Markesman is proud to announce the formation of Tuple, a mentor-protégé joint venture with HII.

Together, Markesman and HII form a unified team to accelerate next-generation cybersecurity solutions for the defense marketplace.  

Tuple was formed under the U.S. Small Business Administration mentor-protégé program, which allows eligible small businesses to gain capacity and win government contracts by partnering with more experienced government contractors like HII, which serve as mentors.

The Tuple joint venture will leverage HII’s information warfare domain and Markesman Group’s unique cyber operations expertise to support the Department of Defense’s cyber mission as it pertains to force transformation and multi-domain operations. Combined capability areas include offensive and defensive cyber operations; vulnerability analysis and risk assessment; cloud and software development; and enterprise IT operations, architecture and engineering support.

“HII and Markesman will accelerate the development and deployment of cyber capabilities for operations and systems critical to national security,” said Grant Hagen, president of the Cyber, Electronic Warfare and Space business group in HII’s Mission Technologies division. “This joint venture will combine our unique mix of skills and domain expertise to support warfighters where and when they need it.”

“By creating the Tuple joint venture, our two companies are able to bring experts together to fast-track new concepts, prototype them and enable a path to faster operational execution while optimizing mission outcomes,” said Alex Wang, chief operating officer and co-founder of Markesman Group.

Learn about Tuple at: https://www.tuple.one/.   

About HII:
HII is a global, all-domain defense partner, building and delivering the world’s most powerful, survivable naval ships and technologies that safeguard our seas, sky, land, space and cyber. As America’s largest shipbuilder and with a more than 135-year history of advancing U.S. national defense, we are united by our mission in service of the heroes who protect our freedom. HII’s diverse workforce includes skilled tradespeople; artificial intelligence, machine learning (AI/ML) experts; engineers; technologists; scientists; logistics experts; and business professionals. Headquartered in Virginia, HII’s workforce is 44,000 strong. For more information, visit:

• HII on the web: hii.com
• HII on Facebook: facebook.com/TeamHII
• HII on Twitter: twitter.com/WeAreHII
• HII on Instagram: instagram.com/WeAreHII

About Markesman Group: 
​Markesman Group is a service disabled-veteran owned small business providing information warfare solutions for our customers in the federal government across the digital domain. Markesman Group leads by inspiring its people to dare to think about tomorrow’s solutions today. In pursuit of information superiority, we recognize the integration of information, technology and capabilities as our decisive advantage in defending our nation and shaping our client’s everyday mission. With the agility of a small business, the value of knowledge and capabilities within each unique individual, we deliver to our customers the ability to reach and exceed the mission and goals.

• Markesman Group on the web: https://www.markesman.com/
• Markesman Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarkesmanGroup/
• Markesman Group on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/MarkesmanGroup/
• Markesman Group on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MarkesmanGroup/

Using Strong ​Passwords
​Having unique, long and complex passwords is one of the best ways to immediately boost your cybersecurity. Yet, only 43% of the public say that they “always” or “very often” use strong passwords. Password cracking is one of the go-to tactics that cybercriminals turn to in order to access sensitive information. And if you are a “password repeater,” once a cybercriminal has hacked one of your accounts, they can easily do the same across all of your accounts.

Password Tips:
One of the first lines of defense for keeping your information safe online is the use of a password.

​Some password tips are as follows:

• ​Use different passwords on different accounts. One of the leading causes of unauthorized access to accounts is the reuse of login credentials (see National Cyber Awareness System Tips—Choosing  and Protecting Passwords).
• Use the longest password allowed. The longer and more complicated a password is, the harder it will be for someone to access your accounts. Use 11 characters or more, a short sentence or a mix of letters, symbols and numbers to strengthen your passwords.
• Reset your password every few months. Reset your passwords regularly, especially when these passwords allow access to confidential accounts, such as banking or medical data. It is vital to reset passwords as it takes most companies an average of six months to notice that a data breach has happened. By the time a data breach is reported, a threat actor could already be using and/or selling your data.
• Use a password manager. With just one master password, a password manager can generate and retrieve passwords for every account that you have – encrypting and protecting your online information, including credit card numbers and their three-

Using A Password Manager:
One of the biggest reasons that individuals repeat passwords is that it can be tough to remember all of the passwords you have. Fortunately, by using a password manager, individuals can securely store all of their unique passwords in one place. Meaning, people only have to remember one password. In addition, password managers are incredibly easy to use and can automatically plug-in stored passwords when you visit a site.

​Concerned About Cyber?
4 Easy Steps for Staying Secure in 2022
​
Cybersecurity has become one of the biggest hot topics both inside and outside of technology circles over the last two years. From securing learning devices due to a rise in digital learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, to coping with the fallout of high-profile breaches of national infrastructure such as the Colonial Pipeline, there is a seemingly endless newscycle dedicated to cybersecurity mishaps and concerns.
 
And with this onslaught of negative news, it can be easy for everyday individuals to become overwhelmed and to feel powerless in the face of the “insurmountable” threats posed by cybersecurity. But in actuality nothing could be further from the truth.
 
