News from Heartland
Recent Updates on our Work
Heartland Wins Follow on Contract for Eco-Harvest, a Next-Generation National Ecosystem Services Market Program
Since 2020, Heartland Science and Technology has supported the Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC) develop the measurement, monitoring, reporting and verification (MMRV) platform for ESMC’s Eco-Harvest, a voluntary, next-generation national ecosystem services market program. Heartland Science and Technology developed ESMC’s digital producer portal and MMRV which is the data collection platform supporting Eco-Harvest projects. In May 2023, ESMC and Heartland signed a follow-on contract to continue Heartland’s data support activities.
Heartland Promotes Precision Conservation Through Farm Service Conservation Data Collection and Analysis
Heartland, in collaboration with the Champaign County Soil and Water Conservation District, developed and integrated the S.T.A.R. program into the Precision Conservation Management Farmer Portal. S.T.A.R. is a free tool that assists farm operators and land owners evaluate their nutrient and soil loss management practices on individual fields. The purpose of the S.T.A.R. program is to motivate those making cropping decisions to use the “best management practices” that will ultimately meet the goals of the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy. Heartland’s technology integration includes data collection via the Farmer Portal, and customized data analysis & reporting functionality.
Heartland Wins Award to Support CIRI Security Training
As part of Heartland’s technical and business support to CIRI, the team is developing a novice-focused, self-paced training module that can be completed by users in approximately 30 – 45 minutes. The training introduces students to the NIST Cyber Security Framework, related cybersecurity standards and compliance objectives through a series of informative slides and implementation best practice case studies. It is designed to prepare federal workforce and students of two and four-year post-secondary institutions for compliance requirements associated with cybersecurity career fields.
Heartland Wins Award to integrate the Cyber Secure Dashboard with the Cyber Talent Bridge
Heartland provides technical and business support to the Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute (CIRI) – a Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence. As part of the University of Illinois, CIRI conducts research and education that enhances the resiliency of the nation’s critical infrastructures and the businesses and public entities that own and operate those assets and systems.
The Cyber Secure Dashboard is an established tool for conducting assessments, planning work tasks required for compliance with the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), the National Institute of Standards Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF), and the NIST 800-171 standards. CIRI and Heartland are developing the Dashboard with funding from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Manufacturing times Digital (MxD) in Chicago, IL.
The CyberTalent Bridge is a tool under development for organizations to better understand the cybersecurity talent available in their workforce, and how workers can be assigned, trained, and hired to reduce cybersecurity risk. The CyberTalent Bridge is being developed by CIRI and 2wav with funding from DHS.
Heartland is working to merge the capabilities of Cyber Secure Dashboard and the CyberTalent Bridge in a seamlessly combined user experience. This work will integrate the products, creating a toolset which offers unmatched capabilities for small to medium sized enterprises to plan required cybersecurity
tasks, choose the most effective workforce to be assigned to those tasks, understand the skills
gaps within the organization, and plan for appropriate workforce development and recruitment.
Heartland Awarded Contract to Expand Supply Chain Functionality in Cyber Secure Dashboard
Heartland Science and Technology was awarded a contract by Manufacturing times Digital (MxD) to implement supply chain functionality to the Cyber Secure Dashboard tool. The Dashboard is an ongoing development collaboration with the University of Illinois, the Department of Homeland Security’s Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute, the Information Trust Institute at the University of Illinois, MxD, and D.C. based IT and cybersecurity consulting firm Iviry. The new functionality significantly evolves the Dashboard from meeting the needs of small and mid-sized manufacturers into a fully functional SaaS business collaboration that addresses cybersecurity lifecycle management and provides critical insights into the cyber security status of entire supply chains.
Heartland Announces MOU with US Department of Agriculture’s NRCS
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), provides technical assistance to farmers and other private landowners and managers. The Heartland/NRCS Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishes the framework for a relationship in support of the development, testing, use, deployment, and maintenance of NRCS conservation models/tools. Heartland will integrate these models/tools with the PCM Farmer Portal – which will result in significant improvements to the Farmer Portal’s sustainability metrics.
Updated NIST Manufacturing Profile View in Cyber Secure Dashboard Tool
Just after rolling out Heartland’s first major Cyber Secure Dashboard update, Heartland announced a new upgrade to the Dashboard tool – the NIST Manufacturing Profile View. Funded by the Department of Homeland Security’s Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute, the new Cyber Secure Dashboard Manufacturing Profile View gives manufacturers the ability to view their cybersecurity posture through the lens of the new National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Profile. The NIST Manufacturing Profile is part of the updated and evolving NIST framework – a federally backed effort aimed at further extending NIST’s voluntary guidance to organizations on reducing cybersecurity risks. Recognizing that cybersecurity risks and recommendations will be unique for every major industry, NIST is in the process of developing and rolling out customized “Profiles” for other major industries as well. The Dashboard greatly simplifies the process of managing compliance with these complex federal requirements. It helps manufacturers understand, achieve, and maintain compliance – with a forward-leaning approach toward satisfying the continuing evolution.
Heartland Announces the First Major Update to the Cyber Security Dashboard Tool
Heartland Science and Technology Group has released the latest updates to the major Cyber Secure Dashboard – a cyber security management tool created for businesses in the DoD supply chain needing to comply with complex new federally mandated cybersecurity guidelines. The Dashboard update includes:
1. An improved user interface with upgraded navigation and layout – making the relationships between controls and the myriad referenced federal requirement/guideline documents much more clear and easy to understand;
2. A new snapshot view that give the user a quick, graphical representation of their compliance status;
3. A free demo account populated with sample data which allows users to explore baseline functionality and quickly understand how the tool facilitates step-by-step progress, organizational access, documentation of assets, and how a deep, encyclopedic collection of reference documentation can streamline compliance – clarifying the process for both seasoned experts as well as the uninitiated.