Halcyon Expands Leadership Team to Launch Federal Practice, Strengthening National Defense Against Ransomware Threats

AUSTIN, Texas – August 27, 2025 – Halcyon, the leader in anti-ransomware solutions, today announced the launch of its Federal Practice, appointing Mitchell Plonski as President of Federal and Julie Starnes as Vice President of Federal. The new practice underscores Halcyon’s commitment to protecting U.S. federal agencies and the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) from the escalating ransomware threat.

Former NSA and U.S. Cyber Command Director General Paul Nakasone recently emphasized the need for a new strategy in combating ransomware, calling it “among the great scourges that we have in our country” and warning that “we are not making progress against ransomware.” His remarks arrive alongside CISA’s warnings that nation-state actors and state-sponsored entities increasingly deploy ransomware to disrupt critical infrastructure and utilities, elevating this beyond a criminal issue into a strategic national security threat 

With decades of combined experience navigating the unique security, compliance, and procurement landscapes of the U.S. government, Plonski and Starnes will lead Halcyon’s efforts to align its platform with federal mission priorities. Already a proven force-multiplier in the fight against ransomware, the Halcyon platform delivers capabilities designed to:

• Detect and Disrupt Active Attacks: Real-time behavioral detection, adversary tradecraft disruption, and automated containment.

• Enable Rapid Recovery: Secure, tamper-proof backups and rollback capabilities to restore operations without paying ransom.

• Leverage Threat Intelligence: Integration of Halcyon’s proprietary ransomware intelligence to anticipate and counter adversary tactics.

“Ransomware has become one of the most critical threats to our time. It’s not just about stolen data or downtime; it’s about attacks on the very systems our nation depends on. With adversaries that include state-sponsored actors, this is now a national security fight. Mitchell and Julie bring unmatched federal expertise that strengthens Halcyon’s ability to stand shoulder to shoulder with agencies, ensuring resilience against an adversary that never stops adapting.”  — Jon Miller, CEO & Co-founder, Halcyon

Learn more about how Halcyon protects federal agencies and the Defense Industrial Base, and request a demo here: halcyon.ai/industry/government

About Halcyon

Halcyon, the leading anti-ransomware solution provider is purpose-built to defeat ransomware attacks. Our technology takes an end-to-end approach to proactively disrupt threats at every stage of the attack lifecycle, from pre-execution to data exfiltration and encryption. With a 24/7 expert team that does the heavy lifting for you, and a robust ransomware warranty, Halcyon eliminates the need for ransom payments, ensures operational continuity, and protects businesses from data extortion.