Clear Ridge Defense

Category: Press

  • Clear Ridge Defense Awarded $113M Prime Contract to Support USMC Cyberspace Operations

    Clear Ridge Defense Awarded $113M Prime Contract to Support USMC Cyberspace Operations

    Baltimore, MD – July 30, 2024 – Clear Ridge Defense, LLC (CRD) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a prime contract to provide comprehensive cyberspace operations and support services to the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command (MARFORCYBER), Marine Corps Cyberspace Warfare Group (MCCYWG), Joint Force Headquarters-Cyber (JFHQ-C) (Marines), and Marine Corps Information Command (MCIC). This contract, which includes a base year plus four option years, has a potential value of approximately $113 million if all options are exercised. Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific received five bids for this competitive Seaport-NxG small business set-aside task order.

    Under the terms of the contract, Clear Ridge Defense will deliver a wide range of critical services aimed at enhancing the cyber capabilities and operational readiness of the Marine Corps’ cyber forces. These services include full-spectrum cyberspace operations, cyber planning, intelligence analysis, capabilities planning, exercise planning, video teleconference and audio-visual support, knowledge management, and help desk support.

    “We are honored to have been selected to support the U.S. Marine Corps in all aspects of the cyber warfare domain,” said Jeffrey Bullock, CEO of Clear Ridge Defense. “This award is a testament to our team’s expertise and commitment to delivering innovative cyber solutions that enhance the operational effectiveness of our nation’s cyber forces.”

    The work performed under this contract will be essential in strengthening the cyber defense posture of MARFORCYBER, ensuring the Marine Corps remains at the forefront of cyber operations. Clear Ridge Defense will leverage its extensive experience and cutting-edge technology to provide robust support to MCIC, MCCYWG, and JFHQ-C (Marines), enabling them to plan, execute, and sustain their cyber missions more effectively.

    “CRD is committed to providing unparalleled support to our Marine Corps partners,” added Chris Comstock, COO of Clear Ridge Defense. “Our team is dedicated to ensuring that MARFORCYBER and its subordinate commands have the resources and expertise they need to navigate the complex and evolving cyber threat landscape.”
    Clear Ridge Defense eagerly anticipates a successful partnership with MARFORCYBER and is fully dedicated to advancing the cyber capabilities and mission readiness of the U.S. Marine Corps.

    About Clear Ridge Defense, LLC

    Clear Ridge Defense is a Baltimore, MD, defense contractor that has been providing specialized cyber capability and mission support services to the Department of Defense, the Intelligence Community, and commercial clients since 2015. Our key clients span Maryland, Virginia, California, North Carolina, South Carolina, Illinois, and Florida. Visit www.clridge.com for more information.

  • Clear Ridge Defense Awarded Prime Contract to Support CYBERCOM’s J7 Cyber Adversary Tactics Office

    Clear Ridge Defense Awarded Prime Contract to Support CYBERCOM’s J7 Cyber Adversary Tactics Office

    BALTIMORE, Md. — Clear Ridge Defense CRD recently announced their award of a prime contract to support U.S. Cyber Command’s Exercise and Training Directorate J7, Cyber Adversary Tactics Office CATO. The contract’s total value if all options are awarded could total approximately $25 million.

    CATO is regarded as a highly technical, outstandingly capable team that conducts cyber threat emulation to ensure CYBERCOM’s Cyber Mission Forces CMF are well-trained to counter advanced and persistent threats to our nation and allies. Under this contract, CRD will provide CATO with a range of services including red team operations, cyber threat emulation, infrastructure engineering, exercise scenario development, adversary threat assessment, and training support.

    “We are genuinely honored to partner with CYBERCOM J7 to support this important mission,” said Jeffrey Bullock, CEO of Clear Ridge Defense. “What’s great about this mission is not only does it evolve the CMF, but it’s exciting and challenging work! The team goes home every day proud of how they’ve further developed the cyber warfighter alongside the Government team.”

    This contract award also serves as CRD’s first prime contract from the U.S. Government, establishing a path to further growth as a company with past performance as a prime contractor on highly technical, cleared work.

