Association Policies

Membership Policy

We encourage interested personnel to apply for membership, however we reserve the right to review, deny, suspend, and/or revoke membership and/or associated privileges (including event attendance) without explanation at any time. We do not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, or handicap. However, MCPA reserves the right to discriminate for other legal reasons. For example, those joining are not listed in the national sex offender database. Participation in the Military Cyber Professionals Association (MCPA) by US government personnel is on a personal, voluntary, and non-official capacity in accordance with applicable ethics regulations. 

Membership Fee Policy

MCPA membership fees are waived for the groups outlined on the join page. MCPA Chapter membership is included in MCPA membership (which is determined by the location of the member or by request of the member). Chapters are prohibited from charging general membership fees to MCPA members. However, Chapters may ask their members for non-mandatory contributions in a manner that does not alienate members or otherwise discourage participation in the MCPA.

Event Fee Policy

Chapters are prohibited from charging their members a fee to participate in normal Chapter events (like cyclical/weekly/monthly/quarterly Socials or Professional Development events). However, Chapters may ask their members for non-mandatory contributions at or in support of any event (in a way as described in "Membership Fee Policy"). "Normal Chapter events" do not include larger or individual events (like a Cyber Ball or Conference), and therefore a fee may be charged for participation. All MCPA leaders will strive to keep all MCPA events (large and small) free for the MCPA members that qualified for free membership (especially uniformed service members).

Event Code of Conduct

There's no need to reinvent the wheel. We share the same policy as DEF CON (seen here), but obviously, swap out them for us.

Made in the USA Policy

All sales and contributions are final. No returns will be granted. Purchasers are reminded that their funds contribute to the MCPA's charitable mission. Payments made for something the buyer was ineligible to purchase (like an unapproved medal) will be returned to the buyer. As part of our unwavering commitment to the American people and the environment, all of our merchandise that we sell directly (such as medals and coins) is made/designed/sewn/printed in the USA (unless completely unavailable). Some items in our online Zazzle shop may be made somewhere other than the US, since the sources of their products change regularly.

Political Activity Policy

The MCPA is apolitical and non-partisan. The MCPA does not favor a particular political party or politician. More so, MCPA leaders and members will avoid the potential appearance of political favoritism when representing the MCPA. MCPA members will not leverage the MCPA for political campaigns and/or partisan reasons. The MCPA may educate, inform, or provide recommendations those in the legislative process on matters of interested to the American military cyber community.

Chapter Leadership Policy

Chapter Presidents will be appointed by MCPA National leadership. Chapter Presidents do not need to be the highest ranking person in the Chapter, but no matter what their rank/status, they must possess strong leadership and organizational skills, take responsibility and initiative (within their own Chapter duties as well as coordinating with MCPA National), and adhere to the guidance provided by MCPA National leadership.

Chapter Presidents will be those who currently are (or were, in the case of those who had served) in a specifically cyber focused branch/community/field/specialty, unless there are no such appropriate personnel in the Chapter area. For example, on an Army base with Soldiers who belong to the Cyber Branch (17-series career field), the Chapter President should come from the Cyber Branch. In the Army base example, if no appropriate (current or former) 17-series Soldiers live in the Chapter area, personnel from another branch/community/field/speciality will be considered. The above guidance is intended to further the MCPA mission of developing this specific community by ensuring the leadership is well grounded/knowledgeable in the business of the community in order to support it optimally. This policy also helps to guard against deviation from the CYBER focus of the MCPA (as opposed to the natural mission creep that occurs when a lack of focus exists). Regardless of the background of the Chapter President, Chapter Presidents will ensure all MCPA members (regardless of background) will be welcomed and integrated into Chapter activities, as appropriate.

User Agreement and Privacy Policy

The privacy and security of our members is a priority. The MCPA does not sell the personally identifiable information (PII) you provide us to any third party. Unless otherwise stated, the Chatham House Rule applies to all discussions on/in MCPA venues like the Intranet discussion forums, Facebook group site, and local off-line gatherings. Information derived from monetary transactions are kept private and used for accounting purposes only. MCPA will not disclose MCPA privileged information (including MCPA internal planning and business activities) to outside sources. Joining the MCPA indicates acceptance of this non-disclosure agreement (NDA). The MCPA reserves the right to update policies at any time. Accessing this site and functions indicate you agree to the terms of use, which limit the use of the site (and organization) to ways in accordance with the stated MCPA mission, values, goals, and policies. The MCPA may choose to share PII or other information with the US government without consent on a case by case basis for purposes of verified official investigations. The MCPA may share information about MCPA event attendees with exhibitors to help prepare for an optimal experience. The MCPA may share limited member PII with trusted third-parties within the structure of a nonprofit mission supporting partnership in a manner that is transparent and with opt-out opportunities provided. Any malicious, illegal, and/or unethical activity is forbidden within the MCPA and with be dealt with in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

