Former NSA Chief brings IronNet to Howard County

Former Director of the National Security Agency (NSA) announced that he will move his business into our backyard. General Keith Alexander decided to set up shop in Howard County, Maryland. The scheduled completion for the move is this spring.

Howard County now has to be considered a nationwide powerhouse when it comes to cyber security. With multiple training facilities, nearby Fort Meade, APL, Cisco, and Oracle all in the surrounding  area, it is hard to dispute this Maryland is atop the leader board when it comes to cyber security.

General Alexander brings IronNet to Howard County, a company that provides offensive and defensive cyber security measures and comprehensive cyber security solutions. Since IronNet will become our new neighbors, let’s take a closer look at what they bring to the table.IronNet will allegedly be looking for around two dozen specialists in the cyber security field to employ for their advanced security services. However, the eye opening numbers that are being tossed around are in the millions. Allegedly, IronNet charges about a million dollars a month for their services.

Usually this money is made when banks hire IronNet to protect their data and important information from hackers. This is where some people are starting to get sketched out. The NSA is known for having ties to big business, big banks and the information useful to the NSA.

The NSA and collusion

Many people are weary to put their trust in the NSA, especially as more information comes out about them spying on the public and their history of colluding with big businesses, such as the recent NSA data leak brought to you by Booz Allen. These incidents makes you ponder where does government end and business begin. These allegations against the NSA make it hard to trust that Alexander is going to step down as director of the NSA and sever all ties with the government agency, while heading a private business.

Much of what the NSA does is hidden from anyone without top-secret clearance. It would be hard to find out if IronNet is truly its own entity, or if it is working with the NSA.

Overall it is hard to expect IronNet will not positively impact the Howard County community. The leadership and expertise that General Alexander will bring to this area, along with the job opportunities and capital that will come from this business will only help solidify Maryland’s cyber security reputation.

This business can also help manage reputations for banks that hire IronNet since people around the country are starting to see big banks, such as Chase, deal with costly security breaches. The Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. area has also experienced security breaches with local businesses and even universities such as University of Maryland. These establishments could benefit from hiring IronNet, but could they afford their services?

No one can tell what the impact of this move will be until the spring. So cross your fingers and hope for the best.