
Cybersecurity
Overview
Cyber attacks are one of the biggest threats to government operations today and the security of government information systems is an urgent focus for agency leaders and technical experts. But for many, the response to cybersecurity has too often been to throw money and technology at the problem without paying the proper attention to preparing the organization and agency leaders for new cybersecurity practices and revising governance structures to make better risk-based decisions.
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Lafayette Group brings together the experience of cybersecurity trainers, risk management consultants, strategy and communications specialists, and policy experts to provide the highest quality cybersecurity support. Lafayette Group thrives on helping leaders and managers improve cybersecurity readiness at all levels of their organizations. We build and help implement governance groups, response and escalation procedures, concepts of operations, and outreach materials pertinent to our clients and their needs. We aim to make cybersecurity straightforward and accessible. Furthermore, we provide hands-on, in-the-field training and exercises to ensure your entire organization is cyber ready and can continue to build the capacity and maturity of your cybersecurity program.
Capabilities
Click on the following capabilities to learn more.

Strategic Planning for Cybersecurity Programs

Readying Organizations to Implement Cybersecurity Practices and Tools

Strategic Communications & Outreach to Cybersecurity Stakeholders

Cybersecurity Direct Assistance and Training
Strategic Planning for Cybersecurity Programs
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To be successful at implementing effective cybersecurity programs, agencies need senior leadership commitment, effective governance structures, and integrated cybersecurity risk management processes across all organizational components. To address these challenges, Lafayette Group helps federal, state and local agency leaders develop cybersecurity strategic plans, roadmaps, policies and procedures that enable implementation of new and expanded cybersecurity initiatives across their organizations. By defining a concrete strategic direction aligned with their mission and vision, our clients are able to outline measurable goals to reduce cybersecurity risk without impeding operations or breaking their budgets.
Readying Organizations to Implement Cybersecurity Practices and Tools
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Implementing cybersecurity tools and new processes across an organization is a complex endeavor. Not only do leaders have to install and monitor the latest cybersecurity tools, but they need to update and build decision-making processes (such as risk scoring) at the organizational level to help mitigate critical vulnerabilities and ensure information systems are adequately secure. Lafayette Group helps leaders understand how to communicate cybersecurity risk up to executive leadership and across the organization to effect the cultural changes needed to make cybersecurity practices into daily activities. Lafayette Group helps agencies build capabilities across the organization to achieve cybersecurity readiness and ultimately work toward improving their overall cybersecurity risk posture.
Cybersecurity Direct Assistance and Training
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We understand that cybersecurity success across federal, state, and local agencies is contingent on the ability of users and employees to understand cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities, as well as the practices and tools needed to mitigate them. We specialize in on-the-ground technical assistance and develop user guides, concepts of operations, white papers, and playbooks for customer agencies to help users learn new procedures and implement decision-making practices. We have performed several thousand technical assistance and training engagements for leaders, operators, and technical staff. We approach training and assistance from a user point of view, first ensuring that the information is easy to understand and implement. We offer custom training and assistance packages that include facilitated workshops, one-on-one meetings, small group sessions, and conference presentations. Lafayette Group also provides cybersecurity tabletop exercises and leadership-focused training workshops.
Strategic Communications and Outreach to Cybersecurity Stakeholders
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Lafayette Group helps agency leaders effectively communicate and promote cybersecurity program activities across their organization to users and to customers. We provide a full package of strategic communications expertise including stakeholder engagement, strategic messaging, collateral design and production, graphic design, video production, media relations and analysis, working group support, and event management. We build and track comprehensive measures and metrics for cybersecurity programs accompanied by the analytical depth to understand the data and communicate successes and areas for improvement to leaders and customers.
Experts & Project Insights
Steven McKinnon
Steven started his career in 2003 as a network engineer and planner for a large worldwide telecommunications company. Since then, he's witnessed significant technological changes in the industry while supporting the Federal Government as a senior cybersecurity consultant, cybersecurity engineer, and subject matter expert. "Everything will change in how technology is developed, applied, and maintained. It is important to keep learning and building a skillset and knowledge base that is both competent and transferable," says Steven.
At Lafayette Group, Steven supports our government clients in assisting federal agencies in increasing their adoption and usage of a billion-dollar program to improve their cybersecurity risk posture. "It is challenging but has a high payoff that helps protect our government networks and, in turn, protects our nation and its citizens," says Steven.