National Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Courtney Jackson Q&A for Cyber Solutions

Paragon Cyber Solutions LLC is a cybersecurity and IT services firm specializing in Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) solutions. Led by a seasoned entrepreneur, Courtney Jackson, the company offers tailored services to businesses in highly regulated industries, particularly federal contractors. With a focus on excellence and talent development, Paragon has successfully overcome challenges and established itself as a trusted provider of cybersecurity solutions.

Interviewee: Courtney Jackson | Founder & CEO, Paragon Cyber Solutions

October 2024

Q: What are the most common cybersecurity threats that businesses face today?

A: Ransomware attacks are common and frequent for businesses.  These attacks can cripple operations by encrypting important company data and holding it for ransom, which can result in significant financial loss, and damage a company’s reputation. 

 Phishing attacks are very common and are often a bad actors way of gaining access to business systems and networks by impersonating a person or business.  These attacks appear legitimate which makes them highly effective and dangerous.

Insider threat comes from within an organization, either through malicious intent or negligence.  Employees, contractors, or business partners who have access to sensitive information can cause security breaches, either intentionally or accidentally. 

Q: How do you see the cybersecurity landscape evolving in the next few years?

A: I foresee the cybersecurity landscape evolving significantly in the next few years due to rapid technological advancements and an increase in sophisticated cyber threats.  There will likely be an increased use of AI and Machine Learning (ML).  For defense, AI and ML will help identify and respond to threats in real-time.  For attacks, cybercriminals are increasingly leveraging AI and ML to launch more sophisticated and targeted attacks.

Additionally, there will likely be an increased focus on Zero Trust Architecture implementation as opposed to the traditional perimeter-based security model that’s becoming obsolete over time.  Lastly, Quantum Computing could break current encryption algorithms, making traditional cryptographic methods obsolete.

Q: What are Paragon Cyber Solutions LLC's core services and offerings?

A: Our core service offerings include Cybersecurity, Information Technology (IT), and Training. 

Our Cybersecurity services primarily involve Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC).  We conduct security assessments and audits to help companies identifies weaknesses and create compliance roadmaps to strengthen their security and meet their business goals.  For companies with limited security staff, we provide virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) services on a retainer basis.

Specific to the federal government, we are an authorized Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Certified Third-Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO).  Once mandated, we can conduct CMMC assessment for federal contractors to meet certification and compliance requirements.  We also specialize in helping government contractors with the Risk Management Framework (RMF) process by achieving Approvals to Operate (ATOs). 

 Our IT services include system administration / engineering, network administration, and configuration management.

 Our specialized military training includes software our Prime work supporting the Navy Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT) with Instructional System Design and Global Air Transportation Execution System (GATES).

Additionally, I offer 1-1 “Ask Me Anything” calls to answer burning questions surrounding entrepreneurship, government contracting, CMMC, and cybersecurity.  My calls are tailored to what my customer wants to discuss with custom advice and guidance.  I am also finalizing the details for my 'Gateway to Entrepreneurship' accelerator program which I am very excited to share with budding entrepreneurs!

Q: How do you identify and target your ideal customer segment?

A: We identify and target our ideal customer segments by leveraging a strategic, data-driven approach including but not limited to: industry focus, needs assessment, and relationship building.

Specific to industry focus, we specialize in cybersecurity, information technology, and training services, with a keen focus on businesses operating within highly regulated industries, including federal contractors and government agencies. This naturally directs us toward organizations that must meet stringent compliance requirements, such as CMMC certification. For needs assessments, we conduct thorough market research to identify the unique pain points and regulatory challenges that companies in these sectors face. By staying ahead of evolving security standards, we ensure that our solutions are tailored to meet the specific needs of businesses that require advanced cybersecurity protections and IT services. Relationship building is extremely important for us to foster strong relationships by executing in excellence with integrity and honor.

Q: What marketing channels and strategies have been most effective for acquiring new customers?

A: To date our growth has been organic resulting from a relationship, a referral, and working with our customers to identify and address their pain points.  This year we launched a marketing effort that includes social media, and our team attends relevant events / conferences. 

Q: What challenges did you face when starting and growing Paragon Cyber Solutions LLC?

A: Entrepreneurship has not been a smooth road. The awards and accolades are externally visible, but there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes and in my daily work which leads to that. My initial challenge was starting a new government contracting company with no experience under my business name. I had many years of experience as a federal contractor, but it was obtained while working for other companies.

When I launched Paragon, I essentially started from scratch despite my relevant years of work experience, degrees, and certifications. I did not have a mentor at that time to provide guidance or strategy, so I learned as much as I could by doing the work, online research, and networking. I started small with freelance contracts to generate revenue and experience (e.g. past performance) under my business name. I reinvested what I earned into my business as I did not take a salary the first several years. While I was performing commercial (non-government) work, I was researching government contracting trends and different set-asides that I could pursue. I eventually received a business introduction that landed me a temporary two-month position on a local government contract. Within that short timeframe, I achieved a significant milestone for the customer which turned my temporary contract into a full-time annual one, that eventually turned into Paragon’s first government contract.

Another struggle has been as a minority woman in a male dominated field. I've dealt with imposter syndrome and people’s assumptions that I was not as tech savvy or intelligent as my male counterparts. Admittingly, it took me a while to find my voice but once I did, I continued to excel in my career and uplift other women in the field on their journeys.

Q: How have you addressed the talent gap in the cybersecurity industry?

A: We have a Florida Department of Labor approved Cybersecurity apprenticeship program that helps people with interest in cybersecurity gain real-world hands-on work experience.  As an approved Department of Defense (DoD) Skill Bridge employer, we assist active-duty military members by providing real world cybersecurity experience, in addition to networking and community opportunities.  We also support the Hiring our Heroes (HoH) program, active duty and spouses, with work experience and potential job placement.  

Q: What are your plans for scaling the business and expanding into new markets?

A: In addition to our organic growth path, we are investing more in business development and full lifecycle proposals.  This year we added resources to our team to help support those efforts, in addition to increased marketing.

Q: How do you differentiate Paragon Cyber Solutions LLC from competitors in the cybersecurity market?

A: Paragon stands for a model of excellence which is what we deliver to our customers through our work and partnerships. I bootstrapped the business without mentorship, guidance, or financial investment, and built it to a 20+ employee company (still growing).  We have internal processes to ensure thorough work is done, deliverables are met, and that we exceed our customer expectations.  As the CEO I am accessible and as a small business, we are agile with the ability to shift as necessary in support of our customer’s mission and the warfighter.

There are a lot of options when it comes to employees, companies, etc. I feel it’s important to give 110% in our work to stand out above our competitors and achieve new heights. Having a strong work ethic is embedded in my core and something I look for in my team members.

Q: Can you share a success story of a client who benefited significantly from your cybersecurity services?

A: One of our clients had to achieve ISO 27001 for a big contract they were planning to pursue but they did not have any security policies, processes, or procedures in place. I worked closely with their leadership and technical team to build out their company-wide Information Security Management System (ISMS) which resulted in zero findings for their ISO 27001 certification.