News

Take a look at our most recent newsletters, announcements, and more.

MathCraft News Page Photo

April 2023

FSO Spotlight: MathCraft's Newsletter for Security Professionals - Q1 2023

Reshaping how we approach security:

It's the beginning of 2023, and we've already witnessed an array of groundbreaking events reshaping how we approach security. For example, the skies are no longer off-limits as spy balloons take flight, introducing a new dimension of aerial surveillance that demands innovative countermeasures. Meanwhile, cyber-attacks continue to evolve on the digital frontier, with AI-driven threats posing significant challenges to critical infrastructures.

We share the latest news and strategies to help you stay ahead of the curve in this ever-changing security landscape.

April is the start of the busy traveling season for us. We hope to see you at one of the many Industrial Security events. Be sure to look for us, and stop by. We have fantastic goodies and hope to see familiar faces and make new friends. To see our 2023 schedule, please visit our website's events page.

December 2022

FSO Spotlight: MathCraft's Newsletter for Security Professionals - Q4 2022

Wrapping up 2022

From our MathCraft family to yours, we wish you a healthy and happy holiday season.

We express our appreciation to our colleagues, clients, and partners. It has been another eventful year for facility security officers (FSOs), government contractors, and cybersecurity professionals.

As we enter 2023, we are confronted with new challenges and risks. Know that MathCraft is here to keep you informed and help cleared facilities meet the rapidly changing security landscape.

MathCraft News Page
Burnout

July 2022

FSO Spotlight: MathCraft's Newsletter for Security Professionals - Q3 2022

Thank you, NCMS!

We had a fantastic time at the NCMS 58th Annual Training Seminar in June. For all of you who stopped by our booth and grabbed a pen or two (and a bag), thank you! It was so good to see everyone in person again!! And, in case you missed the announcement of our AirPods Pro raffle winner, it was Lamont Dodson of Iron Mountain.

Do you know what theme emerged during the show? Burnout. FSOs (like you) are feeling both overworked and overwhelmed. Unfortunately, the better you do your job, the harder it gets to convince upper management that you need help. It’s a catch-22. We get it, and we actually hear it all the time…

March 2022

FSO Spotlight: MathCraft's Newsletter for Security Professionals - Q2 2022

Braving the Coming Cyberwar

We’re just a few months into 2022, and war has broken out in Europe: in response, America’s federal agencies are scrambling to enforce cybersecurity laws, while Congress is hard at work passing new ones.

These are perilous times indeed for FSOs, CSOs and other security professionals working in the heart of America’s most sensitive facilities: here at MathCraft, we offer our steadfast support, bringing you the latest national security news along with the industry standard for enterprise security software.

Cyberwar
Looking Ahead

January 2022

FSO Spotlight: MathCraft's Newsletter for Security Professionals - Q1 2022

Looking Ahead in 2022

2021 was a long and eventful year for facility security officers (FSOs), cybersecurity professionals and government contractors at large. While there is much to look back on, there is also much that we may look forward to.

Just as we are stepping into 2022, we are also being confronted by a brand new set of challenges and risks. At every step along the way, MathCraft is here to keep you informed, and help cleared facilities to meet the demands of a rapidly changing security landscape.

October 2021

FSO Spotlight: MathCraft's Newsletter for Security Professionals - Q3 2021

New Legislation and Changing Threats

2021 has been an eventful year for cybersecurity as the U.S comes to grips with rising ransomware and IoT attacks, supply chain vulnerabilities and more. Following May’s executive order, this quarter has seen new legislation from multiple agencies, the risk of a government shutdown and many other developments.

It’s a lot to keep up with, and MathCraft is here to give you the scoop. The role of FSOs and other security officers in America’s security preparedness has never been greater, and this drives us to keep our subscribers informed with the latest news, tips and “need-to-know” information.

Legislation
Black Hat

June 2021

FSO Spotlight: MathCraft's Newsletter for Security Professionals - Q2 2021

FSOs and Cybersecurity Challenges

In just a few months, the U.S has been racked by major cybersecurity breaches like the Florida Water Supply and Colonial Pipeline attacks. Each new incident reminds us that no one is immune to compromise: not even cleared organizations.