    About Clear Ridge Defense, LLC

    Clear Ridge Defense is a Baltimore, MD defense contractor providing specialized cyber capability and mission support services to the Department of Defense, the Intelligence Community, and commercial clients since 2015. Our key clients span Maryland, Virginia, California, and South Carolina. Visit www.clridge.com for more information.

  • CRD Renews ISO 9001:2015 Certification for Quality Management

    CRD Renews ISO 9001:2015 Certification for Quality Management

    Baltimore, MD – 9/12/2023 – This month, Clear Ridge Defense (CRD), a leading cybersecurity defense contractor in the Fort Meade community, renewed their International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015 certification.

    To achieve ISO 9001 certification, our company underwent a rigorous audit by an independent third party. The audit evaluated our quality management system against the requirements of the ISO 9001 standard, which includes a focus on customer satisfaction, continual improvement, and risk management.

    We are proud to have achieved ISO 9001 certification and we are committed to maintaining our high standards of quality. This certification is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our employees, who are committed to providing our customers with the best possible experience.

    The benefits of ISO 9001 certification include:

    • Increased customer satisfaction
    • Improved efficiency and productivity
    • Reduced costs
    • Enhanced reputation
    • Increased opportunities for business growth

    We are confident that this certification will help us continue providing our customers with the high-quality products and services they expect.

    CRD (clridge.com) is a defense contractor providing specialized cyber capability and mission support services to the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and commercial clients.

  • Baltimore Sun Names Clear Ridge Defense a Winner of the Baltimore Metro Area Top Workplaces 2022 Award

    Baltimore Sun Names Clear Ridge Defense a Winner of the Baltimore Metro Area Top Workplaces 2022 Award

    Baltimore, Maryland, December 11, 2022 – Clear Ridge Defense has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2022 honor by Baltimore Sun Top Workplaces. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage LLC. The confidential survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization: including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few.

    “Earning a Top Workplaces award is a badge of honor for companies, especially because it comes authentically from their employees,” said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. “That’s something to be proud of. In today’s market, leaders must ensure they’re allowing employees to have a voice and be heard. That’s paramount. Top Workplaces do this, and it pays dividends.”

    “Clear Ridge Defense employees, for a third year in a row, provided anonymous feedback to tough questions regarding company culture. Those responses led to us being recognized as a Top Workplace once again, which is an accolade that we do not take for granted.  The leadership of this team continues to examine how we can serve our teammates and their families in a greater capacity and become a more attractive organization for others to join.” said Jeff Bullock, Clear Ridge Defense CEO. Clear Ridge Defense COO Chris Comstock added, “Without the candid input that our employees provide us on a consistent basis, we wouldn’t be where we are today.  We ensure that our leadership team engages with all employees at every available opportunity; being recognized again as a Top Workplace demonstrates to us that the engagement is working.”

    About

    A small and growing team of energetic and close-knit professionals with atypical skill sets ranging from cybersecurity intelligence to tool development to strategic planning. Clear Ridge Defense focuses on quality of life for their employees and delivering expertise to its clients’ most wicked cyber problems.

    Company Contact

    Clear Ridge Defense

    info@clridge.com, (866) 627-9366

    https://clridge.com/

  • Clear Ridge Defense Announces Award of Highly Adaptive Cybersecurity Services with Certification of all Five Subgroups

    Clear Ridge Defense Announces Award of Highly Adaptive Cybersecurity Services with Certification of all Five Subgroups

    BALTIMORE, MD – On Aug 23, 2022, CLEAR RIDGE DEFENSE, LLC was awarded GSA Contract No. 47QTCA22D00CE under GSA Schedule Multiple Award Schedule, MAS.  The contract falls under the Highly Adaptive Cybersecurity Services Special Item Number 54151HACS.  Clear Ridge was certified for all five subgroups which include High Value Asset Assessments, Risk and Vulnerability Assessments, Cyber Hunt, Incident Response, and Penetration Testing.

    “A lot of hard work went into preparing for the extremely thorough vetting process the GSA put our subject matter experts through,” said CTO, Sidney Sakota.  “We felt as a team, we were able to articulate our experience and qualifications in an efficient manner to the evaluators, which led to our team being confidently selected for all five subgroups”.

