DefenseStorm, a solution that fuses together technology and people to provide co-managed cybersecurity operations for financial institutions, adds to its management team by hiring Bob Thibodeaux as chief information security officer. DefenseStorm has also expanded its team of security experts, known as Guardian, to accommodate the company’s rapid growth.

Bringing more than 20 years of information security experience to DefenseStorm, Thibodeaux is an expert in managing IT, security and network operations. In his new role, Thibodeaux is responsible for overseeing incident response processes, risk management and penetration testing for community banks and credit unions across the U.S. He is also tasked with maintaining a current understanding of the threat landscape for the financial industry and translating that knowledge to identify risks and develop actionable plans to protect DefenseStorm and its customers.

Before joining DefenseStorm, Thibodeaux worked at F5 Networks as a senior security engineer, where he directed the development and management of the company’s security operations. Prior to that, he served as senior manager of IT infrastructure at The Seattle Times and as senior network engineer for InterNAP Network Services. Additionally, Thibodeaux is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and Global Information Assurance Certified (GIAC) Penetration Tester. He has also completed intensive business training geared toward C-level IT executives at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management.

DefenseStorm has also significantly expanded its Guardian team to serve the company’s growing customer base. Earlier this year, DefenseStorm announced a 100 percent customer renewal rate for the second consecutive year and the company continues to add new customers to its roster. By adding to the Guardian team, DefenseStorm is readily positioned for sustained growth. The Guardian experts are responsible for providing 24/7 monitoring support for DefenseStorm’s customers and offering assistance in investigating uncovered threats. The team also delivers value by providing advice and recommendations to customers on how to better secure their network. 

“At DefenseStorm, we rely heavily on our sharp and talented employees. Cybersecurity is an ongoing initiative that cannot be solved indefinitely and our customers are targeted with new cyber threats constantly,” said Sean Feeney, CEO of DefenseStorm. “Having a skilled, experienced staff, like Bob and the Guardian team, is vital to helping our customers address their security issues and is ultimately key to DefenseStorm’s success as a company.”