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How
did you get involved with Gray Hat Research?
I've
been following Gray Hat since its inception in 2003. In
2004, Paul Williams asked for some advisory help and some assistance
with business development. From my first contact with the
company, I was sure it was on a journey that would make a
difference in the lives of the people it touched.
The
core of my decision to accept the position as CEO was a call
I received from Ben Bryant (VP, CTA). He told me, "I can't
think of anyone I would rather be responsible to." Paul
expressed a similar sentiment. It was a very humbling moment
that turned my world upside down in a very positive way. Here
were the first two employees of this very exciting company looking to me
for leadership. The opportunity to work with people of a common worldview -
a common care for others - people who share a similar
definition of integrity, was very attractive.
How
does that common worldview impact your role as CEO?
As the
chief administrator, my primary goals are to cast vision for
our team and our clients, and to interface with investors
and partners. Every member of the Gray Hat leadership team
aligns their
personal lives around their relationship with God and their
families. This makes it fairly simple to sort out goals and
objectives that allow us to function on a daily basis.
The
overall vision becomes a lot clearer when you make decisions
based on what is acceptable to God. Starting the day knowing
that God is directing my steps, and that there are people
who are willing to accept that direction is an amazing
concept. It's what I call "business as un-usual".
Your
entire leadership team is very vocal about their faith.
It's an integral part of who we are. We're
not evangelizing clients or employees to our individual
convictions, but when we establish those relationships we
make sure they
know the makeup of Gray Hat Research: people of integrity, who are
working to be what God wants us to be.
Is
Gray Hat Research a Christian company?
The notion of a Christian company is similar to the idea
of a Christian nation. You can base any organization on a
certain set of principles and values, but it is up to the
individual to manifest those standards. Giving people more than they expect, keeping debt low,
honest financial practices, open communications, kindness
and respect - these are all part of who we
are collectively. We are looking for people who share our
values, not necessarily our faith. Our individual faith
makes us who we are as individuals. Our collective behavior
makes the organization what it is. The principles that
govern our individual lives are not just good ideas, they
are good business.
How
does all of this translate into business?
We have a very open relationship with our investors
and bankers. We give them access to our books. We keep them
informed on our decisions and new relationships.
We take on assignments with a willingness to share the
entire story. We don't make decisions based on anything but
the client's best interest. Our product-neutral approach
creates a trust that allows us to lead customers down the
path they need to go down, rather following a hidden agenda
based on the sale of products.
How
does Gray Hat build trust
with clients?
We
demonstrate our competency in a way that no one has seen
before. We wrap our expertise in processes that make sense
intuitively. The depth of our experience, our real world
examples of our methods, showing a client how we work - all
these things make it easy for them to follow us.
Describe the path Gray Hat is on right now.
For the last 60 days, we've been working to define the
boundaries of our business and capture what really
differentiates us from the competition. I'm extremely
pleased with what came out of that effort. We've identified
four core service offerings that encompass 20-30 different
professional disciplines. We've forged a twelve stage
security framework into a standardized methodology that
applies to every service we offer.
There
are two areas I am extremely excited about. The first is our
underground data center, a highly secure space that affords
our clients the most robust data protection in the industry.
The second is our research and development component, which
provides opportunities to collaborate with clients in the
creation of proprietary technologies and share an equity
interest. These both represent great potential for a
positive impact to shareholder value and are a compliment to
our consulting and educational offerings as well.
The
long-term vision of Gray Hat Research is to be a formidable,
global presence in the security industry. We've already
established footholds in a number of government sectors
(city, state and federal), and our speaking schedule is a
testimony to the impact we are making in the near term.
In the
next twelve months, we anticipate new areas of geographic
presence to emerge. Based on our present professional
relationships, it is very likely that we will see regional
offices opening in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., San Francisco
and Seattle.
What
is your model for growth?
At the core of our growth is the natural progression of
relationship with our clients. A mid-Atlantic presence is a
foregone conclusion based on the opportunities we've had in
the federal government vertical. Our discussions with some
of the national labs on the West Coast are leading to a host
of technology sector clients who are interested in our
consulting and R&D services.
In
addition, we are strong believers in precise
duplication, utilizing a franchise-like approach that
supports a unique market identity, but utilizes common
practices and tools that produce similar client
experience regardless of location. Every regional
presence will complement and expand the reach of Gray
Hat Research without compromising our core values.
How will Gray Hat change
the face of security?
We already have a glimpse of the impact. It is extremely rare for a company of our size and age
to be asked to keynote major industry events and
symposiums across the country, but that is exactly what
is occuring. In fact, we are booked out well into
2006. That says something about our industry and their
view of Gray Hat Research.
Back in December, 2004 we
were the only U.S. based company, providing two of nine
presentations to technology leaders for fourteen member
nations of NATO at a conference in Zurich, Switzerland.
The scope of our consulting offering now includes
clients that range in size from small business to the
nation-state level. It is quite natural to expect
continued opportunities outside the boundaries of the
United States from these types of events.
On a more fundamental
level, we are making it clear to anyone who will listen that
software and hardware solutions are not meeting the needs of
today's threats. We're taking the lid off consulting by
distinguishing between regulatory compliance and true
security - something that very few companies are addressing.
When we share what we are doing with people in the security
industry, light bulbs are coming on, and the real depth and
breadth of the risks and liabilities are coming into view.
Are these responses
rewarding for you?
This is an interesting business. We earn a reward for
making positive contributions to an organization's security
posture. It is certainly motivating to have customers who
catch our passion for true security. I'm very proud of the
work we do, but also aware of the impact. When we discover
criminal activity or unethical practices and people are
dismissed or arrested, I am conscious of the repercussion on
their families.
You aren't cavalier
about that.
Sometimes people act without comprehending the scope of
the outcome. In those instances, it is uncomfortable to see
the weight of justice coming down in a way that changes the
lives of their spouses and children. I think you have to
temper justice with a certain amount of compassion. The same
sense of compassion, however, motivates me to action against
those who are bent on accomplishing evil intent. The safety
of our clients, their families, and our communities is
foremost in those circumstances.
How
are you managing the impact of this vision?
The entire technology business is intense. Capabilities
are constantly increasing, and the pace accelerates every
day. It is very easy to be swept along in the current. The
intellectual part of who I am could work 24 hours a day in
this industry without blinking. But my conscience and my
faith keep me balanced. Every day requires a conscious
decision to apply my energies to the things that matter the
most: family, friendships and church. These are the true
measures of who I am in the final analysis. The flip side is
the fact that some days will require me to work 20 hours,
but in the midst of those moments I remain cognizant of what
I'm motivated by: faithfulness in all my relationships.
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