The full press release below was nationally distributed on August 12th, 2021, and was picked up and published by over 267 media outlets worldwide, including:
The media response to this release indicates how strongly the subject of cybersecurity and readiness resonates within the government and defense industrial space. Our hope is that it will continue to fuel the need for increased awareness and, more importantly, offer agencies within the Department of Defense and defense contractors within the Defense Industrial Base a solution to cybersecurity personnel compliance tracking and readiness management.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Mike Fischer
Phone: (816) 842-6262
Email: [email protected]
FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE
Akron, Ohio-based WillCo Tech offers government agencies and contractors a measurable cyber readiness platform in the wake of recent cyberattacks on government and private critical infrastructure businesses.
Targeted cyberattacks on the U.S. government and critical infrastructure are on the rise. The recent attacks on SolarWinds, Colonial Pipeline, JBS, and the water treatment system of Oldsmar, Florida, represent an alarming rise in cyber-terrorism. These attacks come at a time when the government is suffering from a severe shortage in its cyber workforce. According to the Cyberspace Solarium Commission,
"Currently, more than one in three public-sector cyber jobs sits open. Filling these roles has been a persistent and intractable problem over the past decade…",
The Commission provided 54 recommendations to Congress, 26 of which have been incorporated into the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). It represents the most significant legislative policy change for cybersecurity in U.S. history.
In a 2020 white paper, the Commission outlined guidance and recommendations, including organizing, recruiting, developing, retaining, and stimulating the growth of its cyber workforce.
WillCo Tech's CyberSTARTM platform directly addresses the organizing, recruiting, and development recommendations, offering agencies and contractors a measurable readiness solution to cyber threats.
CyberSTAR:
- Builds organizational accountability against existing standards (DoDD 8570, DoDD 8140, NICE/NIST)
- Closes the skill gap within the existing standard
- Highlights upskilling opportunities to support cyber employee development
- Reduces manual training & compliance tracking by 90% or more through automation
Because of recent cyberattacks, members of Congress are now expressing support for increased budgeting for cybersecurity within the DoD.
According to WillCo Tech President Marling Engle,
"Increased budgets help, but undirected funds won't solve enough of the cybersecurity problems the nation is facing. We need baseline reporting and more trained personnel. Both require a deeper understanding of each organization's skill set, training pipelines, and readiness posture. Then we can really get targeted results: funds are utilized to execute on the policies, standards, and decisions that have been made. CyberSTAR provides out-of-the-box policy reporting and measurable readiness at scale."
Cyber combat command training and readiness requires a skilled and agile cyber workforce. Cyberattacks will continue without an effective policy measured against a written standard and the ability to manage that workforce.
About WillCo Tech
Founded in 2005, WillCo Tech works to enhance national security and force readiness for military and commercial enterprises with a suite of software capabilities surrounding the human element of cybersecurity.
WillCo Tech's proprietary CyberSTAR platform continues to serve as the largest cybersecurity compliance and readiness platform utilized by the federal government and the Department of Defense (DoD), actively supporting over 3 million registered DoD users.
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If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Mike Fischer at
(816) 842-6262 or email at [email protected].
