Shows
Behind the ShieldFedRAMP 20x: From 12–18 Months to Weeks? Reality Check with Andrea Livero-ScottIn this episode of Behind the Shield, host Gary Daemer sits down with Andrea Livero-Scott, Director for Cybersecurity at Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, to unpack what is changing across FedRAMP and why the shift to FedRAMP 20x is more than a process update.We cover:The biggest FedRAMP pain points from the last 4–5 years (timelines, reviewer interpretation, package churn)The real differences between civilian and DoD authorization pathsFedRAMP 20x: automation readiness, KSIs, and what “faster” really requiresMachine-readable evidence and the questions agencies and assessors still need answered
2026-02-0351 minBehind the ShieldFedRAMP 20x Phase 2: Building Trust, Transparency, and ATO Monitoring at ScaleFedRAMP 20x is moving fast and in this episode of Behind the Shield, host Gary Daemer and co-host Chad Spears break down what it actually looks like to go from Phase 1 pilot to Phase 2 production-ready thinking.We cover the real shift happening right now from “is the thing there?” to “is the control effective?” plus how KSIs, continuous and persistent validation, and machine-readable evidence are changing the game for CSPs, 3PAOs, and agencies.In this episode, we discuss:What FedRAMP 20x Phase 2 changes and why it feels like crawl, walk, runHow trust is built by showin...
2026-01-2754 minBehind the ShieldInside our Cyber and Cloud Talent Pipeline - Part 1Building talent is part of building secure systems.In Episode 1 of our 3-part Internship Series, host Felisha Daemer sits down with Tanner Bailey (former InfusionPoints intern turned Internship Coordinator) to unpack how we develop the next generation of cybersecurity and cloud professionals through a rotational program across Advisory, Cloud Ops/Engineering, and a 24x7 SOC.If you are not looking for an internship, this episode is still for you. You will hear:How we scale delivery without sacrificing quality or customer outcomesWhy fresh eyes and repeatable processes improve security and operationsWhat it...
2026-01-2036 minBehind the ShieldFrom Tokens to Passwordless: RSA CISO, Rob Hughes, On FedRAMP REV 5 and AI RiskIn this episode, hosts Mike Strohecker and Jason Shropshire sit down with Rob Hughes, CISO of RSA, for a deep dive into identity security, FedRAMP Rev 5, and emerging AI risk.Rob shares his journey into the CISO role and how RSA has evolved from its early days of hardware tokens into a modern, cloud focused identity provider. The conversation covers real world lessons from RSA’s FedRAMP authorization experience, including navigating the JAB process, operating during the shift to remote work, and balancing compliance requirements with meaningful security outcomes.The group also explores what FedRAMP Re...
2026-01-1451 minBehind the Shield“Wild West FedRAMP” to 20x: Lessons Learned with Sam AydletteBehind the Shield- Episode 14In this episode of Behind the Shield, host Jason Shropshire is joined by guest host Jason Redding (InfusionPoints Advisory) and special guest Sam Aydlette, a longtime FedRAMP leader who’s seen the program from nearly every seat: government, industry, and consulting.Sam takes us back to the early “Wild West” days of FedRAMP, why cloud changed everything about traditional FISMA thinking, and what today’s shift toward transparency and measurable secure outcomes means for agencies and CSPs. We dig into why not every system needs to be Moderate, how tailoring should work in...
2026-01-0652 minBehind the ShieldFrom Screenshots to Signals with SK Bhachech: FedRAMP Automation and What Comes NextIn this episode of Behind the Shield, host Gary Daemer is joined by new co-host Ryan Adcock from the InfusionPoints Cloud Team and special guest SK Bhachech from Riverbed Technology for a candid conversation on what it really takes to navigate federal compliance when the goalposts move mid-flight.Together, they unpack Riverbed’s authorization journey, why FedRAMP is often customer-driven rather than chosen, and what makes FedRAMP uniquely prescriptive. From implementing hundreds of controls to sustaining month-over-month operational rigor, SK shares lessons learned from building and maturing a security program inside a regulated environment.The co...
2025-12-2347 minBehind the ShieldOne Pane, Zero Panic: Command Center on XBU40, FedRAMP 20x Phase 2 Moderate & ATO MonitoringDisclaimer: This conversation includes a live demo of Command Center on XBU40. To see the dashboards, workflows, and visuals discussed, watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2db13PnF62s In this episode of Behind the Shield, host Gary Daemer is joined by co-host Chad Spears (Director, Security Operations) and special guest Alex Earhart (Lead SecOps Engineer and 20x pilot engineer) for a live walkthrough of Command Center on XBU40.We go hands-on with the platform and the tooling that helps teams operate, manage, and prove security across FedRAMP and DoD environments, while al...
