CyberPoint’s Jerry Caponera talks cybersecurity in Technically Baltimore

CyberMaryland companies took home some prestigious rewards during the recent RSA Conference. Held from Feb. 25-28 in San Francisco, the annual conference brings together the biggest names in worldwide cybersecurity. CyberMaryland’s presence promoted the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, bwtech@umbc, the University System of Maryland and other Maryland assets.

“The strength and diversity of CyberMaryland was evident in the Maryland companies that exhibited and presented at RSA,” said Jeani Park, director of cyber development. “We’re very pleased – and very proud – that so many representatives of CyberMaryland were recognized during the conference.”

Find photos from the conference.

CyberMaryland congratulates the following companies:

Innovation Sandbox Award Finalists

• Light Point Security and Silent Circle
• Find a Q&A with Light Point Security.

SC Magazine RSA Awards

• DB Networks – Best Database Application (Finalist after just announcing the company and solution at RSA) and Best Adaptive Security Solution (Finalist for Adaptive Database Fire – wall ADF-420)
• Tenable Networks – Best Enterprise Security Solution (Gold Winner for Tenable SecurityCenter), Best Vulnerability Management Tool (Finalist for Tenable Security Center)
• Trustwave – Best NAC Product (Gold Metal / Finalist for Trustwave NAC), Best Anti Malware
• Gateway (Finalist for Secure Web Gateway); and, for Best Vulnerability Management Tool (Finalist for Trustkeeper Vulnerability Manager Product )
• Sourcefire – Best Enterprise Security Solution and Best Intrusion Dectection / Prevention Product (Finalists for Sourcefire Next-Generation IPS / NGIPS);   Best Enterprise Firewall (Finalist for Sourcefire Next-Generation Firewall/NGFW); and, Best Security Company (Finalist)
• University of Maryland University College – Best Cyber Security Higher Education Program (Finalist for Cyber Security Degrees and Certificate Programs)
• The SANS Institute – Best Professional Training Program (Finalist for SANS Training)

The Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center within the National Institutes of Health has slated $10 billion for a contract for information technology services related to health and life sciences, Washington Technology reports.

The NIH recently released a draft request for proposals for the NIH ECS III follow-on, known as CIO-CS, and is urging information technology firms to apply. Services may be provided on-site or via the cloud. The contract will be full-and-open, with a five-year base and five option years. Comments are due by April 8 and the contract is expected to be awarded by Nov. 26, the article states.

Find additional links, contact information and resources on Washington Technology.

CyberMaryland represented several companies at the 2013 RSA Conference.

From smart phone-detecting technology to secure Web browsers, the CyberMaryland team showcased several innovations from Maryland companies at the RSA Conference.

Held between Feb. 25 and March 1 in San Francisco, the RSA Conference brought together hundreds of security professionals.

Find a gallery of photos from the event below.

Patuxent Partnership hosted a Cyber Symposium.

A recent symposium hosted by Patuxent Partnership, “Cyber: What is it? Where are we going?,” reinforced Maryland’s standing as a national cybersecurity hub.

Held on March 5 at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center in California, Maryland, the symposium featured Rear Adm. Margaret “Peg” DeLuca Klein, chief of staff of U.S. Cyber Command.

“The work that needs to be done to ensure America’s cyber security which is critical to our nation, has to be accomplished in cooperation with many different organizations,” Klein stated in a press release. “We are working together with other government agencies and our partners will be able to make a lasting, effective solution. We are in a unique time in history and need to shape the future of cyber.”

Jeani Park, recently appointed director of cyber development for CyberMaryland by Gov. Martin O’Malley, also participated in the symposium, along with several industry leaders.

Find more details in a press release here.

Cybersecurity experts just might be the superheroes of information technology, guarding companies, customers, governmental agencies and other organizations against Internet threats.

