unlocks contract vehicles primes can route through us, for both compliance services and IT product fulfillment through tier-one OEM and wholesale channels.

iv.

Built for teaming.

Structured to slot in as a subcontractor under primes pursuing DoD, NASA, and IC opportunities, with active engagement underway with established defense partners.

v.

Compliance that maps to revenue.

Every engagement is built around the controls and artifacts your contracts require, not a generic best-practice template. Pricing is fixed and outcome-anchored.

vi.

SBIR & R&D capable.

Active Phase I proposal development at NASA Armstrong. Research-grade engineering capacity in C#, .NET, embedded telemetry, and AI-assisted compliance tooling.

iii. Part Three

Federal mission systems. Decades of them.

The work below was performed by the founder in federal roles spanning NASA, the Department of the Navy, and U.S. Army strategic communications, including Navy civilian support to Missile Defense Agency range operations.

01
Federal Civil
NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center
May 2018 — January 2026

Communications Program SME and NaTS Service Line Liaison

Information System Owner / Communications SME

Led multidisciplinary contractor teams delivering enterprise communications across high-visibility aerospace research missions including X-59 Low Boom Flight Demonstrator, Sky Range, Global Hawk, UAS/NAS, and Hawk 30.

Served as Information System Owner maintaining RMF authorization and continuous monitoring for mission-critical systems including E911, Public Address, and Paging infrastructure. Active member of NASA's Communications Architecture Working Group and Communications Program Board, shaping multi-center communications strategy. Managed multi-million dollar IT communications budget with full vendor, contract, and program oversight.

02
Department of the Navy
NAVSEA Naval Surface Warfare Center, Corona — Cybersecurity Branch
Prior Federal Service

Navy Validator & Independent Assessment

Navy Validator / IA Engineer / IT Specialist Cyber / ISO / ISSO

Served as a Navy Validator within a Navy Cybersecurity Branch, conducting independent assessments of Navy and Marine Corps information systems pursuing Authority to Operate under the Risk Management Framework. Reviewed control implementations, validated artifacts, and adjudicated findings against NIST 800-53 and DoD 8510.01 across a wide portfolio of fleet, ashore, and program-of-record systems.

Also served as Information System Owner and Information System Security Officer for the Corona Classified Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation network, supporting weapon system data and Independent Assessment activities. Authored, defended, and maintained RMF authorization packages, security plans, and continuous monitoring artifacts. Engineered classified network controls, audit reduction, and STIG remediation across closed and restricted enclaves.

03
Navy Civilian / MDA Support
Pacific Range Support Team
Prior Federal Service

Pacific Range Communications

Communications Lead, Navy Civilian Supporting MDA Operations

Served as a Department of the Navy civilian providing communications support to Missile Defense Agency range operations across the Pacific test footprint. Coordinated across geographically distributed assets and partner forces, integrating voice, data, and telemetry pathways supporting live flight tests and intercept events.

04
Department of Defense
U.S. Army 25R / DINFOS / DVIDS
Active Duty Service

Strategic Communications and Visual Information Systems

25R Visual Information Equipment Maintainer

Operated and sustained DoD strategic communications and visual information infrastructure with the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. Graduate of the Defense Information School. The foundation for two decades of subsequent federal communications work.

05
Commercial DIB
Altech Solutions, Inc.
2025 — Present

CMMC Level 2 Readiness, Managed Services

Prime, Howder Labs

Active managed compliance engagement covering all 110 NIST 800-171 controls and 320 assessment objectives, delivered through the proprietary Howder Labs GRC platform. Stood up a dedicated client dashboard, control evidence repository, and analyst workflow. Reference available upon request.

iv. Part Four

Two principals. One standard.

Founder & CEO

Lee Howder

Service-disabled Army veteran, marathon runner, and 23-year federal IT professional.
Decades of federal practice spanning NASA Armstrong, NAVSEA Corona, Navy civilian support to the Missile Defense Agency, FDIC NOC, and U.S. Army strategic communications. Holds a Master's Degree in Network Communications Management with a concentration in Information Security. Has served as a Navy Validator conducting independent assessments of Navy and Marine Corps information systems, as well as Information System Owner and ISSO on classified and mission-critical networks. Author of an independent history of cybersecurity and an active mentor in the federal cyber workforce pipeline.
Former NASA Comm SME CISSP Navy Validator CyberAB RP CCNP Enterprise CEH CNSSI 4011/4012/4015/4016 Security+ Network+ Linux+ M.S. Network Comms
Chief Architect

Jesse Shaw

Technical architect and engineering leader behind the Howder Labs platform.
Owns the technical architecture, infrastructure design, and engineering rigor that underpins every client engagement. Coordinates subcontractor partners, platform builds, and the day-to-day cadence of multi-client compliance programs. Oversees the Howder Labs GRC environment serving active DIB clients. The discipline behind on-time, on-spec delivery.
Architecture Engineering Infrastructure Platform
v. Part Five

Coded for the work we actually do.

NAICS classifications, contract vehicles, and teaming posture.

01
541512
Computer Systems Design Services
Primary
02
541519
Other Computer Related Services
Secondary
03
541511
Custom Computer Programming Services
Secondary
04
541690
Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services
Secondary
05
518210
Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing & Web Hosting
Secondary
06
561621
Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths)
Secondary
07
334118
Computer Terminal & Other Computer Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing
Secondary
08
423430
Computer & Peripheral Equipment and Software Merchant Wholesalers
Secondary
Pursued Vehicles
GSA Multiple Award Schedule and NASA SEWP for IT product fulfillment, alongside SBIR Phase I proposal submissions.
Teaming Posture
Open to subcontract roles under DoD primes, system integrators, and aerospace research partners.
Engage / Teaming Inquiries

Let's talk about your contract and your controls.

Whether you need a CMMC partner before your next prime audit, a teaming subcontractor for an upcoming proposal, or a sole-source SDVOSB on a specific scope, the fastest path is direct contact with the founder.

Direct
Lee Howder, CEO
Email
lee.howder@howderlabs.com
Phone
+1 (619) 796-3832
HQ
Hesperia, California
Web
howderlabs.com