In 2021, FSOs are dealing with a new set of challenges, from foreign actors to ransomware attacks and supply chain vulnerabilities. As always, MathCraft is here to provide the tools and information you need to protect your organization from emerging threats.

March 2021

FSO Spotlight: MathCraft's Newsletter for Security Professionals - Q1 2021

A New Chapter for Security Officers

2021 is finally here: with new legislation already enacted in a rapidly changing landscape for security and risk, the coming months have many challenges in store for federal executives, FSOs and other security officers. But following one of the most difficult years for federal security on record, we look towards the future with optimism, and we are excited to share new resources to help FSOs on their journey.

New Chapter
Wrapping Up

December 2020

FSO Spotlight: MathCraft's Newsletter for Security Professionals - Q4 2020

Wrapping up 2020

The end of 2020 is finally here, and looking back on the challenges we all faced this year, we wish to express appreciation to our colleagues, clients, and partners; we applaud your ability to endure in times of adversity.

We wish you a healthy, safe and prosperous 2021!

October 2020

FSO Spotlight: MathCraft's Newsletter for Security Professionals - Q3 2020

Security Under Lockdown: The FSO in Times of Crisis

2020 is a time of crisis for federal agencies and contractors. With an upcoming election, impending changes to security legislation and an ongoing pandemic that has forced organizations to expand their remotely employed workforce, this year has confronted them with an onslaught of uniquely difficult challenges.

Masks
COVID-19

July 2020

FSO Spotlight: MathCraft's Newsletter for Security Professionals - Q2 2020

During this unprecedented and challenging time, our team remains committed to providing client support and the essential professional services required of the Federal Sector employees and contractors we assist. Our support hours remain the same and we appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve you.

COVID-19:  Worklife Resiliency and Adaptation

We came across the following article that really resonated with us and wanted to share it with you.

How the post-COVID workplace will change business for the better | World Economic Forum

July 2020

MathCraft Security Technologies, Inc. Promotes Industrial Security Compliance with Access Commander 4.0

Major software update completed for Facility Security Officers (FSOs) and GovCons

Ashburn, Virginia – 07/07/2020 – MathCraft Security Technologies, Inc. has announced the release of industrial security compliance solution Access Commander® 4.0. Geared towards Facility Security Officers (FSOs) and other government contracting professionals, Access Commander 4.0 is built for comprehensive compliance with national security regulations including the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) and the DoD’s upcoming Cybersecurity Model Maturity Certification (CMMC) program.

Access Commander 4.0
Maze

April 2020

FSO Spotlight: MathCraft's Newsletter for Security Professionals - Q1 2020

During this unprecedented and challenging time, our team remains committed to providing client support and the essential professional services required of the Federal Sector employees and contractors we assist. Our support hours remain the same and we appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve you.

Announcing Access Commander 4.0!

MathCraft is proud to announce Access Commander 4.0. Complete with a state-of-the-art user interface, new modules, new dashboards and lots more, compliance has never been easier.

December 2019

FSO Spotlight: MathCraft's Newsletter for Security Professionals - Q4 2019

Get Ready for the 2020s: A Decade of Security Modernization

HAPPY NEW YEAR from MathCraft!

With a decade of advancements in security standards and modernization across the federal government behind us, the next ten years are shaping up to be just as interesting: In 2019, the DCSA emerged as the government’s newest security agency under the DoD. Using artificial intelligence and machine learning, it managed to reduce the unwieldy clearance backlog – what will it do next?

Now that foreign espionage and insider threats have distinguished themselves as the year’s most potent danger to National Security, the DCSA – along with the rest of the industry – will combat them through a combination of emerging technologies: automation, data analysis and smarter compliance. To survive the next ten years, organizations will have to embrace modernization and stay one step ahead of risk.

Happy New Year
Risk Management

September 2019

FSO Spotlight: MathCraft's Newsletter for Security Professionals - Q3 2019

2020 Will Be the Year of Risk Management

Managing risk begins with identifying and tracking vulnerable systems: the more systems multiply, the greater the risk. As such, today’s rapid development and proliferation of new technologies are often cited as the primary reason that risk is on the rise. But this analysis overlooks the greatest risk of all, and that’s people both inside and outside an organization.