    Clear Ridge Defense (CRD) engineers practice the entire cybersecurity life cycle, allowing lessons learned to be applied across all elements of security services.  In addition to general network and system security experience, Clear Ridge Defense engineers have specific in-depth expertise in many critical infrastructure environments, to include a heavy concentration of experience in the computer network operations (CNO) development field.  Clear Ridge Defense has evolved to provide superior cybersecurity support to a range of federal and commercial clients.

    Clear Ridge was founded in April 2015 with the mission and vision to support Joint, Service Cyber Components, and commercial clients in specialized cyber support.  To this day, all employees remain on a first name basis and carry-on our work hard, play hard philosophy.   Clear Ridge Defense’s cybersecurity consulting staff includes highly skilled security engineers with a professional background in the U.S. Department of Defense, commercial security companies, and U.S. intelligence agencies.  This body of talent represents the most experienced and talented security consulting company in the cybersecurity field.

    Clear Ridge team members face challenging assignments, often in the name of national security, which does not always permit the conveniences of telework.  To sustain and grow this cadre of experts, they are rewarded for their hard work and sacrifices.  Full-time team members receive generous health care benefits, 401k matching, training allocations, financial advising, cell phone and gym stipends, monthly socials, and employee wellness benefits.

    About Clear Ridge Defense

    Recently announced as a two-time “Baltimore Top Workplace” as voted by its employees, Clear Ridge Defense is the premier service solutions provider supporting industry and federal clients in three core areas of expertise:

    • Cyber Systems & Software Engineering
    • Cyber Intelligence & Operations Planning
    • Security Risk Analysis, Mitigation & Training

    Delivered by talented and experienced professionals supported by an unmatched foundation of business expertise and a family-oriented culture based on sound, proven principles demonstrated by prior performance in the military and civilian sectors.  For more information, please visit https://clridge.com/.

  • Clear Ridge Defense Announces Flexible PTO and Paid Juneteenth Federal Holiday

    Clear Ridge Defense Announces Flexible PTO and Paid Juneteenth Federal Holiday

    BALTIMORE, MD – Clear Ridge Defense announced this morning the launch of its Flexible PTO policy – a virtually unlimited Paid Time Off program to provide employees with maximum flexibility to get the rest they deserve while balancing the requirements of the clients and missions we support. Additionally, team members will receive an 11 th paid holiday in 2022 for the Juneteenth federal holiday recognizing the freeing of enslaved people in the United States.

    “It’s time to take our benefits to the next level,” says COO Chris Comstock. “This team works diligently and tenaciously to support the important missions of our clients. Getting the time to relax and rejuvenate with friends and family refuels us to maintain high energy levels and, in many cases, take on even bigger challenges in the workplace.”

    Clear Ridge team members face demanding workloads, often in the name of national security, which do not always permit the conveniences of remote work. To maintain and grow this cadre of experts, they must also be rewarded for their hard work and sacrifices. Full-time team members receive generous health care benefits, 401k matching, training allocations, financial advising, cell phone stipends, monthly socials, and employee wellness benefits.

    About Clear Ridge Defense

    Recently announced as a two-time Baltimore Top Workplace as voted by its employees, Clear Ridge Defense is the premier service solutions provider supporting industry and federal clients in three core areas of expertise:

    • Cyber Systems & Software Engineering
    • Cyber Intelligence & Operations Planning
    • Security Risk Analysis, Mitigation & Training

    Delivered by talented and experienced professionals supported by an unmatched foundation of business expertise and a family-oriented culture based on sound, proven principles demonstrated by prior performance in the military and civilian sectors. Founded in April 2015, the company employs over 35 team members who specialize in cyber security and defense and supports Joint, Service Cyber Components, Department of Defense, and commercial clients. For more information, please visit https://clridge.com/.

  • The Baltimore Sun Names Clear Ridge Defense a Winner of the Baltimore Top Workplaces 2021 Award

    The Baltimore Sun Names Clear Ridge Defense a Winner of the Baltimore Top Workplaces 2021 Award

    BALTIMORE, MD – For the second year in a row, Clear Ridge Defense has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2021 honor by The Baltimore Sun. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey. The anonymous survey uniquely measures 15 drivers of engaged cultures that are critical to the success of any organization: including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few.

