Maryland’s presence as the Cyber Capital of America is catching on. And when you look at the state’s talented workforce, federal assets, and pool of cybersecurity companies, it’s easy to see why. As the state continues to flex its cybersecurity muscles, we’re increasingly taking our cybersecurity message global. Here’s how.

Forging Strategic Agreements

Infrastructure was the theme of Governor Hogan’s recent mission to Australia, and he didn’t miss an opportunity to to discuss cybersecurity opportunities between Maryland and Australia during the trip. While in Australia, Governor Hogan spoke at the 2019 Defence Industry Cyber Summit, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with South Australian Premier Steven Marshall, and provided a briefing on business opportunities in Maryland.

Maryland-based Tenable, a cybersecurity company serving 27,000 organizations around the globe, represented Maryland at the briefing, speaking about the benefits of being a Maryland-based company.

“As global digital transformation continues to drive cybersecurity challenges across national boundaries, it is crucial for businesses, organizations and governments in allied countries to develop strong international partnerships,” said James Hayes, vice president of global government affairs at Tenable.

In addition to agreements with Australia, Maryland has forged cybersecurity partnerships all over the world. Earlier this year, the state reaffirmed its cooperative agreement with Estonia. And just last week, Maryland renewed an MOU with West Holland and signed a new MOU with Northern Ireland.

Serving as a Gateway for Global Cybersecurity Companies

Tenable is among the Maryland cybersecurity companies with a global footprint. Tenable CFO Steve Vintz credits Maryland’s resources, including talent and prime location, for helping the company as it expands internationally.

“Our headquarters in downtown Columbia is close to national security and civilian cybersecurity agencies,” Vintz said. “This access to critically important federal customers and prospects, as well as a robust talent pipeline, has been a significant strategic advantage for Tenable as we compete in the global cybersecurity marketplace.”

Tenable, along with five other Maryland cybersecurity companies (Cybrary, Dragos, IronNet, Sonotype, and ZeroFox) were among Cybercrime Magazine’s list of the world’s “Hot 150 Cybersecurity Companies to Watch in 2020.”

Attending Overseas Industry Trade Shows

Maryland Commerce has a team of professionals dedicated to helping grow Maryland’s global footprint. This team helps connect in-state businesses to resources to help them expand internationally, and works to attract foreign companies to Maryland. One way the team reaches these global cybersecurity companies is by attending security related trade shows, including ExpoDefensa in December, and ExpoSeguridad and InfoSecurity Europe in 2020. When Maryland Commerce attends international trade shows, the team often takes a delegation of Maryland companies. Learn more about the upcoming trade show opportunities.

Learn more about Maryland’s growing IT & Cybersecurity industry.