Digital Countermeasures is an information technology and security company specializing in information assurance and privacy awareness education. The company also makes a concerted effort to help more Black and other underrepresented students pursue careers in STEM.
This broad coalition of efforts is reflective of the background and experiences of DCM’s founder, Dr. Terrance Dillard.
Dillard, who has earned a Ph.D. in information technology and is a United States Air Force veteran, founded the company because he saw multiple gaps existing in the information technology field. “If you want to walk through the door of an arena that’s wide open with opportunities, you’ve arrived at the right place with Digital Counter Measures,” he said.
“If you want to walk through the door of an arena that’s wide open with opportunities, you’ve arrived at the right place with Digital Counter Measures,”
On the information assurance and privacy awareness education side, DCM offers a comprehensive curriculum for students, higher learning institutions, businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies. Dozens of courses and counting help students and professionals continue their education in cybersecurity, networking, systems, web technologies, databases, project management and more.
Courses are designed to be flexible to meet the needs of students. Some features include academic and technical support as well as anytime, anywhere learning. Students have the ability to learn on their schedule and have their progress sync across any device.
“On the instructional side, professors are leveraging some of the best practices in this space,” said Dillard. “Some of the things that Digital Counter Measures offer is that we go above and beyond the call of duty.”
Another perk about learning with the company is the ability to earn certifications. DCM students can earn certifications in areas including CISSP®, CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+, Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), Project Management Professional (PMP) and several Microsoft specialties. He maintains that certifications are a great way for students to bolster resumes and stand out from the pack.
“If you make this investment into your education, acquire a strong work ethic and devote time to study, you can stair-step your way into a great career by earning one simple certification,” said Dillard. “Just this one credential you get before your college degree can get you started on a different life path.” He also said that earning certification with the company can help students receive college credit.
Helping Black and other underrepresented students pursue a STEM career was another driving force for Dillard founding DCM. As a college professor with more than 20 years of teaching experience, his classes’ lack of representation has constantly been disconcerting.
“Information technology and information security are some of the fastest growing professions in the country,” said Dillard. “There’s far too few people from the Black community participating in this space.”
The company wants to foster relationships with high schools to create programs so Black and other interested students can begin exploring the information technology profession. DCM can help bridge the representation gap by ensuring high school students obtain fundamentals in the field.
Seeing these kinds of discrepancies is personal to him. Dillard has experienced and seen his students experience the transformative power of an information technology career and he wants the same for others.
He has always been an entrepreneur at heart. Dillard operated his own TV repair shop in his parents’ basement during high school and has continued his development through independent consulting and teaching. DCM is his latest chapter of advancing education for those who need it.