    “It is a great time to be at Clear Ridge,” say Founder and CEO Jeff Bullock. “This ranking has real meaning for us as it is based on survey results directly from CRD team members — not numbers or profits. And, it reflects our efforts to ensure the best cyber talent to our clients. A quality company environment is key to succeeding for our clients, who have no-fail missions.”

    Clear Ridge has rapidly increased its team in recent years. The company rose from three full-time employees to 33 full-time team members between 2016 and 2019. Its employee base is comprised of 70% prior military and over 80% with prior military or civil service background. All employees receive generous health care benefits, 401k matching, training allocations, financial advising, cell phone stipends, monthly socials, and employee wellness benefits.

    About Clear Ridge Defense

    Recognized in August as one of Inc. Magazine’s 500’s fastest growing small businesses, Clear Ridge Defense is the premier service solutions provider supporting industry and federal clients in three core areas of expertise:

    • Cyber Systems & Software Engineering
    • Cyber Intelligence & Operations Planning
    • Security Risk Analysis, Mitigation & Training

    Delivered by talented and experienced professionals supported by an unmatched foundation of business expertise and a family-oriented culture based on sound, proven principles demonstrated by prior performance in the military and civilian sectors. Founded in April 2015, the company employs just under 40 team members who specialize in cyber security and defense and supports Joint, Service Cyber Components, Department of Defense, and commercial clients. For more information, please visit https://clridge.com/.

  • The Baltimore Sun Names Clear Ridge Defense a Winner of the Baltimore Top Workplaces 2020 Award

    The Baltimore Sun Names Clear Ridge Defense a Winner of the Baltimore Top Workplaces 2020 Award

    BALTIMORE, MD, 8 DECEMBER 2020 – Clear Ridge Defense has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2020 honor by The Baltimore Sun. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey. The anonymous survey uniquely measures 15 drivers of engaged cultures that are critical to the success of any organization: including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few.

    Founder and CEO Jeff Bullock: “We are proud to be among Baltimore’s top workplaces. We value the voices of our team and our role in the community. This recognition reflects our efforts to ensure the best cyber talent to our customers. We know that supporting that talent with a quality company environment is key to this success. It is not the finish line for CRD but rather the foundation for future success for our clients and our team.”

    Clear Ridge has rapidly increased its team in recent years. The company rose from three full-time employees to 33 full-time team members between 2016 and 2019. Its employee base is comprised of 70% prior military and over 80% with prior military or civil service background. All employees receive generous health care benefits, 401k matching, training allocations, financial advising, cell phone stipends, and employee wellness benefits.

    About Clear Ridge Defense

    Recognized in August as one of Inc. Magazine’s 500’s fastest growing small businesses, Clear Ridge Defense is the premier service solutions provider supporting industry and federal clients in three core areas of expertise:

      • Cyber Systems & Software Engineering
      • Cyber Intelligence & Operations Planning
      • Security Risk Analysis, Mitigation & Training

    Delivered by talented and experienced professionals supported by an unmatched foundation of business expertise and a family-oriented culture based on sound, proven principles demonstrated by prior performance in the military and civilian sectors. Founded in April 2015, the company employs just under 40 team members who specialize in cyber security and defense and supports Joint, Service Cyber Components, Department of Defense, and commercial clients. For more information, please visit https://clridge.com/.

  • Clear Ridge Defense Secures No. 140 Position in Inc. Magazine’s List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies

    Clear Ridge Defense Secures No. 140 Position in Inc. Magazine’s List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies

    NEW YORK, Aug 12 – Inc. magazine today revealed that Clear Ridge Defense is No. 140 on its annual Inc. 5000 list, ranking in the top 500, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. Clear Ridge Defense, a cyber security defense contractor and consulting firm in the Baltimore area, increased their revenue by 2,649% in the last three years. Despite the COVID-19 environment, the business continues to expand its team and clientele to advance the mission and goals of their defense and commercial clients in 2020.

    The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent small businesses. Not only have the companies on the 2020 Inc. 5000 been very competitive within their markets, but the list as a whole shows staggering growth compared with prior lists as well. The 2020 Inc. 5000 achieved an incredible three-year average growth of over 500 percent, and a median rate of 165 percent.

