New Mexico Economic Development Receives DoD Grant for Cybersecurity

Category: Non-Local News Releases Non-Local News Releases
Published: 11 August 2020 11 August 2020

$771,000 grant will help businesses meet new federal requirements

Santa Fe, N.M. – The New Mexico Economic Development Department, through its Office of Science & Technology, has received a $771,000 grant from the Department of Defense to pioneer a cybersecurity awareness and preparedness training initiative, Cabinet Secretary Alicia J. Keyes announced today.

All Department of Defense contractors must adhere to the new Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) guidelines and this grant will focus on educating and preparing New Mexico businesses to meet the requirements, which take effect at the end of the year.

"Cybersecurity is one of the industries targeted by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for additional state investment," Cabinet Secretary Keyes said. “This grant means we can do more to assist businesses in applying for, and hopefully receiving, federal contracts to expand in this sector – and that means better jobs in New Mexico.”

The New Mexico Office of Science and Technology will work with stakeholders, including the Governor's Office, N.M. Councils of Governments, N.M. Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Procurement Technical Assistance Center, the New Mexico Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NMCCoE), housed at New Mexico Tech, and others, to help deliver the required training and implement a statewide cybersecurity training plan.

The training will initially focus on optics and photonics technology-based businesses and, with the help of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership and Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, will evaluate individual security needs. The first phase will include:

  • Cybersecurity workshops for 70-100 photonics/optics companies starting January through March 2021.
  • Cybersecurity one-on-one assistance through MEP and NMCCoE, who will then connect each business with a cybersecurity expert in New Mexico.
  • The grant then connect up to 10 companies each with a cybersecurity professional and will pay up to $10,000 per company to upgrade systems and certifications (April-June 2021).

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification accreditation is a new unified standard for implementing cybersecurity across the defense industrial base. Getting businesses up to speed with the new requirements will help government contractors remain competitive and keep jobs in New Mexico. In addition to helping businesses with cyber resiliency, this initiative will result in the development of a statewide cybersecurity program. It will also build upon the New Mexico direct enterprise connect portal mapping tool that is available at NMDEC.NET. 

“This grant will allow New Mexico businesses to meet the new cybersecurity requirements and remain competitive in applying for government contracts," Office of Science and Technology Director Myrriah Tomar, PhD, said. "Most importantly, businesses will have the tools they need to protect sensitive data and deter cyber-attacks.”

The defense sector has a huge impact on New Mexico’s economy, with over 500 private defense suppliers. Based on a 2017 New Mexico Defense Industry Report, the highest amount of defense spending is focused on professional, scientific, and technical services. 

From September through December 2020, NMCCoE and MEP will be identifying companies to participate in the first cohort to assess their cybersecurity needs, and workshops will be customized to meet those needs. Photonics/optics technology companies interested in participating, should contact Lorie M. Liebrock, Ph.D., Director of New Mexico Tech Cybersecurity Centers at 575-835-6729

For more information about the Office of Science and Technology, visit gonm.biz/OST  

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