Holmes & Associates

Cybersecurity Thought Leadership

kirk.holmes — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 01:52:53 +0000

Cybersecurity Thought Leadership

In today's digital age, the necessity to transform cybersecurity within organizations is paramount due to the escalating complexity and sophistication of cyber threats. We are tireless advocates for a holistic approach that integrates cybersecurity seamlessly into the organization's structure, processes, and culture. Recognizing that cybersecurity is not just a department or set of tools, but a fundamental aspect of enterprise resilience, we leverage multiple tools to help bridge the gap between cybersecurity and broader organizational functions.

kirk.holmes Tue, 02/13/2024 - 03:52

Holmes Cybersecurity Transformation encompasses people, processes, technology, strategy, partners, and overall maturity. This set of tools does not take the place of the normal essential programs that are usually on-going in cybersecurity programs, such as vulnerability scans, process reengineering, technology and tools modernizations, and review of controls against various compliance standards. Unlike some of these traditional isolated approaches, this comprehensive strategy aims to address systemic vulnerabilities by considering the entire organizational ecosystem.

Cybersecurity Organizational Maturity Scan:
This initial component enables the enterprise to evaluate cybersecurity risk management across the organization, emphasizing both vertical and horizontal alignment. By assessing leadership, policies, behaviors, operations, and results, COMS provides a holistic view, enabling prioritization, investment decisions, and identification of strengths and weaknesses. We use an organizational assessment tool and engage with people across the organization to look at Leadership, Strategy, Customers, Measurement/Analysis/Knowledge, Workforce, Operations, and Results. These results are compiled so that we can identify areas of opportunities for more maturity and hence areas of potential vulnerability that can be factored into the roadmap.

Systems Engineering Analysis and Vulnerabilities (via STPA):
Building on systems engineering principles, this analysis process extends beyond examining individual vulnerabilities to analyze systemic vulnerabilities across the enterprise ecosystem. Using Systems Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA), it identifies interactions between subsystems, people, processes, and technologies, facilitating a more unified approach to risk management and alignment with business objectives. The power of this technique is that provides a consistent and reliable approach to decomposing large, complex systems and interactions. Holmes and Associates is working with the creator of STPA-Sec, the variation of STPA that focuses on cybersecurity.

This methodology and its variants are used in industry and across the military. In particular, in the Department of Defense (DoD) 2020 DOT&E Annual Report, the DoD wrote this about using STPA-Sec on the Ground Based Strategic Deterrence (GBSD) Program:

"The use of STPA-Sec by the GBSD program was indicated by the Office of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) as a contributing factor in reducing cybersecurity and schedule risks."

Holmes and Associates is working directly and closely with the creator and world's leading expert on STPA-Sec, Dr. William Young, PhD, Retired Colonel from the US Air Force. We combine Dr. Young's thought leadership with our knowledge and thought leadership on organizational transformation, organizational change, and with our experience running IT and Cybersecurity organizations. An organization that adopts STPA-Sec will be able to systematically identify hazards and vulnerabilities across its complex environment containing systems, people and processes.
Cybersecurity Maturity Simulation and Predictive Modeling:
Recognizing the inadequacy of depending only on retrospective analysis, this component utilizes advanced modeling and simulation techniques to forecast future cyber risk management strategies' effectiveness. By simulating scenarios in a quantitative systems dynamics model, leaders can make informed decisions on investments in staffing, engineering, training, and productivity tools, optimizing resource allocation based on predicted outcomes. This approach was shown to be extremely accurate in predicting trends in adversarial behaviors in combination with decisions on resource allocations and investments for a large Fortune 500 financial institution. The tool then allows a what-if investment scenarios that can lead to rational, optimized business decisions that take into account the many tradeoffs. For example, shifting investment from reactive to proactive can help with response but may lead to the invitation to more adversarial attacks. The simulation uses past history of these complex interrelationships to gauge the tradeoffs.

This portfolio complements traditional cybersecurity assessments and planning activities. By combining traditional means such as compliance assessments, technology evaluations, with these new approaches, organizations can improve their strategic planning and roadmap to achieve maximum impact and sustainable cybersecurity results.

Holmes and Associates Inc. receives 8(a) from the SBA

kirk.holmes — Thu, 06 May 2021 09:04:31 +0000

Holmes and Associates Inc. receives 8(a) from the SBA

kirk.holmes Thu, 05/06/2021 - 12:04

We are happy to announce that Holmes and Associates is an 8(a) Certified Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDB). We can receive federal contract awards on either a sole source or competitive basis.

IT Service Management and ITIL

kirk.holmes — Sun, 23 Aug 2020 03:08:32 +0000

IT Service Management and ITIL

Technology moves fast and the challenges of meeting needs for an IT organization can be very daunting. Best practices help address the challenges using techniques that are proven to be better than typical practices.

kirk.holmes Sun, 08/23/2020 - 06:08

See all services

We bring expertise in Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) and the best practices of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). We can adapt these best practices to your environment to provide more agile processes and incorporation of DevOps into your operational environment. Do you want to safely integrate new cloud technologies, raise customer satisfaction, improve staff skills? We have you covered.