With all of the jargon that is typically thrown around in relation to cybersecurity there is a longstanding misperception that cybersecurity is beyond everyday people and that it should be left to the professionals. Moreover, there is a prevailing sense among the public that breaches are simply a fact of life and that we should just learn to deal with them. But this just isn’t true. In fact, everyday people have a huge role to play in cybersecurity threat prevention, detection, and remediation. For example, according to IBM, 95% of breaches have human error as a main cause. Therefore, everyday day technology users are very much the first line of defense when it comes to thwarting cybercrime. Unfortunately though, many individuals are not aware of some of the best practices for boosting cybersecurity and how easy they are to use.
 
With that, here are a few key best practices that everyday people can implement today to enhance their own cybersecurity and create a more secure world for everyone.

Part 1: Watch Out For Phishing

​Phishing – when a cybercriminal poses as a legitimate party in hopes of getting individuals to engage with malicious content or links – remains one of the most popular tactics among cybercriminals today. In fact, 80% of cybersecurity incidents stem from a phishing attempt. However, while phishing has gotten more sophisticated, keeping an eye out for typos, poor graphics and other suspicious characteristics can be a tell tale sign that the content is potentially coming from a “phish.” In addition, if you think you have spotted a phishing attempt be sure to report the incident so that internal IT teams and service providers can remediate the situation and prevent others from possibly becoming victims.

Phishing attacks in data breaches increased 11% from 2019 to 2020. It went from 25% to 36% based on
analysis of confirmed breaches. (Verizon) Phishing attacks have become an increasingly common problem for organizations of all sizes and can be very difficult to spot. 30% of small businesses consider phishing attacks to be their top cybersecurity concern. It’s important for every individual to stop and think before clicking on a link or attachment in a message and know how to spot the red flags. Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022 will give individuals the tools they need to recognize a phish and report it to their organization or email provider.

Additional Facts and Figures:

• Only 60% of adults could define what “phishing” is. (Google)
• Nearly 3 out of 4 companies experienced a phishing attack in 2020 (Symantecs).
• 72% of respondents reported that they checked to see whether messages were legitimate (i.e. phishing or a scam) compared to 10% who reported not doing so. (NCA)
• Nearly half of the participants (48%) reported phishing emails to the sender (e.g. the real person the cyber criminal tried to impersonate by sending the phishing email). (NCA)
• 42% of the participants said they used the reporting capability on a platform (e.g. Gmail) “very often” or “always”. (NCA)

Markesman Group Announces Commitment to Growing Global Cybersecurity Success by Becoming a Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022 Champion
Building on annual success Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022 is set to highlight the growing importance of cybersecurity in our daily lives and look to empower everyday individuals and business to take cybersecurity steps by making cyber more accessible
 
October 1, 2022 —  Markesman Group today announced that it has signed on as Champion for Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022. Founded in 2004, Cybersecurity Awareness Month, held each October, is the world’s foremost initiative aimed at promoting cybersecurity awareness and best practices. The Cybersecurity Awareness Month Champions Program is a collaborative effort among businesses, government agencies, colleges and universities, associations, nonprofit organizations and individuals committed to the educating others on online safety.
 
From mobile to connected home devices, technology is becoming more intertwined with our lives everyday. And while the evolution of technology is moving at the speed of sound, cybercriminals are working just as hard to find ways to compromise technology and disrupt personal and business life. Cybersecurity Awareness Month aims to highlight some of the emerging challenges that exist in the world of cybersecurity today and provide straightforward actionable guidance that anyone can follow to create a safe and secure digital world for themselves and their loved ones.
 
This year, the Cybersecurity Awareness Month’s main focal areas revolve around four key fundamental cybersecurity best practices:

• Recognizing and reporting phishing – still one of the primary threat actions used by cybercriminals today.
• Understanding the benefits of using a password manager and dispelling existing myths around password manager security and ease of use.
• Enabling multi-factor authentication on personal devices and business networks.
• Installing updates on a regular basis and turning on automated updates.

 
Now in its 19th year, Cybersecurity Awareness Month continues to build momentum and impact with the ultimate goal of providing everyone with the information they need to stay safer and more secure online. Markesman is proud to support this far-reaching online safety awareness and education initiative which is co-led by the National Cyber Security Alliance and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
 
For more information about Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022 and how to participate in a wide variety of activities, visit staysafeonline.org/cybersecurity-awareness-month/. You can also follow and use the official hashtag #BeCyberSmart on social media throughout the month.
  
About Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Cybersecurity Awareness Month is designed to engage and educate public - and private-sector partners through events and initiatives with the goal of raising awareness about cybersecurity to increase the resiliency of the nation in the event of a cyber incident. Since the Presidential proclamation establishing Cybersecurity Awareness Month in 2004, the initiative has been formally recognized by Congress, federal, state and local governments and leaders from industry and academia. This united effort is necessary to maintain a cyberspace that is safer and more resilient and remains a source of tremendous opportunity and growth for years to come. For more information, visit staysafeonline.org/cybersecurity-awareness-month/ 
 
About National Cybersecurity Alliance
The National Cybersecurity Alliance is a non-profit organization on a mission to create a more secure, interconnected world. We advocate for the safe use of all technology and educate everyone on how best to protect ourselves, our families, and our organizations from cybercrime. We create strong partnerships between governments and corporations to amplify our message and to foster a greater “digital” good. National Cybersecurity Alliance’s core efforts include Cybersecurity Awareness Month (October); Data Privacy Week (Jan. 24-28th); and CyberSecure My Business™, which offers webinars, web resources and workshops to help businesses be resistant to and resilient from cyberattacks. For more information, please visit https://staysafeonline.org.