ISAC-MD Objectives

Create security awareness and educational forums to engage and support both small and large defense contractor facilities

Partner with government agencies to help ensure the fastest dissemination and implementation of security policies and procedures are communicated

Educate industry professionals at all levels that enhanced security practices are essential to the success of a company

Create an environment that facilitates networking and collaboration among security professionals

Events

Chapter Meetings

Receive quarterly Chapter updates and focused training and educational briefings while networking with other security professionals.

Professional Development & Training Sessions

Interactive educational and training sessions related to national security presented by government and industry experts.

Annual Security Seminar

Engage with and learn from industry and government partners who address current and future security-related topics and best practices through educational sessions. As well as a great venue to collaborate and network while finding solutions from our industry and government vendor exposition.

Business Networking

A valuable way to expand your knowledge, learn from the success of others, attain new contacts, and build relationships through recurring networking events such as happy hours and lunches

History

In 2005, DSS Field Office Chief Heather Green first conceptualized the idea of an Industrial Security Awareness Council Chapter in Central Maryland. During their annual reviews, Ms. Green had her industrial security representatives solicited input from numerous FSOs in the Anne Arundel and Howard county area about what they wanted in the area of Awareness and Training. Meanwhile, she recruited several of the more “seasoned” FSOs to take the lead for organizing the chapter under the sponsorship of DSS. Soon thereafter, this group of career security professionals met to discuss the development of the Chapter. All agreed that only a professionally run and structured chapter would be viable within the footprint of the primarily intelligence-based contractor network in this geographical region. Ms. Green assigned Ms. Laura Baker to serve as the DSS liaison to this small cadre of FSOs. Ms. Baker was a tremendous help in obtaining a meeting location at the DSS Academy and having her counterparts in Central Maryland promote this activity to all FSOs in the area. The Chapter conducted its initial organization meeting on 15 February 2006 and had as its agenda:

• A DSS Kickoff to explain what an ISAC-MD should/should not be.
• Attendee experience levels, age. Most attendees were either over 45 or under 30 years old, and had either more than 15 or less than 5 years of experience. Many attendees conducted security as an additional duty to their primary corporate roles.
• Attendee membership in other professional groups. Many attendees were members of ASIS, NCMS & ISWG.
• A forum discussion on Chapter formation and volunteer committees, the mission/purpose, and meeting frequency to gauge future support

Over the next year, meeting monthly, a chapter formation committee explored the options to setting up a Chapter. A second and third session with the larger body of security professionals provided feedback and continued commitment that this was the proper direction of the potential future membership. Finally, ISAC of Central Maryland registered with state and federal oversight agencies as a formal tax-exempt entity.

A formal organizational meeting ratified the bylaws of this loose confederation of FSOs and elected members of the Board of Directors. Initially, the ISAC-MD structure would have seven executive members to avoid any ties in voting. Upon further discussion, the Chapter decided to add an eighth board member and remove voting power from the President to limit influence within the Chapter. The Chapter also decided to split board membership evenly between large and small businesses, with the threshold defined as holding 100 or more employees in the DoD Joint Personnel Adjudication System.

A primary focus of the initial year was to conduct a training seminar for the membership that included varied topics and speakers. This one-day event has now become an annual activity attended by over 200 security professionals from the local area and surrounding states. In addition, the Chapter provides four independent professional development training sessions as well as four quarterly chapter meetings which include security awareness briefings.