    “We’re honored to receive this ranking from Inc. Magazine,” said Jeffrey Bullock, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Clear Ridge Defense, also noting that the company ranked no. 5 in Maryland. “It’s a written reflection of the commitment, determination and focus of our team and our ability to disrupt the cybersecurity category in an already-crowded market.”

    In addition to its financial growth, Clear Ridge has rapidly increased its team in the last three years. The company rose from three full-time employees to 33 full-time team members between 2016 and 2019. Its employee base is comprised of 70% prior military and over 80% with prior military or civil service background. All employees receive generous health care benefits, 401k matching, training allocations, financial advising, cell phone stipends, and employee wellness benefits.

    “As a service-based business, our team members are our competitive edge,” said Chris Comstock, CoOwner and Chief Operating Officer. “Our team has a broad range of expertise from software development to C-level cybersecurity strategic advising, which enables us to provide an unparalleled level of service to our defense and commercial clientele. Ensuring that they’re properly supported outside of work has always been a priority, and given the rapidly-evolving pandemic climate, this support has never been more critical.”

    Clear Ridge Defense was founded in April 2015 with the mission and vision to support the Joint, Service Cyber Components, Department of Defense, and commercial clients in specialized cyber support. The foundational principle was to establish an organization that provided premier services while minimizing overhead, in order to remain highly competitive in terms of both cost and compensation. Ever since, Clear Ridge Defense has evolved to provide superior cybersecurity support to a range of federal and commercial clients.

    The top 500 companies will be featured in the September issue of Inc., available on newsstands August 12.

    “The companies on this year’s Inc. 5000 come from nearly every realm of business,” says Inc. editor-inchief Scott Omelianuk. “From health and software to media and hospitality, the 2020 list proves that no matter the sector, incredible growth is based on the foundations of tenacity and opportunism.”

    ABOUT CLEAR RIDGE DEFENSE
    Clear Ridge Defense, no. 140 on the 2020 Inc. 5000, specializes in cyber security and defense and supports Joint, Service Cyber Components, Department of Defense, and commercial clients. The Maryland-based business was founded in April 2015 by Jeffrey Bullock. The company employs just under 40 team members across the nation who specialize in cyberspace operations, planning, software development, forensics, systems engineering, intelligence analysis, and other unique challenges. For more information, please visit https://clridge.com/.

    MORE ABOUT INC. AND THE INC. 5000
    Methodology

    The 2020 Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2016 and 2019. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2016. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public
    or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2016 is $100,000; the minimum for 2019 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Companies on the Inc. 500 are featured in Inc.’s September issue. They represent the top tier of the Inc. 5000, which can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000.

    About Inc. Media
    The world’s most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com.

  • Clear Ridge Defense Supports Oral Cancer Foundation Virtual 5k

    Clear Ridge Defense Supports Oral Cancer Foundation Virtual 5k

    Baltimore, MD, Apr 28, 2020 – This past weekend members of the Clear Ridge Defense family participated in the Oral Cancer Foundation’s (OCF) 5k, which was held virtually this year due to COVID-19.  Members participated in any way that they could; some took their families for walks outdoors, others ran, and some even got some work done on their treadmills!  Everyone involved came away with a great feeling of accomplishment as Team CRD was able to exceed our donation goal by 112%.

    CRD chose to sponsor the OCF 5k this year for many reasons.  One person dies every hour from oral cancer and over 53,500 people will be diagnosed this year.  There is also no cure, but early detection saves lives and screening at home takes 30 seconds.  An easy screening tutorial can be found at https://checkyourmouth.org.  Every dollar raised during the 5k event also goes directly to the OCF!

    Team CRD raised the second-highest amount of funds for the OCF this year among registered teams, with the final reported amount raised being $18,700 event-wide.  We are grateful for those that participated in 2020 and we are looking forward to improving on that number when we participate, again, in person in 2021!

    CRD (clridge.com) is composed of approximately 35 experts and growing in cyberspace operations planning, capability development, malware analysis, tool development, and network intelligence analysis. CRD is headquartered in the CyberHive at bwtech@UMBC North.