We employ ITIL, ISO 20000, ISO 33071 and other bodies of knowledge. Example tasks include:

Staff training and coaching
Assessment
Planning
Service Management program Implementation
Program management
ITSM tool platforms (ServiceNow)
IT Service Catalog design and implementation

Talk to us about how to stabilize, improve, and economize the way that your IT organization delivers services.

Coaching and Mentoring

kirk.holmes — Wed, 25 Mar 2020 01:35:08 +0000

Coaching and Mentoring

kirk.holmes Wed, 03/25/2020 - 03:35

Senior executives and managers sometimes need someone to talk with candidly and to provide them with advice and guidance on how to be successful.

Interim C-Level

kirk.holmes — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 01:51:34 +0000

Interim C-Level

kirk.holmes Sun, 03/22/2020 - 03:51

Interim CIO, COO, CEO, or CFO

Interim Executive

kirk.holmes — Thu, 07 Nov 2019 20:57:22 +0000

Interim Executive

Sometimes advisory support is not enough. Our most senior consultants, Kirk Holmes and others, can step in and lead an organization through challenging circumstances, tough times, or periods of vacancy. We can do short-term or long-term engagements depending on the need.

kirk.holmes Thu, 11/07/2019 - 22:57

Kirk Holmes, President and Principal Consultant

Kirk Holmes is a business executive, technology leader, and advisor on technology, operations, and strategy. In his 35+ year career, he has driven dramatic transformations and helped organizations improve competitiveness and performance to save millions of dollars, raise customer satisfaction, and/or improve business results. Most recently he served as Interim CIO and Chief Information Security Officer of Kaman Corporation, a global $2 Billion market cap manufacturing company. He reduced costs by over 30% and led the IT organization through a major divestiture and rightsizing, a new major acquisition, first-ever outsourcing of some key functions, strategic realignment, and a shift to the cloud. He rebuilt the Cybersecurity team and prepared the organization to meet the DoD Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC).

Over the last 22 years, as the principal of a consulting practice, his clients have included senior and C-level executives of major telecommunications companies such as Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and AT&T, multiple mid-sized companies, the U.S. Army, Defense Information Systems Agency and many other government agencies at the federal, state, and local level.

Kirk holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is certified as an ITIL V3 Expert and holds a Registered Practitioner credential granted by the CMMC Advisory Board.

Dion Hamilton, Governance, Risk and Compliance Management Officer

Dion K. Hamilton is an expert in governance, risk, compliance, and financial management. He has over twenty years of experience in internal auditing, risk management, financial auditing, risk management, internal controls, and other accounting and finance disciplines. As a risk advisory consultant for the past ten years, Mr. Hamilton has diverse, extensive experience with large-scale governance, risk advisory and compliance projects. Additionally, Dion has significant experience with Financial Transformation. Prior to becoming a risk advisory consultant, Mr. Hamilton worked with several fortune 500 companies as an internal auditor. Prior to that, he began his professional career as an external auditor with Coopers & Lybrand (now PriceWaterhouseCoopers).

Michael Gaston

Michael Gaston has more than 30 years of extensive finance, accounting and operations management experience. He has served as interim CFO for two organizations, a Silicon Valley startup and a 100 year-old non-profit. He has worked extensively in corporate banking managing large domestic and international account relationships. Over his banking career, he led deals which executed more than several billion dollars in financing for large and medium sized companies. His corporate career included three Fortune 50 companies, including as Corporate Controller and Vice President in finance and operations. His consulting experience also includes supporting public sector and private sector organizations across multiple sectors and in multiple countries. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Stanford University and a BS in Economics from John Carroll University.

When you need more than advisory support alone, let us step in on an interim or de facto basis. With 25-35 years of management and executive leadership experience, there are few situations that we cannot handle.

Turning to Holmes and Associates

kirk.holmes — Thu, 07 Nov 2019 18:58:50 +0000

Turning to Holmes and Associates

Any time CRGT needs guru-assistance, I turn to Holmes and Associates in lieu of Accenture, McKinsey, or any other larger consulting form because we receive superior results at a much lower cost. In all my years of government contracting, I have worked with no other small business with the talent and expertise of Holmes and Associates.

Tom Ferrando,
CEO, SalientCRGT
a large and growing IT gvernment contractor

kirk.holmes Thu, 11/07/2019 - 20:58

Improving Customer Service

kirk.holmes — Sun, 27 Oct 2019 01:53:51 +0000

Improving Customer Service

kirk.holmes Sun, 10/27/2019 - 03:53

We can help you meet your business objectives such as change the culture, improve processes, or implement technology to raise quality of service and customer satisfaction.

DigitalTransformation - Making it Happen

kirk.holmes — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 03:34:34 +0000

DigitalTransformation - Making it Happen

kirk.holmes Tue, 09/24/2019 - 06:34

Digital transformation is key to success of most organizations. Organizations must change and improve in order to survive. As an Authorized Business Partner of the Bizagi process automation platform, we facilitate change and dramatic transformation. Our best practice models and workshops will move your team forward. After our engagement, our clients are never the same again. We offer world class expertise in IT best practices, quality management and organizational change.

Workshops

admin — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 00:40:53 +0000

Workshops admin Fri, 03/22/2019 - 02:40