Cyber security companies in Maryland getting hot, not bothered
I went to visit a little company in Columbia called Sourcefire a few weeks back, on the trail of a story about what Maryland companies think about President Obama's push to upgrade the nation's cyber security capacity. (Hint: They're not unhappy about it, as my story today sez.)
I met with the company's founder, Martin Roesch (CTO), John Burris (CEO) and Todd Headley (CFO), who gave me and photographer Lloyd Fox a tour of their 300-person shop. Perhaps the funniest thing that struck me is the company's quirky little culture.
They have a mascot -- the Snort pig -- which they use to brand their intrusion prevention products for computer network safety. They have art on the walls of their offices that incorporates the pig, riffing on popular movie posters and art classics.
The Snort pig as "Neo" in The Matrix? As Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa"? (left) Hey -- why not?
Oh, and a classic bumper sticker, hung above founder Martin Roesch's desk: "My kid reads your honor student's email." (photo below) Total. Geek. Humor among the cyber security set who work closely with the alphabet soup of defense and intelligence agencies based in Maryland.
I hope one day my kid grows up knowing how to hack into computer networks (in a benevolent way, on the side of the good guys, of course.) 
Needless to say, Sourcefire is humming along. The company has had its ups and downs after it went public a few years ago, but revenue is going up and they're trying to stay lean as possible to get themselves to full-blown profitability.
But their long-term future seems steady, as we move deeper into a world where more of our lives are intricately tied to the virtual spheres we've created for our personal and professional lives.
There are probably hundreds of little companies that are hoping to ride some piece of the cyber security wave in Maryland, as money comes pouring out of Washington. Some state and business leaders think the state can become a "Silicon Valley of cyber security." Some say we're pretty much already established as one.
What do you think?
This is an archived version of the technology blog. For updated coverage, see the current baltTech location: baltimoresun.com/balttech
Comments
I hope that Sourcefire keeps its "quirky" little humorous culture, as this fuels the creative genius of its employees. Too many companies start out small with a relaxed culture and genius, but get too big and lean towards a more formal corporate culture. Then those genius minds move on to other companies where their creativity is less restricted. Since cyber-security is essential to the nation, it would be a shame if this happened. Sourcefire today is top-notch. I hope they stay that way!
Posted by: Cindy Le Fevre | June 23, 2009 6:21 PM
Gus,
I remember when I first got involved in the government business 30 years ago, everyone was talking about Space becoming the 4th battlefield with space based weapons, satellites and star wars. Billions of dollars spent and work continues. Cyber is the fifth battlespace and just as important, since almost everything is now connected to a network. Expect to see this need grow and grow for many years to come.
Allen
Posted by: Allen Shay | June 23, 2009 7:07 PM
I hope that your daughter hacks computers, too. It sounds like she might have a few years, but encourage her to use computers early and to not be scared of breaking them. Usually when you break things, you find out the best stuff.
So true. I will be sure to show your comment to my wife. When she's just a little older, my girl will get to play with a beat-up old Gateway laptop we have lying around. I will encourage her to take it apart. :-) -gs
Posted by: Kate | June 25, 2009 12:57 PM