The Monroe Cable Company Credits Cybersecurity Remediation for Retaining a Number of Employees

The Monroe Cable Company, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of wire and cable. The company supplies the New York City Transit Authority, the New York City Fire Department, the military and commercial marine sector, the oil and gas industry, and the United States Department of Defense (DoD). In addition to being a leading supplier for these entities, The Monroe Cable Company also boasts the ability to manufacture custom wire and cable to customer specifications. Serving industry since 1978, The Monroe Cable Company has spent its 40 years of operation focused on customer satisfaction and maintaining a competitive edge in the industry.

Due to its relationships with companies affiliated with the Department of Defense, cybersecurity is a top concern for Monroe Cable. Also, knowing that preventative measures would benefit the company in the long run, it sought out expert help from the Manufacturing & Technology Enterprise Center (MTEC), part of the New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership and the MEP National Network^TM, who enlisted David Tooker and Paul LaPorte. Through an in-depth cybersecurity assessment, any possible vulnerabilities would be revealed. With the objective of creating a secure system that Monroe Cable and its clients could trust, the company was ready to make the changes and modifications necessary to protect its data.

This process was completed in three parts. The first part was an overview of company assets both in terms of the devices used by Monroe Cable, as well as identifying information valuable to the company and how it is managed. It was at this time that scans were performed both internally and externally on the company network. External scans would determine if any open ports or devices were visible or accessible from outside of the company network.

The second part consisted of an in-depth review of NIST Special Publication 800-171 “Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Systems and Organizations.” The Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplements (DFARS), which mandates that all DoD contractors that process, store or transmit controlled unclassified information must meet minimum security standards, including those outlined in SP 800-171. Company policies were also reviewed, to see what areas of the standards were being met, which ones were not being met, and what exceptions if any, needed to be made.

The third part involved interviews with Monroe Cable employees who were asked general questions regarding IT usage and company policy to see if those policies were being followed and if new policies needed to be put into place. Additionally, an assessment was performed on the company’s building to identify any physical security areas of concern.

Following the assessment, policies and procedures were written to bring The Monroe Cable Company into compliance with DFARS. After remediation, another assessment was performed to confirm compliance and the company has received a letter of compliance through the Advanced Institute for Manufacturing.

Results

• $7,056 in new investment
• 112 new or retained jobs

Could your company benefit from assistance with cybersecurity? Connect with your local MEP Center for more information.

The New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership is the official representative of the MEP National Network in New York. The MEP National Network is a unique public-private partnership that helps small and medium-sized manufacturers generate business results and thrive in today’s technology-driven economy. The MEP National Network comprises the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP), the 51 MEP Centers located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.