Insurance Policy

Members (and other participants in MCPA activities) must have their own insurance (like Tricare) and agree not to hold the MCPA (or partner organization) responsible (or liable) for any activity that results in harm (or death) to individuals or damage (or destruction) to public (or private) property. Those participating in MCPA events do so at their own risk.

Privileged Access Policy

Those volunteering for or accepting appointments to positions/roles in the MCPA that include elevated or privileged access to organizational or member data indicate agreement with the privacy policies of the MCPA. Any breach of trust and loyalty, including this policy, will be dealt with to the full extent of applicable laws and regulations. These leaders within the MCPA with privileged access are not selected because of their DoD assignment or position (IAW the JER). Those selected for positions with privileged access to MCPA data must disclose potential conflicts of interests to the MCPA appointing authority prior to assuming the role and gaining such access, as well as how the potential conflict of interest will be resolved. At a minimum, these individuals will disclose a complete list of non-federal entities they are affiliated with, their role in each organization, and a legally binding statement, "I will always act in accordance with all applicable laws, regulations, and policies. I will execute my MCPA duties in accordance with all MCPA policies. I will remain loyal to the MCPA and not disclose any privileged MCPA data to anybody, except if required by law." On a case by case basis, privileged access to some MCPA related data may be provided to a member in support of academic research. Such research must be conducted in accordance with established principals of ethics and clearly support the MCPA mission. Examples of this type of access include anonymized analysis of membership application patterns or requesting participation in a survey. Opt-out opportunities will be provided, if applicable. For volunteers, event participants, and all members, the only organizations authorized to be promoted using MCPA resources (which includes access to MCPA meetings, gatherings, and other events) are (1) actual US governmental entities, (2) partners of the MCPA listed on the MCPA public website, or (3) sponsors of the MCPA listed on the MCPA public website. This applies to all organizations, both for-profit and non-profit.

Volunteer Policy

All those participating in the MCPA as members are doing so voluntarily, including all current MCPA leadership positions. Every volunteer in any position must comply with all MCPA-related policies and directives from MCPA national leadership, and also comply with all applicable laws and organizational regulations/policies. The MCPA national leadership reserves the right to remove and/or replace volunteers from any position (including MCPA Chapter Presidents, regardless of the status of the Chapter) at any time in support of MCPA policies, strategy, mission and or vision. Unless otherwise stated, the length of service in any position is 2 years, and those participating in MCPA activities are doing so as individuals in a private capacity (and not as a representive of the US government).

Content policy

Those sharing content found on or in MCPA publications (Military Cyber Affairs, KCIL, and CYBER) must do so within the limits of the specified intended use (educational/nonprofit/USG). Commercial use of the content is prohibited, without prior MCPA approval. Where no specified intended use is available, those wanting to share the content must seek written permission by the MCPA before sharing. Any content found, heard, or expressed in MCPA venues (on or off line) are that of the speaker/author as individuals and do not necessarily reflect the opinion/policy of the MCPA. We give permission to share/reprint original content found on/in MCPA publications free of charge to educators in American high schools and degree granting institutions and nonprofit organizations, as well as USG institutions, as long as the MCPA is cited as the originator of the content (in accordance with fair use). All other parties must receive MCPA approval before sharing/reprinting. MCPA venues (online and off line) are for sharing information of probable interest to the American military cyber community, and advertisements of products, services, organizations, or events are prohibited unless specifically approved by MCPA national leadership. Content considered inappropriate for MCPA venues will be removed and originators of the content will be dealt with appropriately. MCPA logos, symbols, pictures, videos, and other images/media/content are for the exclusive use of the MCPA and approved MCPA partners only. Usage of such media must be appropriate and intended to support the MCPA mission and vision. An approved MCPA partner using the MCPA logo in its advertising for an event supported by the MCPA is an example of an appropriate use of the MCPA logo. Violating this or any other MCPA policy makes the offending party liable for damages and subject to legal action.

