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James McGriff, Co-FounderIn 2018, a breach pierced the fortified walls of its digital stronghold. A hacker carefully scanned the network and found an open port, gaining unauthorized access to its SharePoint site.
What unfolded next, however, included a twist. The hacker turned out to be an ethical one—a skilled individual who believed in helping others by exposing vulnerabilities in their ecosystem. Instead of exploiting the vulnerabilities, he sent a cryptic message to the PSL’s team, alerting them about a significant security lapse. Though the claims were slightly exaggerated, it was a wake-up call that struck a chord with the founder, James McGriff, prompting the re-evaluation of his company’s cybersecurity posture.
Until that moment, PSL had focused solely on safeguarding clients’ digital assets, inadvertently neglecting its defense measures. Drawing on his military background, McGriff realized that the time for complacency was over. Cybersecurity was no longer just a job for him but a personal mission.
With unwavering determination, PSL’s leadership team embarked on a transformation to improve its security by reinforcing the networks. Every employee, consultant, and contractor within the team received comprehensive education with reinforced annual training exam-style sessions. Insightful cybersecurity discussions with industry experts became imperative. A profound understanding of the evolving threat landscape began to take root.
PSL sought to apply these lessons to improve its services and solutions with AI and machine learning. By predicting the incident landscape and staying ahead of emerging cyberthreats, the team dedicated itself to fortifying cybersecurity practices and implementing measures to counter phishing attacks. Every incident was meticulously documented, analyzed, and reported, enabling the development of predictive trends and enhanced defense mechanisms for clients.
This put PSL on the path to validating its expertise in safeguarding government agencies and their invaluable data while securing the esteemed GSA Cybersecurity Schedule certification.
“Our goal is to use superior capabilities to create better cybersecurity outcomes and foster better awareness and knowledge sharing among our clientele,” says McGriff. Part of this effort led PSL to develop its security and news tip daily streaming website called securitydone.com to help leaders assess global security threats.
To that end, PSL initiated biweekly threat landscape analyses, keeping its team and clients abreast of emerging risks and proactive measures. By arming them with insights and committed involvement, it worked to create a safer digital landscape for all.
Addressing the Growing Market with Experience
Similar to PSL’s experience, the cybersecurity landscape at large lacks defensive capacity. In the recent U.S. Congress Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearings regarding AI’s impact on cybersecurity, it became evident that businesses need to consider the potential of AI in boosting security postures. Companies can deter criminals and protect their assets by attacking risks at their source using AI tools.
Yet, AI’s potential for misuse by bad actors prevents it from being fully embraced. A notable statement during the hearings came from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, expressing his concerns about AI’s potential to manipulate voters and spread disinformation. PSL aims to help government entities address issues around mistrust of AI. It addresses this challenge by shifting cybersecurity from a defensive position to an offensive mindset.
This was demonstrated when it dealt with a phishing email. Refusing to be a bystander, it turned each incident into a valuable data point. Trends were identified, and information was reported to authorities, ensuring every attempt to infiltrate its systems became a challenging endeavor for hackers.
Harnessing the power of these data points and insights, it developed proprietary algorithms honed by curating 15 streams of cybersecurity intelligence. This enabled the team to anticipate the next logical steps of potential threats. With its gaze fixed on the horizon, PSL ventured beyond conventional defense mechanisms, aiming to hack the hackers themselves.
Yet the true extent of the cyberthreat landscape was far more insidious than most realized. Beyond benign requests for money, a more elaborate scheme was unfolding. Hackers sought to build comprehensive profiles of targets by leveraging social media, purchasing history, and connections. Their ultimate goal was not a few thousand dollars but the infiltration of banking information and subsequent financial devastation. PSL soon understood the depths of these cyber schemes and the need for heightened vigilance. Its mission was extended beyond immediate protection; it sought to educate and empower others.
Fortified by the lessons learned from its brush with cyberthreats, PSL stood at the forefront of the cybersecurity battlefield. By combining AI and human intelligence, along with a relentless pursuit of proactive measures, it aimed to safeguard its clients and disrupt the malevolent forces that sought to exploit the vulnerabilities of the digital age.
Leadership-Driven Capabilities
As a visionary leader, McGriff approaches cybersecurity with a different perspective. He understands it is not a game; it’s a battleground where foreign governments establish covert operations to cripple economies without firing a single bullet.
"We aim to secure a position on the GSA high-value cybersecurity asset schedule, which will enable us to establish close relationships with Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, and state and local partners"
When engaging with clients, McGriff highlights the consequences of compromised data. He prompts them to consider the impact on their personal reputation, organization, and the trust of taxpayers. By weaving this narrative into the conversation, he captures their attention and sparks their willingness to invest in cybersecurity measures. It’s a strategic approach that brings to light the disproportionate allocation of resources, with data valued at millions while security measures remain underfunded.
