For Immediate Release
May 21, 2007
Contact: Katrina Norfleet
301-587-1600
media@mayatech.com
MayaTech Offers Microsoft Security Configurations Services to Federal Agencies
The MayaTech Corporation expanded its services this month with a new center that will help Federal agencies comply with the recent Executive Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directive to develop plans for Microsoft Windows XP™ and Vista™ security configurations. MayaTech's newest offering, the OMB Common Security Configurations (OMB/CSC) Service Center, is accessible at www.ombcsc.net .
"With security breaches at the operating system level being particularly high for the thousands of desktop computers comprising the Federal government's infrastructure, we are excited to offer this timely expansion," says Jean-Marie Mayas, Ph.D., president and CEO of The MayaTech Corporation.
MayaTech's OMB/CSC Service Center is being led by Technical Director John Brewer, who served as senior manager with Microsoft Consulting Services and led the consulting team responsible for working on the U.S. Air Force security and configuration management project that serves as the model for OMB's mandate. The U.S. Air Force has completed the initial phases of a multi-year effort, and has deployed security settings established through the combined efforts of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), the National Security Agency (NSA), and Microsoft.
"There is a lot that others can leverage from our experiences with the Air Force and the strong team of architects and support staff that were empowered to develop the processes and tools used to accomplish the goals," says Brewer. He credits planning, policy, and other considerations beyond the technology as the keys to success in reducing vulnerability, deploying over 400,000 desktops, improving operations efficiency, and ultimately reporting a 30 percent reduction in information management costs.
In March, OMB issued memorandums to heads of departments and agencies, and chief information officers (CIOs) directing agencies with Windows XP™ and Vista™ operating systems and/or those with plans to upgrade to these operating systems to adopt the security configurations developed by NIST, DHS, and the Department of Defense. These agencies are required to adopt these standard security configurations by February 1, 2008.
For more information on the MayaTech OMB/CSC Service Center, CIOs should contact Brewer at 301-587-1600 or e-mail info@ombcsc.net.
The MayaTech Corporation is a diversified professional and technical services company that provides applied social science research and evaluation, conference and logistics management, information development and dissemination, technical assistance and training, and international development services to public and private sector clients.
The MayaTech Corporation
1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 825
Silver Spring, MD 20910-5645
Phone: 301-587-1600
Fax: 301-587-0709
Web site: www.mayatech.com