Tax Policy

Just like all other associations, we are a non-federal entity (NFE). Like many other associations (but not all), we are not-for-profit. Specifically, we are categorized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) education nonprofit public charity. This type of cha. In accordance with DoD ethics regulations, please note "This is a non-federal entity. It is not a part of the Department of Defense or any of its components and it has no governmental status". Since we are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity, donations are tax-deductible and very appreciated.

Copyright Policy

Unless otherwise negotiated and agreed upon in writing before content submission to MCPA, MCPA maintains the copyright on all works (including articles and presentations) published by MCPA, such as in our magazine, journal, or YouTube channel. Based on this publicly-available standing policy, those submitting works to MCPA for publication by MCPA agree to a transfer of copyright ownership to MCPA without the need to sign a separate Copyright Transfer Agreement. Those submitting works must be the creator/owner of the work, or otherwise authorized to transfer its ownership to MCPA (such as in the case of an employer as copyright owner). The work's creator may share the MCPA published work, as desired and appropriate, with appropriate citation to the applicable MCPA publication source. Educational institutions or researchers in the United States may utilize the MCPA works for educational or research purposes, so long as they appropriately cite the applicable MCPA publication source. In the case of a work prepared under a government grant or contract, if required by the grant or contract, the US government may reproduce, without charge, all or portions of the work and may authorize others to do so, for official US government purposes only.

Sponsorship Policy

Sponsorship and donations by corporations, businesses, organizations, and individuals with interests compatible with that of the MCPA are encouraged. However, we reserve the right to review, deny, and/or revoke the sponsor or partner relationship without explanation. By completing a payment for sponsorship, the sponsor indicates agreement with the below terms.

Terms of Agreement for Sponsorship of the MCPA 

(unless otherwise stated in contract):

1. The MCPA agrees to grant the sponsor the sponsorship rights listed on the sponsorship benefits page.

2. It is agreed that at the end of the sponsorship period, the MCPA or the sponsor will automatically initiate a renegotiation of this agreement.

3. The period of a two year sponsorship (indicated by sponsor's election to make a single payment and not a recurring payment) will commence at 17:00/5pm on the day following receipt of payment, and end exactly two years later. A recurring payment indicates a multiyear sponsorship agreement, which can be renegotiated after the second year of sponsorship.

4. The sponsor agrees to provide payment and (if determined appropriate) mention of the MCPA on the sponsor's website and/or social networking venues (example: MCPA Page "liked" by sponsor on Facebook). 

5.  The MCPA agrees to provide the sponsor the benefits listed on the sponsorship benefits page. Applicable MCPA memberships and @milcyber.org accounts are valid only during the sponsorship period. 

6. The sponsor is not permitted to provide data about MCPA members to third parties without the written consent of the applicable MCPA member(s). The sponsor is only permitted to actively recruit MCPA members for employment that are not currently serving on active duty in the United States armed forces and are not in a transition period towards retirement from active duty service. Recruiting veterans and soon to be veterans (those who have started their transition process off of active duty) is encouraged.

7. In the event of a dispute arising that the parties themselves cannot resolve, the parties agree to refer the matter to an independent arbitrator appointed by mutual agreement.

8. If the parties cannot agree on an arbitrator, or both parties do not agree with the decision of the arbitrator appointed, the agreement may be terminated in the following manner:

   • If the breach is one that can be rectified, then the non-breaching party can request in writing that the breach be rectified in 14 days. If the breach is not rectified within that time, the non-breaching party may terminate the Agreement immediately.

   • If the breach is one that cannot be rectified, the non-breaching party may terminate the Agreement by giving 14 days written notice of their intention to terminate.

   • If either party goes into liquidation, is wound up, dissolved (except for the purpose of reconstruction or amalgamation), enters into a scheme of arrangement or is placed under official management or in receivership, the other party may terminate the Agreement by giving 14 days written notice of their intention to terminate under the clause.

   • In the event of a termination under this Agreement, each party’s rights and liabilities will cease immediately but the termination shall not affect a party’s rights arising out of a breach of this agreement by the other party.

9.  Where one party is unable to carry out its obligations under this agreement due to circumstances beyond its control or which it could not have prevented, those obligations are suspended whilst those circumstances continue, provided the other party is notified and the first party uses its best endeavors to overcome the circumstances preventing its obligations from being carried out.

10. Each party shall indemnify the other against any claims arising from any breach of the agreement by either party.

11. Any terms and conditions beyond this agreement shall not be disclosed to any third parties without the written consent of both parties.

12. The rights of either party under this agreement shall not be transferable or assignable either in whole or in part.