PSL goes beyond evangelizing the concept of cybersecurity and incorporates standard security measures such as encryption and two-factor authentication. It goes even further by simulating security breaches to test and strengthen the response capabilities of clients. Just as police departments practice responding to mass shootings, PSL believes in rehearsing data breach scenarios to identify vulnerabilities and improve preparedness. It also ensures clients have access to real-time data about potential threats.
McGriff’s belief that cybersecurity is a war drives a commitment to protecting clients. Every engagement is viewed as an opportunity to fortify defenses, educate clients, and prepare for threats.This proactive approach, encompassing simulated breaches, technology integration, and ongoing communication, makes PSL a trusted partner in the fight against cyberthreats.
Proactive Solutions for Better Defence
To drive innovation in cybersecurity, embracing change becomes necessary. The federal government has taken steps to streamline cybersecurity regulations, such as NIST Special Publication 800-171. However, lengthy procurement procedures can still impede the deployment of cybersecurity solutions, leading to outdated technology.
Needless to say, PSL offers comprehensive cybersecurity services that focus on analyzing how individuals interact with their data. PSL combines analytical data from the application with contextual information from similar users, such as time in the application, time of day, source of IP information, type of records accessed, screenshots, logs, emails, and chats. By drawing a user’s virtual profile and behavioral patterns, PSL can effectively detect anomalies that may indicate potential threats from malicious insiders or external bad actors. In the event of a compromised user whose established profile dramatically changes, PSL is immediately alerted to investigate or automatically suspend their access.
This innovative approach goes beyond traditional perimeter defenses by integrating elements of cognitive science, human behavioral analytics, and psychology. By comprehending how users interact with their records, PSL can effectively identify deviations from normal behavior patterns, enabling security administrators to focus on actions that may seem harmless but could potentially carry malicious intent.
PSL distinguishes itself by actively listening to customers, gaining a comprehensive understanding of their unique challenges, and validating solutions through relatable use cases, prototypes, and past successful engagements. This approach ensures that the solutions offered by PSL are tailored to address specific customer needs effectively.
Through the merging of information from various sources, PSL creates a virtual profile of each user and identifies their unique behavioral patterns. This capability allows them to proactively prevent threats from insiders and external bad actors. PSL’s behavior-centric approach, incorporating cognitive science, human behavioral analytics, and psychology, enables them to detect even the slightest deviations from normal behavior. This proactive approach is crucial for ensuring the security of sensitive data. By adopting PSL’s behavior-centric methodology, organizations can better manage risks and enhance their overall cybersecurity posture, ultimately safeguarding sensitive information.
The PSL team’s dedication to innovation and vigilance, allows it to evolve and adapt to successfully defend a client’s digital assets. Its mission is clear—to lead the charge in a relentless pursuit of cybersecurity excellence, safeguarding organizations, and contributing to a secure digital landscape.
Charting a Secure Future
As a 23-year-old SDVOSB technology company, PSL is backed by a team of highly trained and certified professionals. The company’s primary objective is to provide valuable technology services to customers, enabling them to achieve better outcomes within their organizations.
Our goal is to use superior capabilities to create better cybersecurity solutions and foster awareness and knowledge sharing among our clientele
The company specializes in several key areas, including records management, cyber security, DevSecOps, and AWS cloud support initiatives. These domains represent the core areas of expertise where PSL leverages its knowledge and experience to deliver exceptional value to its clients.
“We aim to secure a position on the GSA high-value cybersecurity asset schedule, which will enable us to establish close relationships with Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, and state and local partners,” says McGriff.
This will open doors for more collaboration and expand its client base. It has already garnered interest from four potential clients. The focus is also on enhancing its webinar presence. It plans to shift the cybersecurity conversation from a purely technical standpoint to emphasizing the human impact of poor cybersecurity practices.
In the first quarter of 2024, PSL intends to launch its SYSTAT cybersecurity dashboard. The development of securitydone.com was our first step in that direction. Eventually, SYSTAT will produce a powerful capability tool that will incorporate 78 sensors, monitoring various aspects of an organization’s security. For example, it will track email activity, analyze bounce-backs, identify spam, and cross-reference with verified bad actor lists. Each sensor will provide a simple red, yellow, or green rating, offering a clear overview of an organization’s cybersecurity status. This proactive approach aims to identify potential vulnerabilities and promptly thwart malicious activities.
With these initiatives, it strives to make a tangible impact by assisting clients in prioritizing data protection, engaging with stakeholders, and fostering a robust security posture. By combining technical expertise with a human-centric approach, PSL aims to create a safer digital environment for individuals and organizations alike.
PSL is grateful for the contributions and partnership of Ms. Leticia Alexander, CEO/President of zSoftTech Solutions, Inc, who has and continue to be provide uncompromising cyber security support to our customers and our company.
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