Case Studies

The Challenge

Enterprise health system customers required HIPAA compliance documentation and were beginning to ask about HITRUST certification. The company had grown quickly from a research prototype to a commercial platform, but security practices hadn't kept pace. No formal security program existed, PHI handling was inconsistent, and the sales team was losing deals to competitors who could demonstrate compliance.

Our Approach

• Conducted comprehensive HIPAA risk assessment identifying gaps in PHI handling across the platform
• Designed security program with controls mapped to both HIPAA requirements and HITRUST CSF for future certification
• Implemented technical controls for PHI protection including encryption, access controls, and audit logging
• Developed BAA templates and vendor management processes for the company's data partners
• Created incident response procedures specific to healthcare breach notification requirements

Results

The Challenge

A regional bank partnership that would 5x revenue required SOC 2 Type II certification within 12 months. The company had basic cloud security but no formal policies, no security team, and engineering was focused on product development. Previous attempts to hire a full-time CISO had failed—qualified candidates wanted $350K+ and the company couldn't justify the cost.

Our Approach

• Rapid gap assessment against SOC 2 Trust Service Criteria with prioritized remediation roadmap
• Implemented foundational controls: access management, change management, incident response
• Developed security policies that satisfied SOC 2 while remaining practical for a fast-moving startup
• Coordinated with auditor selection, evidence collection, and audit preparation
• Provided ongoing security leadership through the observation period and successful audit

Results

The Challenge

Enterprise prospects loved the product but deals stalled in security review. The company was failing security questionnaires, taking weeks to respond, and losing to competitors with SOC 2 reports. Engineering leadership knew security needed attention but didn't have the expertise to build a program. They needed to enable enterprise sales without slowing product development.

Our Approach

• Security assessment to understand current state and prioritize gaps affecting enterprise sales
• Built Customer Trust program: standardized security documentation, questionnaire response process, and customer-facing security page
• Implemented cloud security controls for AWS environment with infrastructure-as-code security
• Designed and executed SOC 2 readiness program with 6-month path to Type II
• Established security review process for product development without creating bottlenecks

Results

The Challenge

An AI company optimizing energy grid operations was scaling rapidly with utility and industrial customers. These customers had stringent security requirements including questions about AI model security, data handling, and operational technology integration. The founding team had deep AI and energy expertise but no security background. They needed a security program that addressed both traditional enterprise requirements and emerging AI-specific concerns.

Our Approach

• Designed security program addressing both enterprise IT security and AI/ML-specific risks
• Developed AI governance documentation covering model training data, inference security, and output validation
• Implemented security controls for OT/IT boundary as the platform integrated with customer industrial systems
• Created security architecture for multi-tenant AI workloads with customer data isolation
• Built compliance roadmap for SOC 2 and industry-specific requirements (NERC CIP awareness)

Results

The Challenge

A state education agency RFP worth $3M annually required detailed security documentation, FERPA compliance evidence, and SOC 2 certification. The company had grown through direct school sales but lacked the formal compliance program needed for state-level contracts. Additionally, different states had varying student privacy requirements, creating confusion about what controls were actually needed.

Our Approach

• FERPA compliance assessment with gap remediation for student data handling practices
• Mapped requirements across key state student privacy laws (SOPIPA, NY Ed Law 2-d, etc.)
• Implemented Student Data Privacy Consortium National DPA readiness
• Built SOC 2 program with education-specific control considerations
• Created parent and district-facing security documentation and data governance policies

Results

The Challenge

A traditional financial institution wanted to partner on a digital asset custody solution, but required security controls and documentation the Web3 company had never needed for crypto-native customers. The company had strong technical security (multi-sig, HSMs, smart contract audits) but lacked the formal security program, policies, and SOC 2 certification that institutional partners expected.

Our Approach

• Bridged gap between crypto-native security practices and traditional enterprise security frameworks
• Documented existing key management and custody controls in formats institutional partners recognized
• Designed security program that satisfied SOC 2 while preserving Web3 operational flexibility
• Implemented additional controls for regulatory positioning as requirements evolved
• Created security documentation specifically for traditional finance due diligence processes

Results