2025-12-161h 08Behind the ShieldFrom the Assessment Side: FedRAMP 20X, Automation & Continuous Validation with Christian BaerBehind the Shield- Episode 11What does FedRAMP look like from the assessor’s seat?In this episode of Behind the Shield, host Gary Daemer sits down with Christian Baer, Technical Fellow at Schellman, to unpack what FedRAMP 20X really means from the inside of the assessment process.Christian shares first-hand insight into: • How automation is reshaping federal security assessments • The shift from point-in-time audits to continuous validation • Why KSIs and real-time visibility matter more than endless screenshots • The balance between risk, context, and compliance in modern cloud environments • What CSPs should...
2025-12-0959 minBehind the ShieldMeet Mike Strohecker: Turning Real-World Experience into Cloud Ops SuccessBehind the Shield- Episode 10 In this introductory episode of Behind the Shield, host Jason Shropshire sits down with Mike Strohecker, Director of Cloud Operations at InfusionPoints, to highlight Mike’s professional journey, leadership role, and perspective on the future of cloud security and FedRAMP 20x.As part of our series, we periodically introduce members of InfusionPoints’ leadership team, many of whom will also appear as hosts in future episodes. These leadership spotlights allow our audience to get to know the people shaping our mission and guiding our work between our guest-focused interviews.In this...
2025-12-0230 minBehind the ShieldSmall SaaS to ATO: Teo Balbach on Government Compliance for Small BusinessesBehind the Shield- Episode 9Getting a government Authority to Operate (ATO) can feel impossible for small businesses- but it doesn’t have to be.In this episode of Behind the Shield, CoachMePlus CEO Teo Balbach shares how a five-person sports technology startup turned its athlete-management platform into a DoD-authorized SaaS used by Army and Air Force programs. Joined by InfusionPoints’ Jackson Gorman and Gary Daemer, Teo explains what it really takes to move from “commercial-ready” to cyber-compliant in government environments.What you’ll learn:How CoachMePlus built trust and sponsorship inside DoD progra...
2025-11-251h 01Behind the ShieldFrom Intern to VP: Felisha Daemer on Building Culture and Leading Public Sector GrowthBehind the Shield- Episode 9In this episode of Behind the Shield, host Gary Daemer, CEO of InfusionPoints, sits down with Felisha Daemer, VP of Public Sector and one of the driving forces behind the company’s culture and growth.Felisha shares her personal journey from college intern to executive leadership — and how being “humble, hungry, and smart” became the foundation of InfusionPoints’ hiring philosophy and team success. Together, Gary and Felisha reflect on what it means to stay scrappy and authentic in the cybersecurity world, how InfusionPoints built its culture of grit and continuous learning, and what m...
2025-11-1827 minBehind the ShieldAutomation, Trust, and the Next Era of Compliance with Tim Sandage (AWS)Behind the Shield- Episode 7In this episode of Behind the Shield, we’re joined by Tim Sandage, Head of AWS Global Security & Compliance Acceleration, to explore how automation, AI, and platform-driven design are reshaping the future of cloud compliance.Tim sits down with Gary Daemer and Jason Shropshire of InfusionPoints to discuss the evolution from static audits to continuous validation—and what it really takes to build trust in an automated world.🔹 How FedRAMP 20x is changing the path to authorization🔹 Why “Security by Design” remains essential in the AI era🔹 Continuous audit...
2025-11-111h 21Behind the ShieldLeverage Compliance Pipelines to Bust Down WallsBehind the Shield- Episode 6In this episode of Behind the Shield, Jason Shropshire and Gary Daemer connect history, innovation, and compliance. What can the fall of Constantinople teach us about modern cybersecurity and FedRAMP 20x?They explore why traditional “walls and moats” thinking no longer works in today’s cloud world, how compliance pipelines are changing the game, and why automation—not screenshots—is the future of assurance.You’ll hear how InfusionPoints’ platforms like XBU40, XccelerATOr, and AuditShield are helping customers move from static audits to continuous validation—and how FedRAMP 20x is leading that...
2025-11-0430 minBehind the ShieldFrom SaaS to FedRAMP 20x: Meet Jeff Bivens, VP of Customer SuccessBehind the Shield- Episode 5 Meet our new VP of Customer Success, Jeff Bivens. Jeff shares his path from late-90s client-server to SaaS, through a Dell acquisition and multiple ATOs, to why he joined InfusionPoints now. We dig into how strong program management turns compliance into momentum, how FedRAMP 20x can lower barriers without lowering security, and why “customer success” in public sector means repeatable outcomes, faster audits, and durable trust. We also touch on AI’s role in detection and operations, evergreen company values, and what changes when a services firm becomes a true cloud service provide...
