Cybersecurity for small businesses depends on three key factors: The quality of the tool you’re using, the ease of use of the tool to ensure mass adoption, and the brains behind it. 

That’s why Guardare took the initiative to create the Guardare Customer Advisory Board—ensuring that the best and brightest minds in the industry had unparalleled access and influence on our tool from Beta launch onward. 

Our experts collaborate with us regularly to support routine updates, tool expansion, and betterment for our clients—and it’s our pleasure to introduce you to them. Read on to learn more about what the Guardare Customer Advisory Board is, who is involved, and what this means for the future of cybersecurity for small businesses. 

What is the Guardare Customer Advisory Board? 

The Guardare Customer Advisory Board is a group of distinguished experts in the cybersecurity sector who bring over a century of expert experience to the Guardare platform. This group, composed of handpicked CISOs, former Secret Service cybersecurity experts, and leading IT voices works alongside our in-house team to offer feedback, direction, and new opportunities within the Guardare platform—ensuring that it’s as comprehensive and user-friendly as possible for our customers.

In addition to their feedback and evaluation duties, our CAB members actively serve as Beta testers of the Guardare platform and any related products. In this context, they function as expert voices and customer advocates who ensure that all market-ready features and platform elements have been expertly vetted and approved before mass market roll-out. 

By proactively incorporating their shared decades of practical industry knowledge into our development process, we’re able to authentically and successfully anticipate the needs of our customers—reducing friction, barriers to adoption, and support needs from the first date of installation. 

Who is on the Guardare Customer Advisory Board? 

We take cybersecurity for small businesses seriously—which is why we’ve spent time vetting and selecting our Customer Advisory Board members over a series of months. Currently, the Board is comprised of experts, including: 

• John Graham: As a celebrated global CISO, advisor, and instructor, John brings a 20-year perspective to the team. His insight into areas such as enterprise risk management, crisis management, and auditing has enriched the Guardare platform and will continue to be a cornerstone of our product’s development. 
• Larry Whiteside: Larry Whiteside has years of experience in cybersecurity and infosec, starting from his time in the U.S. Air Force. He’s most recently served in roles such as Chief Strategy Officer, Chief Technology Officer, Chief Security Officer and CISO for enterprises and groups.
• Roger Grimes: If you’ve read articles about cybersecurity, there’s a chance Roger Grimes has written (at least) one of them. Roger is a celebrated author who has written over 1,000 national magazine articles and 13 books on cybersecurity as it has evolved over the past 30 years. Currently serving as a Defense Evangelist for KnowBe4, Roger offers a unique, invaluable perspective to the Customer Advisory Board. 
• Chase Cunningham: Known for his personal brand, “Dr. ZeroTrust,” Dr. Chase Cunningham is a cybersecurity savant. His specialty lies in strategic cybersecurity frameworks, most famously with his proprietary Zero Trust Extended Framework at Forrester Research. His past roles include CSO, Advisor, and podcaster—all of which he leverages in his current role as a senior advisor for the U.S. Department of Defense. 
• Mark Berthiaume: Mark Berthiaume has been a Board Member, Advisor, and Nonprofit Leader in the cybersecurity space for over 25 years—most recently serving as the EVP & CTIO at Hanover Insurance Group. His experience working in corporate cybersecurity offers a scalable future perspective for Guardare, and will guide much of the advanced product development stages. 
• Stefanie Drysdale: Stefanie is currently serving as Senior Vice President of Cyber and Corporate Security for Prescient—an industry leader in global investigations, intelligence, and cybersecurity services. Her work with Fortune 500 clients and experience as a multi-board member make her an ideal candidate for our Customer Advisory Board, as she’ll be able to speak to the needs of mid- and enterprise-level clientele as we grow. 
• Michael Woodson: Michael Woodson is a seasoned cyber exec with over 20 years of experience in the field. He specializes in strategic cybersecurity risk management, regulatory compliance, and team leadership. His impressive resume includes senior support roles with Infosys, Sonesta International Hotel Corp, and MBTA. 
• Andy Blumenthal: Andy Blumenthal currently serves as a Deputy Program Director for the U.S. Department of Commerce, and has previously served related roles as Deputy Chief Operating Officer of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Chief Information Officer for the U.S. Department of State, and Chief Enterprise Architect for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security—working directly with the Secret Service and the Coast Guard. He holds professional CISO, CISM, CIO, and EA certifications, as well as ITIL and CompTIA A+. No opinions of his referenced in any part of Guardare’s resources represent any formal opinion held by the U.S. or its interests; and are entirely his own. ‍
• Bradley Schaufenbuel: Bradley Shaufenbuel holds over 25 professional designations in IT compliance, privacy, fraud examination, cloud security, and information security management, as well as an MBA from DePaul University and an LLM/J.D. from Chicago’s John Marshall School of Law. His impressive resume makes him an ideal candidate for our Customer Advisory Board. Bradley currently serves as the Vice President and CISO of Paychex, holding previous related positions at Paylocity, Midland States Bank, and Experian.

Takeaway

We believe that the best way to build tools that support cybersecurity for small businesses is to bring the brightest minds in cyber together—giving you enterprise-grade assistance for less than a fraction of the typical cost. Book a demo today and experience the difference that an expert tool can make in your management workflow.