Cyber Security Firm to Bring 180 Jobs to County

Accuvant Federal Solutions announced it would open its new security operations center in Dorsey in Columbia on Thursday. The opening was announced as Howard County works to attract additional cyber security firms to the area.

"It's a great location," said Frank McLallen, vice president of Accuvant's public sector division. "It makes it easy for us to recruit the best experts in cyber security." 

The firm will bring approximately 180 jobs to Howard County over the next two years, according to a company statement.

Accuvant's arrival is part of a broader push by the Howard County Economic Development Authority (HCEDA) to attract the burgeoning cyber security business, according to HCEDA CEO Laura Newman.

"There is no state better positioned than Maryland," said Newman about the state's proximity to federal agencies who offer lucrative security contracts.

"Maryland is the epicenter for cyber security," said Dominick E. Murray, acting secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, in a statement, "and Howard County is an ideal location for companies that need to be close to the defense industry, Washington DC, and the intelligence cluster around Fort Meade."

Accuvant, a Denver-based company, specializes in responding to potential security threats to data assets, according to a company statement.

Due to the nature of its work, the company did not provide an address of its new location in Columbia, according to county officials.

Howard County provided a $30,000 facility grant and the Maryalnd Economic Development Assistance Fund gave the company a $300,000 conditional loan as part of the relocation and expansion package.

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