2025-10-2858 minBehind the ShieldAbolish Screenshots and Ship Security: FedRAMP 20x with Ethan TroyBehind the Shield- Episode 4:FedRAMP 20x, KSIs, and the End of Screenshots (with Fortreum’s Ethan Troy & InfusionPoints’ Tanner Bailey)In this episode we explore how FedRAMP 20x is changing audits. Instead of relying on screenshots, auditors now focus on scripts, APIs, and code logic. Host Gary Daemer sits down with InfusionPoints’ Tanner Bailey and Fortreum’s Ethan Troy to talk about KSIs, Trust Centers, and the skills auditors need for the future.What you’ll learn:Why screenshots are being replaced with automated, repeatable checksHow KSIs and themes...
2025-10-2138 minBehind the ShieldIntroducing Chad Spears & A Deep Dive into FedRAMP 20x Behind the Shield - Episode 3: Meet one of our hosts, Chad Spears (Director of Security Operations at InfusionPoints), as he sits down with Gary Daemer to talk about the journey from hands-on IT to leading a modern SOC, the power of automation, and how FedRAMP 20x is reshaping audits, evidence, and continuous monitoring.What you’ll learnHow a major ransomware event shaped Chad’s approach to defense and incident responseWhy we split Security Operations and Security Engineering to scale outcomesThe origin of AuditShield and what “automated evidence collecti...
2025-10-1445 minBehind the ShieldFrom Rev4 to FedRAMP 20x: Faster ATOs & AI — with Said Syed (Snyk)Behind the Shield – Episode 2: In our first episode featuring a guest, hosts Jason Shropshire and Jason Redding sit down with a public-sector security leader, Said Syed, CISO Snyk for Government, to unpack the real story behind FedRAMP—from the messy early days and the shared-responsibility model, to today’s accelerated authorizations and the 20x roadmap. We cover hard-won lessons, how process (not just tech) slows teams down, what RC-12 means for vulnerability reality checks, and where AI, KSIs, and agency expectations are heading next.What you’ll learn:How early cloud providers navigated FedRAMP before in...
2025-10-0742 minBehind the ShieldThe Origins of InfusionPoints & the Future of FedRAMPBehind the Shield- Episode 1: In the premiere episode of Behind the Shield, hosts Gary Daemer (CEO of InfusionPoints) and Jason Shropshire (COO) share the story of InfusionPoints’ journey from its early federal and commercial projects to becoming a leader in cloud compliance and security engineering. They discuss how the rise of FedRAMP in 2012 pushed the team to pioneer automation, compliance-as-code, and platform engineering long before it became industry standard.Listeners will hear candid stories about the “hardware days” of building compliant systems, the painful lessons learned from InfusionPoints’ first customers, and how those experiences fueled the creation of the Xc...
2025-09-3032 min
Dinis Guarda YouTube Podcast Series - Powered by citiesabc.com and businessabc.netMichael Figueroa, Senior Director of Strategy, Information Security Services at ToptalMichael A. Figueroa is the Senior Director of Strategy, Information Security Services at Toptal, where he leads Cybersecurity & Technology Strategies and Business Leadership, and research, for Toptal - a global remote company that provides a freelancing platform, connecting businesses with software engineers, designers, finance experts, product managers, and project managers. The company has no headquarters.Michael Figueroa BiographyMichael Figueroa holds a B.S. in Brain and Cognitive Sciences from MIT and a M.F.S. in High Tech Crime Investigations from George Washington University. Michael was Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) in 2004.
2023-06-211h 23
Talk Marketing To Me005 - Talkin’ Inbound Marketing Gary Daemer of InfusionPointsIn this episode of the Talk Marketing To Me Podcast, Hannah and Chad speak with Gary Daemer, co-founder of InfusionPoints, a 50+ employee cybersecurity firm based in North Wilkesboro, NC. He talks about how he runs the business with an inbound mindset and uses inbound marketing techniques to target companies worldwide that must protect their digital systems.
Links of interest:
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate The Three Essential Virtues by Patrick M. Lencioni
SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham
Inbound Organization: How to Build...
2023-02-0133 min
A Geek Leader Podcast - inspiring technical and creative leaders around the worldAGL 111: Cyber Security with Jason ShropshireAbout Jason
As a Co-Founder, Jason Shropshire provides technical leadership in cyber security as Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President at InfusionPoints. Mr. Shropshire leads security initiatives for InfusionPoints’ clients, specifically focusing on the development, deployment and operations of security programs and infrastructure in complex commercial organizations, government agencies and non-governmental organizations. His experience includes serving as Information Systems Security Officer for the Dell Cloud for US Government / NTT DATA Cloud For Government, as Security Architect for Lowe’s Companies, and in program support roles for Dell Services Federal Government, HPE, Army, Department of the Treasury, The W...
2019-07-1244 min