Federal grant to help S.C. defense industry combat cybercrime

Listen to this article

The S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce has received a second round of funding from the U.S. Department of Defense to combat cybercrime. 

The $775,829 grant will be used by DEW, along with the S.C. Manufacturing Extension Partnership and the S.C. Department of Commerce, to support companies contracted by DOD through the South Carolina Cyber Assistance Program. The program aims to educate the state's defense manufacturing community about cybersecurity threats and provide technical assistance to help companies that produce parts and products critical to military operations comply with DOD cybersecurity standards. 

According to a news release from DEW, 752 defense firms in S.C. are currently fulfilling $2.1 billion in federal contracts, part of the $24.1 billion annual economic impact the military has on the state. Home to 62,520 DOD personnel, South Carolina has 181,847 jobs directly or indirectly supported by the military, with $9.9 billion in labor income. 

S.C. manufacturers with a current DOD contract are invited to attend the SC Cybersecurity Summit on Sept. 1 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. The event will feature some of the nation's top cybersecurity experts, as well as information on obtaining the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification.