A growing hub for technology

If you are like me, you open your inbox each day to a barrage of emails... some are obviously from colleagues, associates, and other familiar senders, while others somehow made it through your filters and you are just not sure – are they legitimate, or are the scammers invading my workspace? Makes you miss those emails from the “Nigerian Prince”, doesn’t it? 

Cyber threats no longer target only Fortune 500 companies. They target solopreneurs, independent law firms, real estate agents, small manufacturers, contractors, and local nonprofits. In short, they target small businesses, which are the backbone of communities like ours.  

This month’s profile highlights Glacier Cybersecurity founder Jeff Wilson and his mission to fill a gap that too often leaves small businesses exposed. As Taylor Inman reports, Wilson built his company around a simple but powerful premise: many small organizations do not have the in-house expertise to evaluate risk, respond to threats, or recover from an attack. And the stakes are real. National statistics show that 60 percent of small businesses that suffer a major breach close within six months. That is not just a data point. That is livelihoods and families.  

Our feature broadens the tech lens. Northwest Montana is not simply a place where tech workers relocate for quality of life. It is a growing hub for advanced manufacturing, software development, and security innovation. Companies like GL Solutions and Integrated Security Solutions are competing for national and even global contracts, while choosing to base operations in the Flathead Valley. The numbers are compelling. Employment in advanced manufacturing and computing continues to grow statewide, with thousands working in the sector and more jobs projected in the decade ahead.  

There is a thread that runs through both stories: confidence. Confidence to start a company here. Confidence to invest here. Confidence that the infrastructure, workforce, and community exist to support growth. And, in the case of cybersecurity, confidence that the systems protecting your data and your customers are sound. 

As technology evolves, so do the opportunities and the risks. Our role as your local news outlet is to shine a light on both. We want our readers to understand where our local economy is heading, who is driving it and what it means for businesses large and small. 

If this issue sparks questions about cybersecurity, technology, or the broader innovation economy emerging in Northwest Montana, I am always open to the conversation. I do not pretend to be an expert in this space, but I am deeply interested in how tech is impacting our local business climate and workforce. These are not abstract or distant trends. They are shaping our workforce, our tax base and the future of our communities. 

Thank you for reading, and for supporting local journalism that connects the dots on issues that matter.