In the last year, Justin Fargo ‘28 has created a new cybersecurity and compliance firm to help small- and medium-sized companies meet the requirements needed to become U.S. government contractors.

“I really think people should know that just because you’re a college student and you have a lot of obligations, you can still take risks. You don’t have to wait until you graduate to start a business,’’ says Fargo.

Fargo, 19, is a self-starter with a natural aptitude for tech. He has already completed four internships at defense giant Lockheed Martin.

His Griswold-based company is called Ironhead, borrowing a nickname from seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt, giving Fargo’s firm the strong identity he sought. To date, Fargo has served about 10 companies, ranging from machine shops to construction firms. He has one employee.

“I enjoy helping them get government clearance. It’s second nature to me. It’s a complicated process if you don’t have a strong technical background,’’ Fargo says. “But I pay a lot of attention to detail and explain to my clients what is needed in ‘human’ language. These aren’t techie people, and that’s my selling point.’’

Fargo reviews the government cybersecurity requirements and documents what meets expectations and what falls short. Then companies can work with their IT provider to make necessary changes, if needed, to become compliant. Most new clients are referred by his previous ones. Fargo says there are typically more than 100 requirements to meet before a business can secure government clearance.

“I would argue that my work is helping to keep business in the U.S. as it is already hard enough to be a small business owner. My work can help small businesses grow and take on bigger jobs,’’ he says.

‘He’s the Smartest Guy I Know’

One of the companies is Advanced Enclosure Consulting in Charlotte, North Carolina.

CEO Charlie O’Connor says about half of his building enclosure contracts come from the federal government. He needed to secure a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) approval demonstrating that the company was capable of protecting controlled, unclassified information, which is used for the Department of Defense.

O’Connor was discussing his cybersecurity-documentation needs with his son, Brendan O’Connor ’29 (ENG), who recommended Fargo.

“My son said, ‘Justin is the smartest guy I know,’’’ O’Connor recalls. “I had people give me opportunities when I was young, so I thought ‘Why not?’”

“Cybersecurity is moving so quickly and these companies are recruiting young people who seem to have a predisposition for it,’’ O’Connor says. “Justin did a great job. He delivered everything on time, and his deliverables were easy to understand, and it was all presented in a professional way.’’

The alternative, to hire a large cybersecurity firm, would likely have been cost prohibitive, he says. “Justin was able to adapt and deliver. He is an impressive young man,’’ O’Connor says.

Fargo Was Intrigued by Tech from Age 3

Fargo recalls being intrigued by technology from the time he was a toddler.

“I was a computer kid at age 3. I remember playing with my grandfather’s computer,’’ he says. “As I got older, if someone’s phone was broken, my family said: ‘Talk to Justin!’’’

He attended Windham Technical High School in Willimantic. “I went into IT and ran with it. I was like a sponge,’’ he says. “Attending a technical school is like a brotherhood. Everyone is trying to grow and become IT professionals.’’

In high school, Fargo took home a first-place award against other Connecticut high school students at Lockheed Martin’s CYBERQUEST, an annual competition designed to encourage students to pursue careers in cybersecurity. During the 3-hour competition, teams of students work to solve cybersecurity challenges created by Lockheed Martin engineers.

He also took third place in a national SkillsUSA Technical Computer Applications competition, which required a combination of team work and individual skills. The finalists completed both a written exam and a formal presentation.

“I had a dream in high school to start a business. I saw the beauty in entrepreneurship and in helping people,’’ says Fargo, who hails from a family of entrepreneurs. Both grandfathers owned their own successful businesses, one an auto shop, the other a residential HVAC company. Fargo’s dad is a teacher and HVAC contractor, too.

Fargo is currently majoring in economics but has applied to transfer to the School of Business. This summer he completed his fourth internship at Lockheed Martin, one of the largest defense contractors in the world, most recently as an intern in the Information Assurance Engineering department.

“Lockheed Martin helped me understand how the business world works, by understanding what customers need and shareholders want. It has given me a broadened perspective in the business world, which pairs well with the knowledge I have on the technical side,’’ he says.

He also credits his former elementary school teacher, Ron Boling, for sparking his confidence in entrepreneurship. Boling, who owns a computer company, urged his former student to take the leap into entrepreneurship.

“He gave me a lot of confidence and made me realize I had the ability to do this,’’ says Fargo, who is also an avid motorcyclist and fisherman, and enjoys spending time at the beach and attending rock and country music concerts.

Fargo says he’s enjoyed the two years he’s spent at UConn. “UConn is a busy, beautiful place,’’ he says. “What I enjoy most is that many of the students have really cool things going on.’’

AIM Major Addresses Shortage of Security Professionals

Professor Stephen Fitzgerald, the academic director of the Analytics and Information Management Program (AIM) at the School of Business, says students with skills like Fargo’s are in high demand by corporations.

“It’s great to see students acknowledging and engaging with the risks that come with using technology. Technology serves as the backbone of most businesses, but with the efficiency gains comes vulnerability,’’ Fitzgerald says.

“There is a massive shortage of security professionals, and the opportunity for information security-related roles is only increasing,’’ he continues. “The ubiquity of technology risk is a key focus of ‘Information Security,’ one of the core classes of our Analytics and Information Management major. Regardless of what role our students end up in, we want them to understand and acknowledge these risks.”