The Gazebo Gazette
GULFPORT (GG) — Mississippi companies support some of the nation’s most important defense, aerospace, maritime, scientific, engineering, and technology missions. As federal cybersecurity requirements expand across government supply chains, the ability to protect sensitive federal information is becoming increasingly important to the competitiveness of Mississippi businesses.
Securing the Coast, a free, one-day cybersecurity event scheduled for September 29, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Harrison County Campus in Gulfport, is designed to help Mississippi businesses understand these requirements and prepare for their impact.
Mississippi occupies an important position in the federal contracting ecosystem. The state supports major military installations and defense programs, one of the nation’s largest concentrations of military shipbuilding, aerospace and aviation activities, and significant federal scientific and technology missions, including those associated with NASA’s Stennis Space Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Those major federal activities are supported by a much larger network of manufacturers, engineering firms, technology companies, research organizations, professional services firms, and specialized small businesses throughout Mississippi and the Gulf Coast.
Increasingly, cybersecurity is a requirement for participating in that ecosystem.
Federal contractors that receive or create sensitive government information may be required to implement cybersecurity safeguards based on standards developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). One of the most significant is NIST Special Publication 800-171, which establishes requirements for protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in nonfederal systems and organizations.
Although NIST SP 800-171 is frequently associated with defense contracting and the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program, protecting Controlled Unclassified Information is a broader federal issue. Contractors supporting civilian agencies and federal missions can also encounter NIST SP 800-171 and related cybersecurity requirements through contracts, agency policies, grants, agreements, and supply-chain requirements.
That distinction is particularly important in Mississippi, where federal contracting extends well beyond traditional military programs. Companies may support the Navy, Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, NASA, NOAA, other federal agencies, national laboratories, research programs, and the prime contractors and subcontractors serving those organizations.
For Mississippi, federal cybersecurity compliance is more than an information technology issue. It is an economic competitiveness, supply-chain, and national security issue.
A Mississippi company may have an outstanding product, a highly skilled workforce, and decades of experience supporting federal programs, yet cybersecurity requirements can still affect its ability to qualify for future opportunities or remain within a federal supply chain. Small and midsized businesses face a particular challenge because they often lack dedicated personnel to interpret and implement complex federal cybersecurity requirements.
Securing the Coast is intended to help close that gap by bringing practical cybersecurity and compliance education directly to the Gulf Coast business community.
The event will address NIST SP 800-171, Controlled Unclassified Information, CMMC, federal cybersecurity requirements, and practical approaches to protecting sensitive government information. Programming is intended for federal contractors, manufacturers, research organizations, business leaders, IT and cybersecurity professionals, program managers, and organizations at all stages of cybersecurity readiness.
Sessions will examine the current federal cybersecurity environment, explain the requirements contractors are encountering, discuss lessons learned by organizations that have implemented these requirements, and provide practical guidance businesses can use to strengthen their cybersecurity programs.
Featured speakers include Glenda Snodgrass, President of The Net Effect, a longtime Gulf Coast cybersecurity and compliance professional, and Lead CMMC Certified Assessor; Vince Scott, Founder and CEO of Defense Cybersecurity Group and a Lead CMMC Certified Assessor and instructor; and Steven Clarke, CEO of Mobile-based defense shipbuilder Silver Ships.
Clarke will bring the perspective of a Gulf Coast manufacturer operating directly within the federal and defense supply chain. Silver Ships builds vessels for customers including the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps, illustrating the direct connection between cybersecurity requirements and the region’s industrial economy.
The broader objective of Securing the Coast is to strengthen the resilience and competitiveness of Mississippi’s federal contracting ecosystem. When local companies understand how to identify and protect sensitive federal information and meet applicable cybersecurity requirements, they are better positioned to remain in federal supply chains, compete for new opportunities, and support the major federal missions located in Mississippi and throughout the Gulf Coast.
Maintaining that capability within Mississippi helps preserve the depth of the state’s industrial and technology base while supporting federal missions ranging from national defense and shipbuilding to aerospace, scientific research, environmental programs, and engineering.
The event is being held at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s new STEM Building on the Harrison County Campus and is organized by Mississippi State University Center for Cyber Education, Defense Cybersecurity Group, and The Net Effect. The event is supported through funding from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of a grant led by Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.
Securing the Coast is free to attend, and lunch will be provided. For additional information and registration, visit SecuringTheCoast.com.
