The federal government, with its multitude of resources, sensitive data and valuable assets, is an obvious target for cybercriminals. But surveys show that even small businesses are being inconvenienced and compromised by breaches and attacks — nearly 50 percent of those surveyed by payroll technology company Sage reported victimhood to cyber aggression in 2023, Inc. writes.
The Department of Defense actively wants to solve this problem, or at the very least arm businesses with the strategies and tools they need to steel themselves against such attacks. That’s where Project Spectrum comes in, a cyber training and education platform that Pentagon official Derrick Davis says is highly useful for any kind of organization, not just GovCons.
Davis, who serves as director of industrial cybersecurity for the DOD’s Office of Small Business Programs, will speak on a panel about the DOD’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Cyber Summit. This exciting event—rich with networking opportunities and important discourse on the cyber world—will be held on Thursday, June 6 at the Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City in Virginia. Claim your spot now before it sells out!
The DOD spoke at the Small Business Administration’s cybersecurity summit in the fall about how it plans to continue to invest in and place focus on Project Spectrum. Over the last five years, Project Spectrum has accumulated as a hub and go-to destination for those looking for module compliance training, threat monitoring information, risk assessments and more. Its features include cyber readiness tests that prompt reflection on an organization’s architecture and protections, offering an assessment of a company’s security posture.
Project Spectrum also puts users in touch with live cyber experts who can answer questions and guide platform navigation.
One of the program’s main attributes is its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification assistance. Getting approved through CMMC is non-negotiable for DOD partners, so this element of Spectrum is an essential component. Davis said that the platform works to make it much more clear what the department’s expectations are for the industrial base.
“In the past, it was very challenging to understand what the Department of Defense was doing in terms of encouraging small businesses to work with them, but also what did [small businesses need to] do in order to work with us,” he said.
To learn more about CMMC accreditation, or Project Spectrum generally, be sure to attend the 2024 Cyber Summit, from Potomac Officers Club. Come for the DOD’s Derrick Davis’ conversation with fellow experts on CMMC, and stay for the other illustrious leaders on the big-ticket lineup, including DOD’s David McKeown and Randy Resnick, CISA’s David Carroll and many more. Register today!