Unlike technology assets, the threat of other human beings cannot be managed by checking off a box. That is why today’s organizations must move past rote compliance to a risk-based security strategy. According to a member of the newly formed Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency” (DCSA), this is the mindset that security officers will need to embrace as 2019 draws to a close.

June 2019

FSO Spotlight: MathCraft's Newsletter for Security Professionals - June 2019

New in Access Commander 4.0

Full details of the upcoming Access Commander update will be unveiled later this summer. In the meantime, here’s a sneak peak at new functionality:

  • Suspicious contact reporting
  • Insider Threat Dashboard
  • Enhanced User Profile Management
  • Foreign Ownership, Control or Influence (FOCI) module

With new and completely overhauled modules, we’ve revolutionized the FSO workflow all over again.

New in Access Commander
Hacker

April 2019

FSO Spotlight: MathCraft's Newsletter for Security Professionals - Q2 2019

Beware the Enemy Within

A media focus on hackers, advanced persistent threats (APTs) and foreign intruders gives the impression that organizations are most endangered by outside actors. In reality, 75% of security breaches occur because of insiders. Most of the time, they aren’t malicious: training users to follow simple protocol can stop a significant number of incidents.

January 2019

FSO Spotlight: MathCraft's Newsletter for Security Professionals - Q1 2019

Creating a Positive, Pro-Security Culture

Are the members of your security team the “bad guys” in your organization? Creating the right company culture requires more than the popular “just-in-time” training. Security should be a habit – not a hindrance. Everyone needs to understand the importance of security in everything that you do.

Pro-Security Culture
Privacy

October 2018

FSO Spotlight: MathCraft's Newsletter for Security Professionals - Q4 2018

Protecting the Privacy of Your Employees

Recent news stories have attempted to piece together how a former CIA officer’s SF-86 ended up in the hands of a super PAC.
Abigail Spanberger, who is running for Congress in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, reported at the end of August that a super PAC got its hands on her entire federal security clearance application.

“OPM rules state unequivocally that SF-86s are not to be filed in the Official Personnel Folder.” 

While people are still trying to get to the bottom of the incident, it appears that Spanberger’s SF-86 was released due to simple oversight. Her application was in her personnel folder, which was released, in its entirety, in response to a FOIA request.
Where do you store your SF-86s? Are you putting the privacy of your employees at risk?

July 2018

FSO Spotlight: MathCraft's Newsletter for Security Professionals - Q3 2018

Easing the Security Clearance Backlog

With a backlog of over 710,000 cases, it seems like only a miracle could resolve the clearance-processing debacle.

Machine learning may be that miracle. Powered by predictive modeling and some really cool algorithms, periodic reinvestigation cases could be screened and flagged without any human effort.

While the idea is still in its infancy, machine learning could help remove the 200,000+ reinvestigation cases from the backlog quickly, alleviating some of the work OPM must do to free itself from the security clearance process.

Security Clearance Backlog
Risk Management Framework

January 2018

FSO Spotlight: MathCraft's Newsletter for Security Professionals - Q1 2018

The Risk Management Framework

As of January 1, 2018, every National Industrial Security Program (NISP) partner must have completely transitioned to the Risk Management Framework (RMF) outlined in the Defense Security Service (DSS) Assessments and Authorization Process Manual (DAAPM). Is your enterprise compliant?

January 2018

MathCraft releases new RMF Module to comply with New Defense Security Service regulations 

WASHINGTON, D.C.– In response to new Defense Security Service (DSS) provisions for 2018, MathCraft Security Technologies, Inc. recently developed a Risk Management Framework (RMF) module within their Access Commander® platform to conform to mandatory security requirements. The RMF dictates how Information Systems (IS) must be authorized, as outlined in the DSS Assessments and Authorization Process Manual (DAAPM).  

RMF Module
Ribbon-Cutting

October 2017

Welcome to the inaugural issue of the FSO Spotlight!

This newsletter is for the men and women who work diligently every day to protect the nation’s most sensitive information. Every issue, we’ll talk about the latest trends and insights in the security industry, and we will give you some tips for streamlining your operations for maximum efficiency
and compliance.

MathCraft Security Technologies, Inc.

44121 Harry Byrd Highway

Suite 200

Ashburn, Virginia 20147

Phone: 703.729.9022

Email: info@mathcraft.com