Jeani Park was recently appointed director of cyber development for CyberMaryland by Gov. Martin O’Malley. Park stands at the center of this rapidly evolving industry that is adding new companies and new jobs throughout the United States and, especially, in Maryland with its high concentration of cybersecurity businesses.

Park brings more than 20 years in product development and extensive experience in consulting, speaking and writing about cybersecurity. She also has big plans for raising Maryland’s profile as an industry hub.

We sat down with Park to discuss her goals as director, as well as her first major event on behalf of the state—the 2013 RSA Conference, between Feb. 25 and March 1 in San Francisco.

Q. What are the national and international pressures related to cybersecurity? Why is it such an important issue?

A. It’s a big issue because the country’s really looking for economic growth. In the U.S., our IT industry is growing at between 2 and 3 percent. When you look at other regions, in Asia and South America, they are growing at like 20 percent in IT security. Cybersecurity is an area where there’s really pent up demand, so it can help the economy.

It’s also part and parcel for both defense and proactive protection of assets in the country. Most of the new wars are going to be cyber wars. What we saw with the Stuxnet virus in 2010, for example, was the first time nuclear power plants and other critical infrastructure were attacked from a cybersecurity standpoint. So we know in the future we’re going to see less and less traditional types of terrorism and threats and attacks—it’s really going to be in the cyber realm.

Q. Why is CyberMaryland involved in the RSA Conference?

A. RSA is the largest security conference in the world and it’s gone on for a long time. The RSA company did a lot of the original cryptography work and token work and they were very pervasive in the early days in government and large industries. It’s really an international conference that attracts a lot of C-level executives, business development folks, investors, press and analysts. It brings together most of the industry and that’s fairly unusual. It’s some of the best minds in cybersecurity.

It’s also a good business development and networking event. It’s a chance for companies in Maryland to meet new customers and new partners. It’s also a chance to meet with some press and analysts. The community, although it’s large, it’s small in some ways. I’ve been going for over 10 years and you see your friends. There’s a core community that’s very tight.

Q. Who are the rising stars in Maryland’s cybersecurity industry?

A. There are some really good stories out there. Two companies in particular, Sourcefire and Tenable were both funded through Maryland, but they’ve grown in different ways. Sourcefire has an internationally recognized open source product called Snort, and Tenable has an open source product for vulnerability management. They’ve become stars in their respective industries and they actually both work between the government and commercial sectors. They drive thought leadership and they speak internationally.

One took funding more quickly at the beginning, and the other starting growing more organically and now they’re taking more funding—it’s an interesting look at different ways that companies can be successful by funding and managing their companies in different ways.

Q. What do you hope to accomplish as the director of cyber development for CyberMaryland?

A. I want to grow primarily the commercial side of the cybersecurity industry in Maryland and grow CyberMaryland from a local and regional organization to a national and international organization.

CyberMaryland is really a cybersecurity community, founded by the governor and has been funded largely by the state but not exclusively. There are other people who are funding and participating. We want to get more commercial companies involved and want to build more collaboration between public and private sectors. A lot of it is education and awareness, but there’s a business component as well. There’s a lot of great research and great funding. I want to build companies that build protection and help the economy.

Q. As a woman in the field, do you see yourself as helping to change the face of the industry?

A. It’s true that in the executive ranks, there’s still only about 3.6 percent women, but I’ve actually worked with a lot of women. I’m involved in the Executive Women’s Forum, a national group of women involved in the IT security. In fact, the organization is going to be at the RSA Conference and we’re sponsoring a party there.

Several woman in the industry have encouraged me to start blogging and encouraged me to be a little more outspoken. I think women tend to not support other women who self promote as much as as men do, and I think that’s a little bit of a problem. I think there’s a lot to be said for taking a stance and not being afraid of publicity and promotion. It still is a little uncomfortable for me, but I do think it’s one area where woman need to be a little more open minded.

There are a lot of women involved in CyberMaryland and I know the governor has a focus on promoting women in science and engineering and technology.