Key Takeaways
- • Howard County's cybersecurity sector has strong momentum in 2026, with federal contract awards and venture capital deals pointing to a strong year, according to Technical.ly.
- • Columbia-based Enlighten IT Consulting secured a $42 million U.S. Army award for cyber analytics and detection, per federal contracting data.
- • Local cyber companies have closed four venture deals so far in 2026 totaling nearly $50 million, according to PitchBook data, following a quiet 2025 and outpacing totals from the start of the decade.
- • The federal government spent over $27.5 billion on cybersecurity across all agencies in fiscal year 2025, making it the sector's largest customer.
- • Cyber Howard, the state's only cybersecurity-specific accelerator run by economic developers, is positioning the county to attract founders from neighboring states while retaining local businesses.
Summary
Federal contract awards and venture capital deals point to a strong year so far for Howard County's cybersecurity sector, according to Technical.ly, though neighboring Maryland jurisdictions including Anne Arundel, Montgomery and Prince George's counties, as well as St. Mary's County, compete for the same advantages. All of these jurisdictions benefit from proximity to federal agencies and a highly educated workforce. Howard County differentiates itself by courting businesses from other regions while building connections internally. The county hosts Cyber Howard, which Technical.ly describes as the state's only cybersecurity-specific accelerator run by economic developers, a resource that neighboring Pennsylvania and Virginia lack. The spring cohort winner, Andrew DeFeo of Cipher, traveled from Philadelphia to attend the Howard County Economic Development Authority's (HCEDA) program. HCEDA business development lead Bob Zhang said the program is meant to serve as an attraction tool for the region. Shelley Lombardo, president of Evergreen Advisors, credited the county with uniting technology firms across the state.
By the numbers, Howard County generally matches or trails its neighbors in federal cyber contract awards, though it has grown more competitive in recent years. Over the last decade it has remained a major player in federal cyber service contracts, outflanked only by St. Mary's and Montgomery counties, and 2026 has been particularly strong. Much of that momentum stems from Columbia-based Enlighten IT Consulting, which secured a $42 million U.S. Army award for cyber analytics and detection. Ijena Aluko, founder of Columbia-based TandT LLC and a former Cyber Howard participant, said relationship-building is key to keeping federal clients, and that federal customers already understand cybersecurity's importance, unlike many small and medium-sized businesses. Only 22% of small businesses report having an advanced security system, according to consulting firm BD Emerson.
Venture capital is becoming a more significant funding path. Aluko said the choice between federal contracts and VC usually depends on whether a startup is building a product or providing a service, since software development requires upfront capital that VC can supply. Following a quiet 2025, local companies have landed four deals since the start of 2026, bringing in nearly $50 million total, according to PitchBook data. Those figures already exceed totals from the start of the decade, though the 2022-2024 period was driven largely by a handful of megadeals amid a strong venture landscape. Aluko's company, which was launched with federal and state compliance contracts, is looking toward venture capital or mergers for its next phase of growth, with her quote: "For our SaaS products, we are definitely going to look into it."
By the numbers, Howard County generally matches or trails its neighbors in federal cyber contract awards, though it has grown more competitive in recent years. Over the last decade it has remained a major player in federal cyber service contracts, outflanked only by St. Mary's and Montgomery counties, and 2026 has been particularly strong. Much of that momentum stems from Columbia-based Enlighten IT Consulting, which secured a $42 million U.S. Army award for cyber analytics and detection. Ijena Aluko, founder of Columbia-based TandT LLC and a former Cyber Howard participant, said relationship-building is key to keeping federal clients, and that federal customers already understand cybersecurity's importance, unlike many small and medium-sized businesses. Only 22% of small businesses report having an advanced security system, according to consulting firm BD Emerson.
Venture capital is becoming a more significant funding path. Aluko said the choice between federal contracts and VC usually depends on whether a startup is building a product or providing a service, since software development requires upfront capital that VC can supply. Following a quiet 2025, local companies have landed four deals since the start of 2026, bringing in nearly $50 million total, according to PitchBook data. Those figures already exceed totals from the start of the decade, though the 2022-2024 period was driven largely by a handful of megadeals amid a strong venture landscape. Aluko's company, which was launched with federal and state compliance contracts, is looking toward venture capital or mergers for its next phase of growth, with her quote: "For our SaaS products, we are definitely going to look into it."
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